Growing up in a small town in Northeast Texas, Taylor Kearney was raised tending gardens, raising livestock, and cooking alongside his grandparents. At age 13, he landed his first job washing dishes at a barbecue restaurant managed by his brother—an experience that sparked his passion for the kitchen and led to early roles in restaurants around his hometown. After graduating from The Art Institute of Dallas’ culinary program, Taylor traveled the world to train with some of the industry’s most renowned chefs, including Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller, and Anne-Sophie Pic, among many others. In 2018, he moved to Boston to help open the $2.6 billion Wynn resort, where he led the property’s premier fine-dining restaurant, Rare, earning a coveted Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide. He later returned home to Dallas to join the Harwood District, where he now serves as Vice President of Culinary Operations. In this role, Taylor oversees all culinary development across the company’s expanding portfolio of restaurants and hotels. Since joining Harwood Hospitality Group, he has led the opening of twelve new concepts, launched HWD Premium Beef—raising high-end cattle exclusively for the group’s 21 venues—and earned Michelin Guide recognition for three Harwood properties. Taylor has been honored by Zagat as one of their “Top 30 Under 30” and featured across prominent media outlets, including The Michelin Guide, Eater NY, Eater Chicago, Forbes Travel Guide, Wynn Magazine, EatThis.com, PaperCity Magazine, EscapeHatch Dallas, The Dallas Morning News, CultureMap, Dallas Observer, NBC, and Fox. He has also been featured in several books and remains actively involved with various Dallas-area charities.

Taylor and Jay celebrate global flavors, reimagining them in playful and creative ways that reflect their unique culinary perspective.

For the Chefs for Farmers Festival 2025, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse will present a Bosque Ranch Beef Tartare on Chicharrones. Executive Chef Theodore Tom, formerly of SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas, spent 18 years leading high-profile catering and major events for the Wynn. Originally from Colorado, Chef Tom brings his signature approach to meat, game, and seafood, adding original creations to the storied Cattlemen’s Steakhouse menu. He is also developing an elevated, seasonal menu for the upcoming Cattlemen’s Club, a new private lifestyle membership concept from Taylor Sheridan. In his role, Chef Tom will curate guest chef collaborations and wine dinners for both Cattlemen’s Steakhouse and Cattlemen’s Club, drawing inspiration from the world-class events he helped produce at the Wynn. Now based in Fort Worth, Texas, Chef Tom is also a trained musician and producer—an artist who knows how to orchestrate both a culinary and creative team with precision and flair.

A native of St. Louis, Tim McLaughlin discovered his love of cooking early, helping with family meals and spending summers on his grandparents’ farm. He honed his craft at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, where he also launched his first catering venture.Back in St. Louis, Tim rose from Sous Chef to Executive Chef and General Manager at ZuZu’s Petals, then served as Chef de Cuisine at Chase Park Plaza, and helped grow Red Moon into an award-winning restaurant. He later oversaw five outlets at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, including the Four Diamond Faust’s Restaurant, and partnered with St. Louis Cardinal Jim Edmonds on F15teen, earning both local and national acclaim.In 2008, Tim moved to Dallas, where he immersed himself in Central Texas barbecue, staging at Kreuz Market and eventually co-founding Lockhart Smokehouse. The Bishop Arts and Plano locations earned numerous awards and were named among Texas Monthly’s “Top 50 BBQ Joints” in 2013 and 2017.Tim later served as a Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Dallas and opened Farmbyrd Rotisserie & Fry before co-founding Crossbuck BBQ in 2022. Named for the railroad crossing sign, Crossbuck BBQ represents Tim’s vision of a signature Dallas-style barbecue — blending French technique, Asian ingredients, Midwestern roots, and Texas smoke. The restaurant has become known for its bold flavors, smoked perfection, and innovative takes on classic barbecue, all reflecting Tim’s passion for creativity and quality.Building on that vision, Tim also founded Crossbuck Cattle Co., where he raises “happy cows” in Texas using sustainable, stress-free practices. His hands-on approach ensures premium, farm-to-table beef served at Crossbuck BBQ — the perfect union of culinary expertise and ethical ranching.

Born and raised in Drury, New Zealand, Chef Toby has spent the past two decades cooking at top restaurants around the globe.His culinary journey eventually brought him to New York City, where he worked under the renowned Chef Daniel Boulud. It was there he met his future wife, and together they later moved to Dallas to start a family. Quarter Acre—Chef Toby’s long-held dream—came to life in December 2022, blending his global experience with a deep sense of place and purpose.

A Texan native, Chef Travis Wyatt is deeply rooted in the Dallas restaurant scene, having worked in various chef roles at some of Dallas’ buzziest restaurants over the past fifteen years. In 2023, Wyatt rejoined the Headington family as Executive Chef at the yet-to-be-reopened Mirador. The restaurant reemerged with a vengeance after closing at the start of the pandemic — and a fresh new menu, courtesy of executive chef Travis. A lifelong learner, Travis prioritizes personal and professional growth and loves spending time with his family and dogs.

Trey Dyer is the CEO and co-founder of Mesero, the Dallas-based Tex-Mex and American restaurant group. After beginning his career in law, Trey transitioned into hospitality and has since helped grow Mesero into a beloved, multi-location concept known for its bold flavors, vibrant atmosphere, and strong team culture. Under his leadership, Mesero continues to expand beyond Texas, ushering in an exciting new chapter for the brand.

If there is a name synonymous with BBQ in DFW, it's Hutchins. Our journey began in 1978 when our parents, Roy and Delores, attached a BBQ restaurant to our family home in Princeton, Texas. From a young age, we’ve been immersed in the rich traditions of Texas BBQ. It’s hard work, certainly, but for us, it’s more than that. It’s a way of life. We’re passionate about BBQ, and we want our guests to feel that intuitively every time they visit us in McKinney or Frisco. It’s been quite the journey, to say the least! Hutchins BBQ has been named on Texas Monthly's Top 50 list for over a decade now. We’ve served at the James Beard House twice and won the Iron Fork “Best Restaurant” award. We were also voted “Best BBQ in DFW” in a Dallas Morning News reader poll, and we were one of Oprah’s picks in O Magazine. Along the way, we even invented the iconic Texas Twinkie! Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our amazing team, our local community, and connoisseurs of Texas BBQ from around the world. We are immensely grateful to them and look forward to sharing our love of this craft—with a side of Texas hospitality—for as long as this journey continues.

With over 28 years of experience, Chef Victor Villarreal’s culinary career has spanned from Sembach, Germany, to RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in England, as well as Abilene and Fort Worth, Texas. For the past 18 years, he has cooked at notable restaurants including The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas with John Tesar and Tim Byres; Grace in Fort Worth with Adam Jones and Blaine Staniford; Clay Pigeon with Marcus Paslay; and his first executive role at Sera Dining & Wine with John Marsh. His first restaurant was the critically acclaimed Abe Froman’s of Fort Worth, located in the Food Hall at Crockett Row. After COVID, he and his wife Misty opened La Onda, which was named one of Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in America in 2022. He is now consulting for Southern Hospitality Group at The Star Cafe diner and food trucks in the historic Stockyards of Fort Worth.

Wyl Lima, Culinary Director, brings nearly two decades of experience to the kitchen, including roles as Chef de Cuisine at the Michelin-starred Temporis in Chicago and Executive Chef at Sister in Dallas. Known for his innovative yet approachable style, Lima blends comfort food with influences from Texas, the South, and beyond—delivering dishes that are exciting, refined, and welcoming to all.

A proud Waxahachie, Texas native, Chef Zane Cannon has been part of the service industry since 2017, when he first stepped into the world of barbecue at Ferris Wheelers in Dallas. What began as a job quickly became a lifelong pursuit of smoke, fire, and flavor. Over the years, Zane has worked at several acclaimed barbecue joints, honing his craft, learning from seasoned pitmasters, and developing his own style rooted in authenticity and hard work. Driven by a passion for the process — from the firebox to the cutting board — Zane embodies the heart of Texas barbecue: humble, honest, and built on community.