FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2025
InterContinental San Francisco Hotel & Luce Restaurant Host Culinary Competition in partnership with City College of San Francisco
Top student chefs battle at the 14th Annual Culinary Clash event to earn scholarships and prizes.
San Francisco, Calif. --Fine dining restaurant Luce at InterContinental San Francisco Hotel partners with the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) for the 14th Annual Culinary Clash 2025, a fundraiser for CCSF’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies Department. Six rising CCSF students take over Luce’s world-class kitchen on three consecutive Sundays (March 9, 16, and 23, 2025) to showcase their three-course fine-dining menus as they compete for scholarships and cash prizes. CCSF Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies students gain unprecedented real-world kitchen experience while a panel of special guest judges (local media luminaries and influential chefs) and Dennis Efthymiou (Luce, Chef de Cuisine) judge the tasting menus to see which ones truly stand out in flavor, technique, and originality. Culinary Clash 2025 is open to the public and tickets are $59/person (a portion of each menu sold goes directly to the CCSF Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies Department; reservations can be made on TOCK.
Jennifer Rudd, Department Chair of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies at CCSF, says: “The Culinary Clash provides an unparalleled opportunity for our students to showcase their talent and gain real-world experience in a professional kitchen at Luce. This competition not only allows students to hone their skills but also connects them with industry leaders, opening doors to future success. We are incredibly grateful to Luce and the InterContinental San Francisco for their continued partnership and support of our program.”
Since 2012, the Culinary Clash has highlighted rising SF Bay Area culinary talent through the curation of three exquisite dinners that are equal parts cooking competitions and scholarship fundraisers (for CCSF’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies Department). Culinary Clash 2025 offers CCSF students an unforgettable experience as they take the helm of one of San Francisco’s most renowned restaurants. Over the past 14 years since its inception, the Culinary Clash has expanded to include other InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) properties in San Francisco to as far as Mexico City, raising more than $150,000 in scholarship across the Americas. IHG proudly supports aspiring local chefs through singular culinary initiatives.
To learn more about this year’s student chefs and their tasting menus, please read below.
Sunday, March 9 - Jake McCarthy & Matt South
Jake McCarthy
Born and raised in New Castle, Colorado, Jake McCarthy found his way to San Francisco and City College’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality program. While he always had an interest in food, he pursued a career in engineering before making the decision to attend culinary school. He has found that he thrives in the intensity and fast-paced environment of the kitchen, always energized and eager for a challenge. Inspired by his mother and the chef instructors he has worked with at City College, Jake aims to become a full-time private chef.
Excited to compete in the Culinary Clash, he looks forward to the learning opportunities and collaborating with friends in the industry. Outside of cooking, Jake enjoys skateboarding and fishing, balancing his culinary pursuits with adventurous hobbies.
Matt South
Matt South was born and raised in Illinois, where he was deeply influenced by his Italian immigrant grandmother's cooking. His family maintained two large vegetable gardens and a strawberry patch spread across 4 acres, along with peach trees and blackberries. Beyond growing produce, Matt learned practical skills like canning, crop rotation, and basic tractor maintenance. After moving to North Carolina then settling in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, Matt built an 18-year career in IT Operations. When his company restructured due to the pandemic, he took it as a chance to follow his true calling - a career in the culinary arts.
Since early 2024, Matt has been pursuing three degrees from City College as well as a Certificate of Achievement in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Hospitality Management, with plans for graduation in Fall 2026. In his transition from IT to hospitality, Matt has found that he thrives on problem-solving, efficiency, and teamwork, finding joy in both the technical precision and creative aspects of being in the kitchen. Outside of cooking, he pursues data science education, values physical fitness through weight training and running, and enjoys exploring San Francisco by bicycle.
Sunday, March 16 - Azjenea Allen and Marquis Johnson
Azjenea Allen
With vivid memories of following their grandmother around the kitchen, Azjenea Allen is not surprised that they are pursuing a career in the culinary arts. “Whatever she made, I was there by her side - especially on Sundays, when she served soul food,” says Azjenea, an Oceanview San Francisco native. When they learned they could make a career out of it, they looked to the Culinary Arts & Hospitality program for formal training, setting their sights on owning their own food business like a pop-up or catering company. In addition to their coursework and participating in this year’s Culinary Clash, Azjenea is a line cook at the Chandlery at the Shore restaurant located at the Brisbane Marina. “I'm extremely excited to have an opportunity to celebrate and represent my community. Making soul food at a fine dining level is something so rare and I'm beyond grateful that my partner and I have a chance to do so.”
Marquis Johnson
Born in Oakland and raised in San Francisco, Marquis Johnson’s interest in culinary arts is rooted in family tradition. Inspired by his parents—both chefs who met in culinary school—Marquis chose to pursue a culinary career, blending a desire to enhance his skills with a curiosity about the intricacies of restaurant operations. He credits his mother with instilling in him an appreciation for culinary cultures - teaching him how to make enchiladas, lumpia, curry, adobo and egg rolls. His father, a talented baker, was known for making cookies and cupcakes for everyone in the neighborhood growing up.
“Growing up in a low-income community, you see and experience things that could hinder you or take your life down the wrong path,” says Marquis, who aspires to be a private chef. “My interest and exposure to cooking during childhood and my spirit to succeed set me down the path to the culinary program at City College and now to the Culinary Clash. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to compete and present an elevated take on soul food.” Marquis is in his fourth semester of the culinary arts program and is set to intern at the Beacon Grand Hotel in Union Square.
Sunday, March 23 - Alex Hacker and Tash House
Alex Hacker
Born in Redwood City and raised in Half Moon Bay, Alex Hacker started working as a food runner at an American comfort food restaurant at the age of 15. As he began to develop an interest in cooking, he decided to make it his profession and sought out formal training at City College. His journey through culinary school has been influenced by a strong mentorship from Chef Hutchinson, who has guided him over the past three years and helped him discover his true potential in the kitchen. Alex also draws inspiration from his late godmother, whose vegetarian dishes left a lasting impression on him.
He finds the most meaning in the kitchen through the connection he creates with guests via his food, expressing his love for cooking on the plate. Looking ahead, Alex dreams of working on a yacht with his girlfriend, traveling the world, and experiencing different cultures and their cuisines. He also has a deep appreciation for gardening, hiking, running, and fitness outside of the kitchen.
Tash House
Tash House’s culinary journey began early, with a family-owned Thai restaurant in Southern California serving as the backdrop for her career. Inspired by her mother, who emigrated from Thailand to pursue her dreams, Tash admired her pursuit of opening a farm-to-table Thai restaurant and creating a vibrant community in Point Loma, San Diego. “We opened the restaurant when I was in 5th grade and I was always helping out, whether I was setting the dining room or prepping food for service.”
Outside of the restaurant, food was an important part of Tash’s childhood from family gatherings to what she watched on television. “I was not allowed to watch a lot of cartoons growing up so I naturally gravitated toward the Food Network, watching the chefs of the 2000s era like Alton Brown and Ina Garten.” Although Tash graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Child Development and worked briefly as a family assistant, she always found joy in cooking for her family and decided to change her career path. She later moved to San Francisco and is currently pursuing all three degrees offered by City College: Culinary Arts, Food Service Management, and Hospitality Management.
Menus are subject to change.
For additional information, please visit: lucewinerestaurant.com and instagram.com/lucesf.
About City College of San Francisco’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies Program
Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies, formerly known as the Hotel and Restaurant Department, was founded in 1936 by John and Hilda Watson Gifford. It was the first two-year hospitality program in the country and the first emphasizing the culinary arts. The department was first located in the basement of San Francisco’s Galileo High School with only 12 students. In 1955, the department relocated to Smith Hall at the Ocean campus. In 1963, with financial assistance from the Statler Foundation, Statler Wing was built adjacent to Smith Hall and again expanded in 1973. The Educated Palate restaurant at the original Downtown Campus opened in 1982 and was completely renovated in 2005.
City College of San Francisco’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies faculty includes men and women from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who have both real-world experience and top-notch academic backgrounds. Industry experts currently working in the San Francisco Bay Area also offer courses and frequently serve as guest lecturers.
About Luce
Nestled within the InterContinental San Francisco Hotel, Luce is where culinary artistry meets contemporary Mediterranean cuisine in a celebration of light and innovation. Drawing inspiration from the rich culinary traditions of Mediterranean countries, particularly Greece, Chef Dennis Efthymiou infuses his contemporary menus with global influences, blending arts and food science. His culinary journey around the world shapes his dishes, reflecting a commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients and harmonizing flavors with meticulous attention to detail and stunning presentations. Dinner at Luce is a whimsical dining journey for the senses, promising an unforgettable fine dining experience in the heart of San Francisco. Luce's wine program, curated by Wine Director Isauro Zavala, has carried the prestige of the "Best of Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator Magazine for the last 15 years. Instagram
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