Meet the Team

Jon Calabrese

Owner / Executive Chef


A late-comer to the culinary world, Jonathan graduated from UNT in 1996 with a degree in Philosophy and worked in the field of Health Care Consulting before making the decision to attend Culinary school in 1998. Graduating as the valedictorian of his class, Jon went on to work under Executive Chef Brian Luscher at The Grape Restaurant, an experience he credits with his knowledge of running a kitchen. Jonathan currently oversees the overall vision for the menus at Culinary Wise’s restaurants, as well as Savory Catering, and drives our dedication to green initiatives.

Tony Winkler

Owner / Business Development


Anthony is a born entrepreneur whose exciting ideas challenge the Culinary Wise family to grow. With an injury sidelining him from college basketball, he then turned his sights to business and never looked back. He currently oversees the development of the corporate catering division of Culinary Wise, working with some of the top Dallas office buildings to design and manage corporate eateries that help attract and retain top talent, while fueling productivity through nutrition and convenience. His passion for quality and excellence sets the standard for everything we do, from hiring to the experience we provide each guest and everything in between.

Rhett Dukes

Executive Chef


Rhett began with the Culinary Wise family as a sous chef at State&Allen and Savory Catering. His dedication to excellence, in tandem with his creative and global take on cuisine quickly led him to a promotion to Chef de Cuisine and, subsequently, Executive Chef.