Brian West
Works at: Smoke
Home state: Texas
Brian West has been cooking in fine dining for over 20 years, receiving his initial training at the Art Institute of Houston. He served for three years as an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and worked for two seasons as the operational chef for the television series Restaurant: Impossible. He was a judge for the 2014 Great American Seafood Cook-Off. He was also a contributor to the book Barbecue Lover's Texas.
West opened Café Paladar in 2005 in San Antonio, which featured contemporary dishes with a Latin theme. In April 2015, he along with two industry veterans opened Smoke: The Restaurant, an urban barbecue-themed eatery.
