Guest Chef Night: Chef Lisa Dupar

Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. All revenue and donations from Guest Chef Night support FareStart’s job training programs.

For 40 years, Redmond–based chef and cookbook author, Lisa Dupar, has gained a reputation for creating memorable culinary experiences inspired by her Southern roots, classic training and modern techniques—all while engaging local Washington and her favorite Southern artisans.

Lisa was born in Mexico City and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia with her parents. She always knew she wanted to be a chef and went directly from high school into a formal culinary apprenticeship at Westin’s Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta. After graduation, she spent two and a half years cooking in several kitchens in Zurich and Geneva until the early ‘80s.

Lisa was offered a chef position in 1981 at the Westin Seattle, becoming the hotel chain’s first female chef. In 1984, she opened her restaurant, Southern Accents, which focused on Southern classics like shrimp and grits, gumbo and chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Requests from Microsoft and Boeing inspired her to add a catering service, Lisa Dupar Catering, which currently executes over 1,500 events a year.

In 2005, Lisa opened Pomegranate Bistro in Redmond, which she lovingly calls her “culinary playground.” In 2010, she penned her first cookbook, Fried Chicken & Champagne. Lisa was honored to receive the IACP Award for Best First Cookbook: the Julia Child Award in June of 2011.

Tickets will be released on Jan 23 at 12pm.