Anthony Secviar of Protégé in Palo Alto walked away from this year's Star Chefs food and beverage pairing with all three awards up for grabs, but he still had to share the night's top prize. Secviar and Ross Hanson of Oak & Rye in Los Gatos split the People's Choice Award on Sept. 20 after guests sampled dishes from 14 local restaurant chefs at Lexington Hills Estate, with Secviar also taking home the Judge's Choice and Chef's Choice trophies outright.
Shrimp Toast and a Mango Cocktail Take the Night
Secviar's winning entry paired an Asian-themed shrimp toast canapé with a mango-infused, clarified rum cocktail from Bar Underdog, according to the East Bay Times. “We made a coconut and lime leaf shrimp mousse, topped with a green mango, mint and candied peanut salad,” Secviar said, per that report. Bar Underdog's bartenders built their cocktail with fig leaf, tonka bean and toasted rice, finishing it with a warm coconut foam.
The night's format gave Secviar three separate paths to victory. Guests wandering the event voted for their favorite pairing to determine the People's Choice winner, while the participating chefs tasted and evaluated one another's dishes to settle the Chef's Choice award. The East Bay Times account put attendance at more than 325 guests sampling dishes from 14 chefs.
An Old Friendship Behind the Shared Trophy
Sharing the top prize with Hanson carried some personal weight for Secviar. Hanson, whose restaurant took Chef's Choice honors the previous two years, told the outlet that receiving the People's Choice award alongside Protégé and Secviar was a great honor. Secviar said winning Judge's Choice two years running means a lot to his team, per the same account.
Before Protégé, Secviar spent six years at The French Laundry working under Thomas Keller, holding chef de partie and sous chef positions, and he built further credentials at the Michelin three-star kitchens Akelare and El Bulli. The shrimp toast canapé itself used Japanese milk bread in place of a traditional panko crust, a detail the East Bay Times report attributed to Secviar's preparation for the dish.
A Longtime Fundraiser for Mental Health Services
The event benefited Momentum for Health, a 66-year-old organization that provides mental health support services for Santa Clara County residents. Brenda Hammond spearheaded the evening; she opened Restaurant James Randall in Los Gatos back in 2006 before selling it to her son, Hanson, and his wife, Briana, who turned it into Oak & Rye. Hammond and Kathryn Williams, board chair of Momentum for Health, have produced Star Chefs for more than 16 years through their Table for Three partnership, according to a Mercury News preview.
The 2026 Star Chefs event was held at Lexington Hills Estate & Winery in Los Gatos, with small plates paired with wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic options.
Both winners are already looking ahead. Secviar and Hanson said they're already looking forward to next year's Star Chefs, per the East Bay Times report, continuing a rivalry that dates back further than either restaurant. Last year's event, held Sept. 21, 2025, at the Glass House in downtown San Jose, saw Jackie's Place take People's Choice for a second straight year while Secviar won Judge's honors with a mushroom and truffle tart and Hanson claimed Chef's Choice with gruyere-stuffed arancini.
