Chef Einat Admony, a three-time James Beard Award nominee, is the chef-owner of Balaboosta, celebrated for its Middle Eastern and Israeli flavors, and Moondog HiFi, a listening bar blending Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. She also founded Taïm Falafel, a pioneer in New York’s Israeli food scene. Her cooking reflects her immigrant roots and the American Dream. Admony continues to innovate and inspire with elevated yet comforting homestyle cooking from her childhood. A double-time champion on Food Network’s Chopped and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Admony has been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appétit, among many others. She is the author of two cookbooks, Balaboosta and Shuk, and received the Carnegie Corporation’s Great Immigrants award in 2014 for her contributions to American life. When not leading her restaurants, Admony enjoys cooking for her husband, Stefan Nafziger, their two children, and friends at home in Brooklyn or the Hudson Valley.

Tim Von Hollweg is a native New Yorker who grew up in Stuyvesant Town and has been eating bagels since he was six months old. For the past seven years, he has served as Director of Operations at Russ & Daughters, overseeing multi-location retail, bakery production, and e-commerce for one of the city’s most iconic culinary institutions. Before that, Tim spent four years as Director of Purchasing at Barclays Center, managing procurement and vendor relations for one of the busiest arenas in the country. His career began with a decade at Drew Nieporent’s renowned Myriad Restaurant Group, where he held leadership roles at Tribeca Grill, Nobu, and Montrachet. With 20+ years of experience spanning fine dining, large-scale hospitality, and heritage food culture, Tim brings expertise in systems, people, and product—always rooted in a lifelong passion for New York.

Ali Rosen is the Emmy and James Beard Award nominated host of Potluck with Ali Rosen on NYC Life, currently in its 16th season. She is the bestselling author of three cookbooks, 15 Minute Meals, Modern Freezer Meals and Bring It!, and she's been featured everywhere from The Today Show to The New York Times and has written for publications including Bon Appetit, Wine Enthusiast and New York Magazine. She is also a bestselling novelist—including her most recent book Unlikely Story, described in a starred review by Kirkus as “a swoonworthy romance reminiscent of a Nora Ephron movie”. She is originally from Charleston, SC but now lives in New York City with her husband, three kids and rescue dog. She can usually be found at the Union Square Greenmarket if she is not in her kitchen.

Gabriella Gershenson is a James Beard Award-winning food journalist based in New York City. She is an editor at The New York Times Wirecutter, and was previously on staff at Saveur, Rachael Ray Every Day, and Time Out New York magazines. She was a longtime contributor to The Wall Street Journal. Gabriella has written articles that number in the hundreds for publications such as The Boston Globe, Food & Wine, GQ.com, Food52, Edible Brooklyn and Manhattan, Eater, Epicurious, Taste, Jarry, and Plate. She is a co-author of the James Beard Award–winning Love Japan, and is an editor of The 100 Most Jewish Foods and the IACP Award–winning On the Hummus Route. Gabriella moderates food talks at venues across New York City and beyond. She has also appeared on radio and TV, most recently discussing fruit roll-ups on The Food That Built America.

Morgan Carter is usually the first person to ask you, what do you want to eat? She is also the first person to take a few photos of your food when it gets to the table (sorry about it).

Morgan is the Food and Drink Editor at Time Out New York. She has written about food, drink, and lifestyle for nearly a decade. You can find her work in Eater, Food52, the James Beard Foundation, Outside Magazine, and Resy. 

When she isn’t thinking about food, you can find her taking a dance class or stomping about Brooklyn with her sausage dog, Franny.

Send her all the food (and drink!) suggestions at morgan.carter@timeout.com.

A born and raised New Yorker and former dancer, Dara is one of the very first food influencers to market during the industry’s revolutionary years. Following a devastating car accident in High School where she nearly lost her leg, she took comfort in cooking and writing about food. When she started her blog, The Skinny Pig, in 2008, Dara learned first-hand how to navigate the industry and its ever-changing nature. With a deep understanding of brand voice, content creation, and marketing, Dara started The Skinny Pig Inc. in 2018, a social media consulting firm (dba @themisfitcreatives) working with hospitality brands and other creators. Her unapologetically honest, hilarious, and relatable personality has attracted a community of loyal followers who trust and look to her for food, lifestyle tips, and laughter. (Instagram: @darapollak)

Micah is an award-winning cookbook author, registered dietitian and trained chef, specializing in vegetarian and Jewish cuisine. Her debut cookbook: Nosh, Plant Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine, foreword by Adeena Sussman, is a best seller, winning multiple local and national awards in its first year of publication. She shares Jewish-inspired, plant-forward recipes through her blog and social Nosh with Micah. Micah is the co-founder of the Tish., a supper Club, a Chicago-based Shabbat Club that donates all proceeds to local charities, fostering community and connection among professional women. Originally Canadian (and a lifelong lover of Montreal bagels), she now lives in the Chicago-area with her husband (who has a bagel tattoo), toddler, and sheepadoodle, Buckwheat.

Leah Koenig is an IACP Award-winning author of seven cookbooks including the acclaimed The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her newest cookbook, PORTICO: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen was the IACP 2024 International Cookbook winner, and a finalist in the National Jewish Book Awards. ​Leah's writing and recipes can be found in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Epicurious, and Food52, among other publications. She also writes a weekly newsletter, The Jewish Table, which shares recipes and stories from the world of Jewish food. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.

A seasoned nonprofit leader with roots as a professional chef, Kristine Borok serves as Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer at Hot Bread Kitchen, overseeing Development, Brand, and organizational Strategy. Kristine joined the organization in 2019 as Head of Brand & Development, where she exceeded fundraising goals and elevated Hot Bread Kitchen’s reputation as the economic mobility leaders in the food industry. In 2022, she became the organization’s first Chief Operating Officer, building the People and Operations team and leading the development of Hot Bread Kitchen’s Chelsea Market program and office facility.

Previously, Kristine was Director of Corporate Relations at the American Museum of Natural History, guiding its corporate revenue strategy. She trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute and worked in top NYC kitchens and bakeries. Kristine holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Women’s Studies from the University at Albany.

Wai joined the Bread Bakers Guild of America in March 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience in the food industry.

Wai began his career as a line cook before launching El Eden Chocolates, a chocolate shop in Manhattan’s East Village specializing in artisanal truffles. In 2009, he co-authored The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide, featuring over 130 traditional dumpling recipes from around the world. His passion for education led him to teach cooking and baking classes at the Institute of Culinary Education and JCC of Manhattan. Most recently, he worked at Hot Bread Kitchen, overseeing their culinary training programs.

A native of New York’s Lower East Side, Wai has enjoyed bagels from nearly every bakery, street cart, and bodega in the city. Now living in New Jersey, he’s on a mission to determine whether the Garden State can hold its own in the bagel department—one schmear at a time.

Chef Tova is a celebrity private chef, comedian and content creator based in New York City. She is best known as the creator and host of Sinners Shabbat, a bi-monthly event that reimagines tradition by combining a Shabbat dinner with an immersive burlesque show and dance party. Her work has been featured in outlets such as Hey Alma and The Forward, and she has cultivated a dedicated cult following of superfans through her live events, email list, and subscriber base.

Online, Tova has built a following of over 186,000 on Instagram (@cheftova), where she delivers a dark, sharp brand of comedy through her signature Wednesday Addams–esque persona.

@bageltawk we out in the streets trying as many bagel shops as possible, spreading bagel love all over, #weknowdough

@bageltawk we out in the streets trying as many bagel shops as possible, spreading bagel love all over, #weknowdough

Jason Lyons is a staff writer at StarChefs, a trusted resource and publication for the food and beverage industry for the past 29 years. Through in-depth articles and profiles, he is dedicated to sharing impactful stories, clever innovations, and exciting experiments with those who work in hospitality. Raised on the wrong side of the Hudson River, he is a lifelong devotee to the New York-style bagel despite his Jersey origins. Outside of his love of doughy delights, Jason is passionate about the world’s other greatest sandwich, the BLT, an avid fan of the beer-shot combo, and a stinky cheese apologist. He also enjoys artichokes, mortadella, and long walks on the beach.

Julia Ain aka “Queen Julia” is a New York based content creator known for mixing humor, Jewish identity, and everyday chaos for her million plus followers online. Originally from Montreal, she grew up surrounded by some of the best bagels in the world which makes her especially excited to join BagelFest as a judge and to try as many bagels as possible.

Tara Cox is a veteran magazine editor and writer whose work has appeared in Real Simple, Men’s Journal, Rachael Ray Every Day, New York Magazine, and RVLiving, where she was the founding editor in chief. She is the author of Airstream: The Silver RV, has penned restaurant reviews for Time Out New York’s Eating and Drinking Guides, and once taste-tested more than 30 black-and-white cookies in pursuit of New York City’s best. Her contributions to both The Ultimate Spam Cookbook and The Delmonico Way reflect her love of all things highbrow and lowbrow. A former semi-finalist in Carvel’s “Little Miss Half Pint” competition, she also holds a certificate from Weeki Wachee’s Adult Mermaid Camp. Follow her on Instagram at @misscox

Shannon Sarna is the Founding Editor of The Nosher and author of Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort Food. Passionate about preserving and reimagining Jewish food traditions, her work connects history, culture, and modern tastes. She also serves as Chief of Staff to James Beard–nominated Chef Dan Richer at Razza in Jersey City, bringing expertise in communications and operations. Shannon’s recipes and writing have been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Pix11, PBS’s Table for All, and in publications such as Bake from Scratch Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, Taste of Home Magazine, Food52, The Kitchn, Bon Appetit, Forbes, and USA Today.

Liz Alpern is a cook, entrepreneur and co-founder of Brooklyn's Gefilteria. She co-authored The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods and serves as Chef in Residence at Temple Shaarey Tefila on NYC's Upper East Side. When not immersed in all things Jewish deli, she raises funds for local orgs across the country through her event series, Queer Soup Night.

Jeffrey Yoskowitz is a chef, pickler, and a recognized thought leader in Jewish food. He co-founded The Gefilteria, a culinary venture that reimagines Ashkenazi-Jewish cooking and co-authored the award-winning cookbook, The Gefilte Manifesto. He teaches, cooks, and lectures on food history to communities across the globe. He taught courses on Jewish food at City College and Brandeis University and his writings on food and culture have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, among other publications. He was featured on Hulu's Taste the Nation and was tapped to represent Jewish food culture by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Rob has worked at QEDC since 2011. His responsibilities include writing press releases and brochures, placing stories in media outlets, providing information to the public and news agencies, organizing and promoting events such as Queens Taste and Restaurant Week, and spearheading the Queens Tourism Council–because “It’s in Queens!”

A Brooklyn native, Rob fell in love with the diversity, people, restaurants, and attractions in Queens almost instantly after moving to Woodside in 1991. He has worked as an editor/reporter for the Times Newsweekly and as an English teacher. He also lived in Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Rob speaks fluent Spanish and loves to meet people. Get in touch at rmackay@queensny.org, follow  #itsinqueens on Twitter, check out www.facebook.com/itsinqueens, or see pictures at https://instagram.com/itsinqueens/.

Katie Workman is a food writer, and the author of Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook. Katie is the founder of her popular food and recipe website The Mom 100. She has been a food columnist for the Associated Press since 2015.

She has also written for many publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal Better Homes and Gardens, and Eating Well, and online outlets such as Delish, FoodNetwork.com, Food52, thekitchn.com, and Simply Recipes. She has appeared on the Today Show, Access Hollywood Live, NPR, NY1 and many other shows.

Katie works with select brands creating content and developing recipes, as well as consulting and acting as brand ambassador. She sits on the board of City Harvest, New York’s leading food rescue nonprofit, and also the Leadership Council of No Kid Hungry, a leading national hunger advocacy organization. She lives in (and loves) NYC, where she eats several bagels a week.

Reva Castillenti is an award-winning baker turned bakery consultant and educator. She learned the craft of bagel-making from a former owner of Kossar’s, one of New York’s oldest operating bagel shops. What began as small bread workshops in her apartment in 2018 has grown into personally teaching over 8,000 students the art of baking. She currently uses her powers and expertise for good through her company, Small Good Bakery, where she helps others build sustainable, thriving bakery businesses. She dreams of small, good bakeries everywhere.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Queens, Jonathan’s passion is baking the absolute best old-style, NYC bagel. Now living in Vermont, Jonathan recently retired from 12 years at the King Arthur Baking School. There, he taught a wide variety of classes, including challah, baguettes, pizza, bagels, bialys, babka, knishes, and more. He is the instructor on King Arthur’s On Demand Class: How To Make Bagels and Bialys At Home. Jonathan takes great satisfaction in knowing that when his students leave the classroom, they have the knowledge, and skills to succeed in making great bagels in their home oven.

With over $750M in closed sales and 1,000+ transactions, Ryan Garson leads one of New York’s top-ranked teams at Compass. Based on the Upper West Side, Ryan combines deep neighborhood expertise with a powerhouse 10-person team and the marketing edge of Very Social, the agency he founded.

A husband, father, and Certified Senior Advisor, Ryan understands the needs of modern families while also guiding older adults through life transitions as co-founder of Compass Plus. Known for his sharp negotiating skills and innovative marketing, Ryan ensures his clients’ properties stand out in a crowded market.

Author of The Very Social Broker and a recognized voice in real estate marketing, Ryan leverages social media and creative storytelling to give clients an edge—whether buying, selling, or investing.

Mike Varley is the creator of EverythingIsEverything.NYC, a catalogue of over 200 New York City bagel reviews from across all five boroughs. The project has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, and The Today Show, among other outlets. "Everything is Everything" is a sub-project of "2020: Total Clarity," where Varley and his wife Jessi Highet walked over 7,000 miles around New York City - 5 marathons a week for one calendar year. You can learn more about their walk on their website, HighleyVarlet.com

See and Be Kitchen co-founder, food scientist, business expert, & serious bagel lover!

Ari Ackerman is a successful serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, sports team owner, and powerful social media influencer. His entrepreneurial history includes being the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the very popular tech company Bunk1.com. Ari has been featured in dozens of media outlets including CNN, the Today Show, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He is a partner and board member in the Derek Jeter-led group that purchased the Miami Marlins in 2017

Scott Goodfriend is the Chief Eating Officer of Ultimate Food Tours in NYC. He leads people on tours and cooking classes so people can experience the best food and most interesting stories that New York City has to offer. About half of his tours feature a bagel from a different shop, and to his clients' benefit, he does not include his favorite bagel combo of a cinnamon raisin bagel with jalapeño CC anywhere on his tours.
https://www.instagram.com/ultimatefoodtours/

Jeff Mao is the founder of Knead & Nosh, a Maine-based microbakery specializing in traditional hand-rolled New York style bagels. A baker for over 15 years, his craft was recognized in August 2025 when an expert panel awarded him the Maine Bagel Bake-Off's "Best Bagel Award."

Jeff launched Knead & Nosh in 2023, turning a long-held passion into a professional pursuit. A career educator, his love for teaching extends into his culinary work. He is the author of the cookbook Essential Chinese Hot Pot, teaches classes on baking, and is currently writing a book dedicated to the art of the bagel. A lifelong student of food media, from classic PBS cooking shows to the internet age, Jeff is honored to bring his expert palate and deep appreciation for the craft to the BagelFest judging panel.

Sean Keeley is the writer behind It's a Shanda (itsashanda.com), a newsletter dedicated to finding a good bagel in Seattle and beyond, and also writes about bagels for Eater Seattle. When not writing about bagels, he serves as the managing editor for the sports media site Awful Announcing and is the author of “How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.” He has been featured on ESPN, NPR, and Syracuse.com, among other outlets. A New Jersey native, Sean currently lives in Seattle but often dreams about the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese he used to get from Eli's Hot Bagels in Matawan, NJ (R.I.P.).

Kate Lui is a native New Yorker and avid world traveler. Growing up with the gold standard of bagels at her doorstep, she is now on a mission to find the perfect bagel. She has traveled to over 40 countries across the globe, visiting and ranking local bagel shops in each based on texture, taste, and creativity. As an official NYC BagelAmbassador, she continues to hunt for new international gems and shares her findings via vlogs, posts, and stories. Kate is currently a medical student at Tulane University, working to launch a new initiative in New Orleans that combines health education with bagel-baking fun.