Our Team

Danielle Custer
General Manager

"It’s an amazing feeling that my daily decisions directly benefit the local community, impact the world in small ways and that the people we feed are consuming really delicious & highly nutritious foods. Pinch me – this is a great job!”- Danielle Custer

Danielle Custer’s culinary birthplace is Seattle. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she began her illustrious career as the chef de cuisine at the since-closed Fullers restaurant at the Sheraton Seattle. It was during her five-year tenure there that she discovered a respect for the Northwest’s bounty, developing a palate for pristine, seasonal ingredients. Her time in Seattle planted the roots of her commitment to sustainable agriculture. In 1996, she became the executive chef at Laurels restaurant in Dallas, Texas, a move that would prove fruitful two years later when Food & Wine Magazine named her one of America’s Best New Chefs of 1998. Following that accolade was the “Rising Star Chef” award from the James Beard Foundation in 1999. Despite such glory, she missed the home where she cut her teeth as a professional chef. So, in 2001, she returned to Seattle to open 727 Pine at the Elliott Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Danielle currently is the general manager for Bon Appétit Management Company and oversees TASTE Restaurant/Café/Events at the Seattle Art Museum. Her devotion to the world of food extends to organizations such as Les Dames d’Escoffier, Slow Food, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs. She never hesitates to support celebrity-chef fundraisers or contribute her skills as a cooking instructor.

Craig Hetherington
Executive Chef

“As a chef, it is my responsibility to support the local farmers. It is my goal to ingrain that responsibility into everybody who comes on board so that when they move on they have that sense of awareness. I don’t want them to look at food as something that comes out of a box.”

Craig Hetherington learned about culinary responsibility during his boyhood spent in Pittsburgh. He comes from a family of avid cooks and gardeners, who spent summers preserving the bounty. That immersion in food instilled in him a desire to become a chef. After high school, Craig decided to take a year off before attending cooking school. That year became seven as he hopped around the country to pursue his love of cycling. In 1998, he realized it was time to get serious about his future, so he enrolled in the culinary program at South Seattle Community College. With degree in hand, he began his professional cooking career at Elliott’s Oyster House. Subsequently, he cooked at Baci Catering and Stimson-Green Mansion before joining TASTE Restaurant as the sous chef in March 2007. He was promoted to executive chef a year later. He is a member of Chef’s Collaborative and served on the board for four years.

As the executive chef, Craig oversees the kitchen at TASTE Restaurant as well as the menus for the TASTE cafes at the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

KRISTIN WHITE
Catering Director

"I am grateful for the opportunity to work in an environment that supports local, sustainable food & quality event planning. My passion for art & community is fulfilled thru TASTE Events partnership with the Seattle Art Museum. What a thrill to be a part of such a great team!"- Kristin White

It may seem that fashion and food are worlds apart. But Kristin White bridged the gap when she moved from Los Angeles, where she had been in the fashion industry, to Seattle in 1990. Interested in exploring new sources of creativity, she dove into the bustling food scene. She became the wholesale manager at Macrina Bakery, which exposed her to the finest restaurants in the city and inspired a new career path. Her stint at Macrina led to positions as operations manager for Baci Catering and CaterArts. Her skills eventually earned her a position as the director of catering at Ray’s Boathouse.

As the catering director for TASTE Events, Kristin draws on her training in fashion design and merchandising to visualize and execute stunning affairs at the museum. Her menus feature dishes made from the best local ingredients and are tied to art-driven themes. She frequently gets inspiration from local farmers markets.

ELISE FINEBERG
Pastry Chef

"My desserts are inspired by local, sustainable ingredients and an impression of my imagination. I aspire to reveal the beauty and scrumptiousness of the local seasonal fruits, nuts, dairy and of course... chocolate."

It was while she attended the California Culinary Academy that Elise Fineberg befriended sugar and chocolate. At the end of her first class in baking and pastry, she knew in what kind of kitchen she would land after graduation. With her degree in hand, she was hired at Citizen Cake, where she worked with Elizabeth Falkner. She further honed her baking skills with Traci Des Jardins at Jardinière and Amaryll Schwertner at Stars Restaurant. The collective influence of such esteemed chefs helped define Elise’s culinary philosophy. Her desserts reflect the seasons and are simple yet elegant. After a stint as the pastry chef at Emilia’s in Austin, Texas, Elise returned to San Francisco in 2003 to a position as the executive pastry chef of Taste Catering.

Elise moved to Seattle in April 2007 to join the TASTE Restaurant team. She wants her desserts to bestow a lasting impression on diners.