OUR TEAM

Allen was born in Jersey City, raised in West Orange and educated in New Brunswick. He’s been a Hoboken resident for over a decade.

But don’t let his modest Jersey roots fool you; he spent the past ten years traveling the world as a professional poker player, a career that culminated with a World Series of Poker bracelet and an experience that ignited his interest in food.

As someone who’s always followed his passion – he left a career on Wall Street to pursue poker – Allen acted on his latest entrepreneurial instinct by enrolling in the French Culinary Institute and founding Hudson Table to address a void in the market. He hopes to build a business that educates people on all things food while serving as an alternative form of recreation in a thriving community of young professionals and growing families.

Allison helps oversee day-to-day operations of the space, whether it’s hosting an event or class, snapping photos for our social media pages, or helping with the overall decor of the space. With her eye for detail and keeping the staff and patrons smiling, she has her hand in a little bit of everything at Hudson Table.

Anna was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and spent much of her early career in the travel industry running operations for international travel programs, living in places like Hong Kong and South Africa, and eating her way around the world. Landing in New York in 2014, she spent 6 years in the wine industry before joining the team at Hudson Table. You can find her sourcing exciting new wines from wine regions across the globe, leading the day to day operations at hT, managing private and corporate events in Brooklyn, Hoboken and Stamford, and sharing her passion for food and beverage with our staff and guests across all of our locations!

Chef Ian McHugh hailing from NYC, boasts over a decade of culinary expertise, honed after graduating top of his class at The International Culinary Center in NYC. Transitioning from previous careers as a touring musician, and as an engineer for the city of New York, Ian’s journey is as diverse as his culinary repertoire. From dive bars to Michelin Stars, Ian has left his mark in the NYC culinary landscape, having worked as a chef at renowned restaurants such as Forgione, Marea, Jams, LeCrocodile, and Meadowsweet just to name a few.  As well as competed on an episode of Food Network’s Chopped! Ian’s Contemporary American style of cuisine seamlessly blends a spectrum of flavors savory & sweet, showcasing both modern innovation and classic culinary techniques with finesse.

Now as General Manager of Hudson Table Williamsburg, Ian is excited to compete in chef competitions, share his love of food teaching classes, host cellar dinners, and cater your next event with hT!

Chef Oliver Chipkin is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, and brings with him an eclectic range of experience as a Chef. Having spent much of his life in the South West United States, near Mexico, and traveling throughout South America, Oliver’s style of cuisine is vibrant in flavor and color. Chef Oliver takes great pride in honoring authentic cuisines through his culinary lens, and loves to treat his guests as though he has known them forever. He is the owner of his own catering company Uptown Culinary Creations, and the Assistant Manager here at Hudson Table Williamsburg. You can find Chef Oliver competing in chef competitions, leading classes, and creating exciting cellar dinners.

Chef Jose Gaona started cooking at 6 years old alongside his mother, and since has developed an infinite passion for Gastronomy. Born and raised in Colombia, Jose is influenced by the beautiful cuisines of South America. His passion for food drove him to travel to the amazing food city of Lima, Peru for study at the Le Cordon Bleu Academy, where he also discovered that he has an exceptional palate for wine. Being both a Sommelier and Chef, Jose had the unique opportunity of working on both sides of the house in restaurants around the Americas. From running kitchens as an Executive Chef at his alma mater Le Cordon Bleu in Peru, teaching distilled drink seminars in Argentina and Chile, opening a fast casual Mediterranean concept in Colombia, line cooking in NYC fine dining, to working as a somm for Jean-Georges at his restaurants in Philadelphia and The Hamptons. Chef Jose brings a wealth of experience sure to make an indelible impression. At Hudson Table, Jose enjoys providing excellent service and taking care of our guests during his hands on classes, chef competitions, private classes, and special catered events.

Chef Alexis Sicklick graduated top of her class from both The Culinary Institute of America and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Before joining Hudson Table, Alexis has worked at some of the most respected and influential restaurants In NYC including Dirt Candy, Aquavit, and most recently as the Executive Chef of Balaboosta. When she is not busy teaching classes, competing, or presenting Cellar Dinners, Alexis enjoys showcasing her Contemporary American cuisine through pop-ups under her brand Syncopated, where she offers vegetable forward cooking with a rhythmical flair.

Chef Vlad is a real deal kinda guy.  Born in the Ukraine, and raised in Brooklyn, Vlad brings a worldly knowledge of cooking expertise with a heavy touch of NYC authenticity. Chef Vlad has always had an affinity for the arts and appreciation for a wide range of music, which has influenced his wonderfully unique approach to food.  Chef Vlad is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, where he specially focused on a rigorous two-year program in classic French cuisine. During his 14+ year career as a professional chef, Vlad worked in New York City at Todd English’s flagship restaurant Olives where he honed his skills in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, as well as butcher shops, cheese shops, and luxury catering companies. After which, Vlad made a big move to Austin Texas to practice the special time honored craft of American Southern BBQ. After 8 years in the south, Vlad returned to NYC where he found Hudson Table, and has become one of our most favorite chef instructors. With a relaxed convivial presence, Chef Vlad is pleased to share his culinary wisdom with our inquisitive guests in a vast array of classes.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Chef Guillermo found his passion for cooking when he was just 18 years old. He began his culinary journey at Jaso Restaurant, in the hip neighborhood of Polanco, specializing in Modern Mexican cuisine.  In 2010 Chef Guillermo graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts, and moved to New York to begin working in some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York City including Cafe Altro Paradiso under renowned Chef Ignacio Mattos,  Morimoto under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and as the Chef de Cuisine of Simon and the Whale. At Hudson Table, Chef Guillermo brings his vast culinary experience to share with his guests in hands-on classes, as well as his very own interpretation of Contemporary Mexican Cuisine to his Chef’s Tables, Chef Competitions, and private events.

Chef Sara Kartzmer Fry is a health supportive chef (with a sweet tooth!). Sara knew from an early age that she wanted to be a chef and has never looked back. She graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute and shares her passion for wholesome cooking with children and adults, as a personal chef, chef instructor, and educator. Sara has a special interest in farm-to-table food preparation, and spent six months at Katchkie Farms in upstate New York showing children the joys of cooking with seasonal ingredients. She has also worked as a chef instructor for Wellness in the Schools, a non-profit organization serving NYC Public schools. Sara now leads our incredible kids and teen programming across all locations!