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Kohler Food & Wine

 

BARTOLOTTA PRESENTERS
Matt Baier

Executive Chef 

Matt Baier is executive chef of Downtown Kitchen, an upscale food hall operated by The Bartolotta Restaurants and located within the U.S. Bank Center in Downtown Milwaukee. A lifelong cook and student of the culinary arts, Chef Matt’s experience and leadership in the kitchen has taken him from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, overseeing multiple operations and menu designs.  

 

Chef Matt began his career at the Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville, Oregon, before relocating to Milwaukee in 2012, where he served for four years as executive chef of Dream Dance Steakhouse at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino. In 2016 Chef Matt joined The Bartolotta Restaurants as executive sous chef of The Kitch, a modern food hall serving employees on the Kohl’s corporate campus. He later became an executive chef with Sodexo, a provider of catering, facilities management, and personal home services to industries worldwide.  

 

In 2022 Chef Matt returned to The Bartolotta Restaurants, where he leads the Downtown Kitchen culinary team while playing an active role in the development and mentorship of the organization’s emerging talents.  

 

Chef Matt holds a degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland.  

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Brent Davis

Chef de Cuisine, Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant

Chef Brent Davis serves as the chef de cuisine for Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant, located in the Cudahy Tower in downtown Milwaukee. Bacchus is among the most consistently praised restaurants in The Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio, largely due to a commitment to seasonal ingredients and a wine list that ranks among the most extensive in the city. Bacchus has been cited multiple times as one of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s top restaurants in Milwaukee, as well as one of America’s Top 100 Wine Restaurants by Wine Enthusiast

 

Chef Brent started working in restaurants at the age of 16 in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin. He attended Fox Valley Technical College culinary school, and competed in American Culinary Federation competitions, taking first place in state competitions. Brent honed his craft working in various restaurants from Oshkosh to Green Bay before starting at the Blind Horse Winery and Restaurant in Kohler, Wisconsin. During his time at the Blind Horse, Brent constructed menus emphasizing locally sourced products and using ingredients from the property’s garden. In 2022 Brent moved to Milwaukee and joined The Bartolotta Restaurants as chef de cuisine at Bacchus, where he continues to develop and push his culinary creativity. In his free time, Brent enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, and appreciating artwork.

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Amanda Langler

Executive Chef – Lake Park Bistro

Chef Amanda Langler is executive chef of Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, Milwaukee’s premier dining and special event destination, located in a historic pavilion on Lake Michigan. A celebrated member of The Bartolotta Restaurants family since 2010, Chef Amanda has served in multiple leadership roles within the company’s dining portfolio, including executive sous chef roles at Lake Park Bistro and Bacchus. For nearly five years, she served as executive chef of Mr. B’s steakhouse, helping the restaurant maintain its status as “One of America’s Top Steakhouses,”—an honor bestowed by The Daily Meal. Chef Amanda has also served in the kitchens of Joey Gerard’s, The Rumpus Room, and Harbor House. Chef Amanda holds an associate of science degree in culinary arts and chef training from Kendall College, and a bachelor of arts in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. 

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Connor McNeil

Executive Chef, Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club

Connor McNeil is executive chef of Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club in the village of historic Greendale, Wisconsin. A respected leader with experience in award-winning kitchens in Milwaukee and Chicago, Chef Connor oversees all aspects of menu development, quality control, staff management, and kitchen operations for Joey Gerard’s, ensuring the supper club exceeds the highest levels of service and The Bartolotta Restaurants’ signature brand of hospitality with every guest experience.

 

Chef Connor joined The Bartolotta Restaurants in 2024 following a successful tenure as executive sous chef of the award-winning Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse in Chicago. He served in a similar role at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Milwaukee. Chef Connor began his culinary career in Chicago, where he was executive sous chef of Sunda New Asian restaurant and a line cook at Sullivan’s Steakhouse.

 

Chef Connor brings a strong background in special events, restaurant management, and banquet prep, among other experiences, to his role. He holds a degree in culinary and hospitality management from the College of Lake County.

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Marianna Popescu

Certified Sommelier and General Manager 

Mariana Popescu serves as certified sommelier and general manager for Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, Milwaukee’s premier dining and special event destination near the shore of Lake Michigan. With Milwaukee’s only all-French wine list, Lake Park Bistro is a winner of Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence since 1998. Mariana holds the coveted sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers and oversees the curation of Lake Park Bistro’s more than 760 labels, including over 100 different selections of Champagne. 

 

Originally from Romania, Mariana Popescu relocated to Milwaukee in 2006 to begin an award-winning career in hospitality. After building her credentials through experience with Hyatt hotels and The Pfister Hotel, Mariana brought her passion for the culinary arts to Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro in 2008—starting as a server and later becoming sommelier and restaurant manager. 

 

Having grown up on a small vineyard, Mariana has a lifelong passion for food and wine, and she enjoys sharing her knowledge with guests while creating a festive, convivial experience with every visit. Outside of work, Mariana loves to read, study wine maps, and continue her never-ending search for her favorite wine. 

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