LA’s vibrant restaurant scene is always nurturing ambitious and promising chefs. Kris Morningstar has taken over the position of Executive Chef at Blue Velvet, a hip Downtown restaurant in a residential building. An LA-nurtured talent, the 27-year-old chef was chef de partie and chef tournant at the famed Patina before moving on to the role of Head Chef at Casey’s Bar & Grille in Downtown. At Blue Velvet, Morningstar presents a sophisticated and ambitious menu.

Pastry chef David James was studying dance when a part-time job led him to fall in love with creating pastries. He has developed his skills at some of LA’s best restaurants, including Downtown’s Water Grill. James is now the pastry chef at The Lobster, one of the hottest restaurants in Santa Monica.

Drew Sayes has been named chef de cuisine at the highly-regarded Jer-Ne Restaurant + Bar at the Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey. Before coming west, Sayes was chef de cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan, where he was awarded numerous honors from the American Culinary Federation.

Nationally renowned chef Kerry Simon has opened SimonLA in the newly renovated Sofitel hotel in West Hollywood, opposite the Beverly Center. Simon, who has won the Iron Chef competition, was dubbed the “Rock n’ Roll Chef” by Rolling Stone Magazine. Simon is known for his adventurous American cuisine with touches of Mediterranean and Asian influences.