Amy Brandwein
Chef/Owner of Centrolina and Piccolina da Centrolina
Chef Amy Brandweinis the nationally acclaimed chef and owner of Centrolina and Piccolina, two of Washington, D.C.’s most celebrated Italian restaurants. An eight-times James Beard Award nominee (5x finalist mid Atlantic, 1 x semi mid Atlantic, 1 x outstanding chef 2025, 1 x outstanding resto 2026), she was also named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington in 2018 and is again nominated for the same honor in 2026.
Her café, Piccolina, was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in 2019, further cementing her reputation for excellence. Chef Amy is widely recognized for her refined Italian cuisine, exceptional hospitality, and commitment to mentorship and advancing female leadership in the culinary industry.
Chef Amy is a dedicated advocate for sustainable sourcing and community impact, partnering with DC Urban Greens and supporting organizations including So Others Might Eat, DC Central Kitchen, and Martha’s Table. She is also an active member of leading women-focused culinary organizations including Les Dames d’Escoffier, James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program and Re: Her.
Liz Martinez
General Manager & Certified Sommelier
Liz Martinez is a highly respected hospitality leader and certified sommelier with more than 20 years of experience shaping award-winning wine programs and elevating service at some of the country’s most notable restaurants.
Liz's career spans standout roles at Boulevard in San Francisco, Rick Bayless’s Michelin-starred Topolobampo, The Purple Pig in Chicago, and Prime + Proper in Detroit, where she earned Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wine Restaurants recognition for two consecutive years. She most recently served as Director of Beverage and Hospitality at Michigan’s Madam, where her wine program earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination.
Named Food & Wine’s Sommelier of the Year in 2019, Liz has also garnered recognition from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, and other leading publications. At Centrolina, Martinez is known for her expertise, mentorship, and thoughtful approach to hospitality and continues to influence the industry through her commitment to excellence in both wine and guest experience.
Pichet Ong
Pastry Chef
Pichet Ong is a chef known for transforming memory into flavor. Drawing inspiration from the tastes of his childhood and his extensive travels, he creates sweet and savory dishes that are whimsical, experimental, and deeply nostalgic—food that feels both refined and deeply personal.
Originally trained as an architect, Pichet earned a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a self-taught chef. His unconventional journey began in the Bay Area kitchens of Chez Panisse, China Moon, and La Folie, where he developed the distinctive culinary voice that would establish him as one of America’s leading pastry chefs. During his tenure as Corporate Pastry Chef for Jean-Georges, he was named one of America’s Top Ten Pastry Chefs by Pastry Art & Design, a Rising Star by StarChefs, and a “Pastry Provocateur” by Pete Wells in Food & Wine.
Pichet’s work has earned multiple three-star reviews from The New York Times, as well as recognition from Michelin and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He has received seven James Beard Foundation Award nominations. His writing and recipes have appeared in Saveur, W, Elle, Vogue, Tatler, and O, The Oprah Magazine. He also headlined The New York Times’ “The Chef” column for eight consecutive weeks.
Following the success of his New York City restaurant P*ONG, Pichet expanded his work as a culinary consultant, collaborating with chefs and global brands including Max Brenner, Häagen-Dazs, 7-Eleven Global, and Victoria’s Secret Fragrances. In New York, he also developed dessert programs for iconic restaurants and hospitality concepts including Toloache, TAO, ABC Kitchen, Harbs Bakery, Thai Diner, and Coppelia.
A familiar face on television, Pichet has served as a judge on Food Network’s Cake Wars, Halloween Wars, HBO Max’s Sugar Dome, and Bravo’s Top Chef. He was also featured in Netflix’s Explained. His first cookbook, The Sweet Spot, was named one of “10 Best” by The New York Times, Gourmet, Publishers Weekly, and the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He is currently working on a semi-autobiographical book centered on the cultural, culinary, and personal significance of coconuts.
From the onset of the pandemic through June 2022, Pichet served as Executive Chef of Hotel Wailea in Maui, a Relais & Châteaux property. During that same period, he opened NiHao in Baltimore, a modern Chinese restaurant that was named the #4 Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire and received a James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant nomination in 2022. His third restaurant with the group, Chang Chang, was also recognized as one of the nation’s best new restaurants by Esquire, Eater, and The Washington Post.
Pichet currently serves as Pastry Chef at Amy Brandwein’s Centrolina, where his work is deeply rooted in the restaurant’s Italian-inspired philosophy and commitment to seasonal Mid-Atlantic ingredients. At Centrolina, he crafts desserts that balance technical precision with warmth, simplicity, and a sense of place.
