The Lineup at Food 52

A Wisconsin native, Chef Christian left academics at Northwestern University in Chicago to pursue his passion for cooking at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. His first role was at the famed Bouley in Tribeca, followed by stints at Gwynnett Street and Betony. Christian later worked at iconic Italian spots like Carbone and Marta, where he met his mentor, chef Lena Ciardullo. Chef Christian's menu is a combination of his years training in fine dining Italian kitchens with flavors of South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries that are incredibly inspiring to him. His menu is adventurous, technically masterful, and wholly unique.

Born and raised in New York, Sara Pagan developed a love for cooking from her father, a Navy cook. She pursued this passion at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, earning a degree in culinary arts. After working in various New York kitchens, Sara met chef Jeremy Solomon, who recruited her as his sous chef to open Agi's Counter in 2021. Chef Sara's fully vegetarian menu playfully reimagines the chain restaurant dishes she loved growing up, giving them a creative twist—think of it as if Willy Wonka had taken over Applebee's.

Hailing from the lush island of Grenada, Josh Buckmire’s love for cooking began when he followed his aunt to her job in a bustling kitchen. This sparked a passion that led him to attend culinary school in Grenada, after which he rose through the ranks at some of the island’s top resort restaurants. A chance opportunity brought him to the U.S., where he cooked at country clubs in Westchester and worked as a private chef. Now at Sofreh in Brooklyn under chef Nasim Alikhani, Josh creates a menu that honors the bold flavors of Grenada with subtle Middle Eastern influences from his time at Sofreh.