Michel Nischan 
As a leader in the sustainable food movement and chef with over 30 years of experience working with local producers and farmers, two-time James Beard Foundation award winner Michel Nischan wears many hats. Nischan is the owner/founder of Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant, located at Westport (CT) Country Playhouse, as well as President/CEO of Wholesome Wave Foundation. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to overhaul the nation’s food system by increasing access to healthy, fresh and affordable locally grown food. Wholesome Wave and Dressing Room work in tandem to create grassroots initiatives that celebrate local food systems and heritage recipes.

Nischan’s newest cookbook Sustainably Delicious (Rodale) will be released in April, 2010. An author of two celebrated cookbooks – Taste Pure and Simple; Chronicle Books 2003 (a best-selling Beard award winner in 2004) and Homegrown Pure and Simple; Chronicle Books 2005, Nischan won a 2008 James Beard Foundation Award for his work on the PBS television series, Victory Garden.

A son of displaced farmers, Nischan grew up with a deep appreciation for sustainable agriculture and those who work the land. As a professional chef and advocate for a more healthful, organic and sustainable food future, he has built on those childhood values and become a catalyst for change and new initiatives in local and regional food systems. Wholesome Wave was founded in 2007 with funding from Newman’s Own Foundation and the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation, and supported in part by funding from Grow for Good, a philanthropic initiative of FOOD & WINE Magazine.

Nischan serves on the boards of the Amazon Conservation Team, the James Beard Foundation and Harvard’s Center for Health and the Global Environment. He lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife, Lori and their five children.

Tor Newcomer, General Manager
Tor Newcomer has actively performed in “dual” hospitality genres in a variety of forms since 1980. Beginning in Greenwich, CT as an assistant manager at Jonathan’s Other Brother, Tor worked through a variety of both high end and casual restaurants, including the famous Landmark Club, The Terrace Club, the beloved River Cat in Rowayton, and The Great Room in Downtown Denver. Tor’s experience ranges from high-end table service to managing banquets up to 500 people. Tor’s other hospitality genre has allowed him to enthusiastically share music with many since the late 70’s. A master of up-beat, danceable Rock “n” Roll music, Tor has led bands such as The Vibe Bros, Budd Bottleneck and the Tall Boys, and Tor and the Newcomers. Tor is well known and well loved on the Tri-State music scene. Friday nights often find Tor leading our own Dressing Room House Band featuring Michael Mugrage (Orleans) and Dressing Room Owner Michel Nischan.

Tor will serve you, and he’ll sing for you…