Our Team

Danielle Custer
Director

Danielle Custer graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and 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 director at Bon Appétit Management Company, overseeing TASTE Restaurant/Café/Events at the Seattle Art Museum. She has spearheaded a comprehensive sustainability campaign that has poured more than $1.3 million into the local agricultural economy. She is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Slow Food, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.

Alex VanAmburg
General Manager

“I enjoy being a part of TASTE Restaurant because I like working with people.”

-- Alex VanAmburg

Alex VanAmburg joined TASTE Restaurant as the general manager in 2007. He grew up in North Pole, Alaska, in a log cabin on the Chena River. His mother farmed, fished and hunted to provide for the table, raising everything from chickens to dairy cows. At the time, he didn’t appreciate this rustic way of life and preferred to eat “city food” – if it didn’t have a brand name, he wasn’t interested. But after spending eight years in Los Angeles as an actor post graduation from the University of Alaska-Anchorage and working in several restaurants as a server, bartender or manager, VanAmburg reconnected with his roots. Those years taught him the importance of service and hospitality. Marriage and starting family gave him the perspective he needed to understand the value of being close to food sources and supporting sustainability. He lives on Vashon Island with his wife and two sons.

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.

LUCY DAMKOEHLER
Pastry Chef

“The best part of my job is being able to make people happy. I think desserts can bring back old memories and remind people of something mom used to make for them when they were kids.”

-- Lucy Damkoehler

Lucy Damkoehler found baking when she was in fifth grade. Her father had begun baking bread as a hobby and Lucy enjoyed helping him knead and shape the dough. The second of five children, she grew up in Bernarnston, Massachusetts. A prodigious family garden that required the Damkoehlers to know how to cook and frequent daytrips to Vermont orchards for apples and cider ingrained in Lucy and her siblings, a love and respect for food that has led all of them into some aspect of the culinary field. Lucy attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, and has worked at restaurants including Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston, Gramercy Tavern in New York, and Andaluca in Seattle. She is thrilled to be able to work with the team at TASTE and express her enthusiasm for supporting local producers through desserts.

As the pastry chef for TASTE, Lucy is responsible for creating the overall dessert and pastry program from the cookies at the grab-and-go counter to the sweet ending for a grand catered event.

Kris Rezac
Beverage Director

“I love to work at TASTE because of the distinctive culture of the company and how the passion, philosophy and professionalism is shared by all.”

-- Kris Rezac

Kris Rezac is the beverage director at TASTE Restaurant. Previously, he worked for four years in catering with Bon Appetit Management Co., which operates TASTE. He grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, but attended Seattle University and studied urban planning. But, because his siblings were involved in the hospitality industry in Seattle and beyond, Rezac developed an affinity for food and, especially, wine. His brother is a wine representative and the association provided easy access to wineries, which allowed him to develop his own palate and appreciation for diverse wines. Combined with his natural ability to connect with guests, Rezac brings a high level of professionalism to the beverage program at TASTE.