Meet the Chefs

 

Chef Lila Lea,
Owner and Instructor



After graduating from the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, Lila worked as a private chef and in catering. Her favorite job was running a children’s cooking program on the Upper East side. Her enthusiasm for cooking gets children excited about eating vegetables and trying something new. She and her partner, Alex Lea, opened Kitchen Table to help kids of all ages discover the joy of creation that can lead to a lifetime of healthy and adventurous eating. That goes for adults too—because everyone needs to eat their veggies!


“

My goal for Kitchen Table is to provide a fun and educational space to continue spreading my love of the culinary arts in our town and beyond!”

  • Chef Gilbert Boyd

    Gill Boyd has been in the food and hospitality business for forty years, and is a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator. He attended Johnson and Wales University and Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Gill taught at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles for 9 1/2 years, was Head Chef of The Farmers Kitchen in Hollywood, and Assistant Resident Chef at Sur la Table in LA and NYC. Chef Gill currently teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC.

  • Chef Brian Bennett

    Brian is an experienced culinary professional with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. He has worked in many facets of the industry; catering, hospitality, culinary management, and as a private chef and consultant. He is an instructor with experience at Hudson Table in Hoboken and Eat Clean Bro, LLC. He is a graduate of Culinary Arts from Texas Culinary Academy.

    Specializes in southern cooking, Texan Ranch and NOLA as well as classic French.

  • Chef Lena Barnett

    Lena began her baking career in high school at a local Maplewood bakery. While studying at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, she traveled to France and Italy to further develop and perfect her pastry skills. She graduated with an Associates in Baking & Pastry Arts, and Bachelors in Food Service Management with a concentration in Contemporary Pastry Arts, and an MBA with a concentration in Hospitality.

    She runs her own cottage business, Lena’s In the Mix Bakery and you can follow her @inthemixbakery on Instagram. Lena is skilled at reinterpreting classic recipes, putting her own unique spin on them.

  • Chef Karen Nicholas

    Karen began her baking career working at a local Maplewood bakery, where she also trained new staff and lead teams during the busy holiday season. Her pie crust is perfection, and that’s just one of the many skills this self-taught baker has under her belt. In addition to being an instructor at Kitchen Table, she also runs a cottage bakery business and you can follow her on Instagram @mapsosweet.

  • Chef Lori Bright

    Lori brings all her genuine passion for cooking to every class she teaches. She has been working with children as a preschool teacher, and a culinary instructor at a sleep away camp for the last 15 years. Combining her love of cooking and her devotion to children really is her happy place.

    Prior to that she had a career in private banking at Citibank. She graduated from Binghamton University and has an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University.

    She also is a graduate from the French Culinary Institute in NYC

  • Dawn Yoselowitz

    Senior Coordinator for Adult Classes and Events