David Lewis & Julie Eslinger

David Lewis

Executive Pastry Chef
The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa

Chef David Lewis was born and raised in rural Illinois. Growing up with country cooking he discovered the love of food was a passion of his. David began cooking in small restaurants and country clubs at the age of 15. That is when he knew he wanted to become a chef. After high school he left and moved to the “big” city of Joliet. That is where he received his Associates degree in Culinary Arts from Joliet Junior College. After school he began his professional career with Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion which landed him in Las Vegas. David then moved to working for hotels where he started at Harrahs. He left there and journeyed out to the sea where he worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Loving the land life more than the sea he traveled back to Las Vegas where he was pastry chef for Paris, Bally’s, and Planet Hollywood. Seeking the simple life again he moved to Colorado where he currently resides at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.

Lewis has competed in the 2010 & 2012 Pastry Chef of the Year Competition in New York. He also competed in Pastry Live 2012 & 2013 in Atlanta where he received “Best Artistic Showpiece” in 2012.

Julie Eslinger

Assistant Pastry Chef
Colorado Convention Center

Julie is currently the Assistant Pastry Chef for Centerplate at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver Colorado. There she oversees the production of a variety of house made pastry items for corporate events, plated banquets, receptions, and other special occasions. Julie thrives on high volume and the energy and excitement that comes from delivering thousands of plates to a single dining room. She loves to push the envelope and deliver results. She is responsible for the training and development of her team, whom she loves and thoroughly enjoys working with. In 2012 Julie competed in the ACF Winter Salon in which she received a silver medal for her cold plated dessert. In 2013 & 2014 she competed in Sweet Times in the Rockies, a cake competition where she received both silver and gold medals. Her cakes have also made appearances in Cake Central Magazine.

Julie loves all things sugar, chocolate, and cake, and is constantly working to develop her own skills. While she was a student, she had the privilege to work with Chef Craig Winter, who first introduced her to chocolate and sugar sculpture techniques. Instantly she felt a connection with her artistic background and her passion for pastry. Julie graduated with an Associates degree in Baking and Pastry, and soon after began building sugar, chocolate, and bread sculptures for high end functions to deliver extraordinary experiences to her guests. She is proud to be a part of the Centerplate team, and is excited to see what the future holds for her. Outside of work Julie likes to travel when she can, be with friends, and eat at new restaurants.

Samantha Mendoza

A native Houstonian, Samantha Mendoza enrolled in the Art Institute of Houston the age of 18 with a focus on baking and pastry. While in school, after watching her Instructor Manuel Catemaxca compete in the Chef Olympics in Germany, she was inspired to start competing. A natural in the competition forum, Samantha brought home two silver and two bronze medals at ACF competitions in Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Conroe.

At the age of 19 she started her first pastry cook job at Bedford by Robert Gadsby, who apprenticed with renowned chefs Alain Chapel, Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. Robert and his Sous Chef Matthew Nall mentored and led her encouraged her to continue developing her skills and natural talents for the pastry industry. A year later she started at The Hilton Downtown Houston where she gained knowledge and experience in high volume production. She traveled through Germany, Italy, France, Amsterdam, and Spain to gain an understanding and appreciation of the techniques employed by pastry chefs worldwide.

At the age of 25 she is currently the Executive Pastry Chef at Triniti. With the support of Chef Ryan Hildebrand she attended lectures and hands on classes at The French Pastry School on chocolate application in the pastry world under Chef Thierry Mulhaupt further enhancing her repertoire. Triniti has become a home away from home for Samantha. She plays an integral role in all aspects of the culinary program at Triniti. She has developed seasonal menus working closely with the savory side of the kitchen to produce cohesive, collaborative menus that reflect her talents and growth as a true professional artist. Her contributions to the Mercury dinner, a collaboration of food, wine, and music with Mercury the Orchestra Redefined have exemplified her dedication to craft and execution. Her recent invitations in 2013 to compete in both ICC Star Chef and Pastry Live competitions further demonstrate her growing national attention. She is currently nominated for one of the best pastry chef’s in Houston. Under the guidance of Chef Hildebrand, Samantha has laid the groundwork and formed the cornerstones of what is sure to be one of the strongest young pastry programs in the country and now looks to the future as the Executive Pastry Chef for Brande Restaurant Group helming the baking and pastry programs for both Triniti and FM 903 including her own pastry showcasing her creations.

Christian Castillo

Cherokee Town & Country Club

Originally from Argentina, Christian developed his love for pastries at an early age. Along with his mother they used to challenge themselves at home by cooking all kind of delights. His friends and family discovered his talent and used to ask him to cook and bake for them; from cookies to wedding cakes.

He always knew pastry was his passion but he wanted to dive in deeply in this extensive sweet world. That’s reason why he decided to become a Pastry Chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. Being around excellent and recognized Pastry Chefs pushed him to levels he never knew existed. He began his externship at Cherokee Town & Country Club in Atlanta, GA; where he had the pleasure to work closely with Chef Heather Hurlbert. Today he is still working at Cherokee Town & Country Club under the talented Executive Pastry Chef Alex Hwang. Her skills, enthusiasm and great passion for Pastry have inspired him in unimaginable ways.

Rodrigo Romo

Tout Chocolat

After graduating from Culinary School in May of 2005, Chef Romo joined the prestigious Tout Chocolat team.
Chef Romo has always been passionate about pastry and chocolate since his family owns a restaurant and a bakery in Mexico City where he acts as a consulting pastry chef. Chef Romo has over 5 years of experience as a teacher in prestigious cooking schools such as Le Cordon Bleu in Mexico City and the University Claustro de Sor Juana.

Besides working as a chocolatier and teaching his craft in various schools as a guest teacher, Chef Romo enjoys the challenge of culinary competitions. In 2009, after winning the national selection for the Mondial des Arts Sucrées, he represented Mexico in the world finals in Paris, France where they were awarded 3rd place in the tasting category and 5th place overall. During preparation for the competition he worked closely with Christophe Rhedon. (MOF) During this time he developed a close relationship with the acclaimed chef and the result was the highest finish for a Latin American team in a Pastry World Championship.

He is in charge of the production of pastries, confisseries & chocolates and plays a big role in the developing of new products for Tout Chocolat.

Chef Romo has appeared in a number of publications and TV appearances during the past few years including “Cadena 3” and “cannel 22”.

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