Chef Joe Brunner grew up in Fargo and attended Fargo South High School, graduating in 2013. Throughout high school Joe worked at a local Mexican restaurant and discovered his love of cooking. Before attending NDSCS, Joe studied Criminal Justice at NDSU then soon realized he should follow what he loved and started studying Culinary Arts at NDSCS.

While attending NDSCS, Joe worked for Eric Watson at Mezzaluna/Rustica and continued to work for him after graduating in 2017. A year later, the opportunity to purchase the restaurant along with his business partner arose and almost 6 years later, the rest is history!

See Mezzaluna's website here. 

Taisyn Klingbeil grew up in Bottineau and attended Bottineau High School, graduating in 2015. Throughout high school Taisyn worked at the Dairy Queen in Bottineau and discovered her love of cooking/cake decorating. Taisyn attended the Culinary Intensive the summer of 2015 before attending NDSCS, that is when she really fell in love with baking and cooking. 

She decided to follow what she loved and started studying Culinary Arts at NDSCS. While attending college, Taisyn would go back to Bottineau /Lake Metigoshe to work at her parents business, KC’s Dockside Bar and Grill and continued working for them after graduating in May of 2017. In the fall of 2017, Taisyn moved to Chandler, AZ and worked as a Pastry Chef at Aj’s Fine Foods. 

Fast forward to 2019, she moved back to Bottineau and now owns 98th St Sweets where she bakes cakes, cupcakes and other desserts out of her home and is also working as a dental assistant at Oak Creek Dental.

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Chef Evan Burkdoll of Fergus Falls, Minnesota graduated culinary school at MState Moorhead in 2018. Realizing his passion for the industry and nature of ambition, a fire was lit. Evan began working in nearby restaurants and as a private chef. Soon after, he opened his first business, 'Roasted Meal Prep and Catering'. Since then, Chef Burkdoll has expanded the catering company and now owns and operates three restaurants 'Töast', 'Union Avenue Bar and Eatery', and ‘Mabel Murphys’ located in Fergus Falls. His drive and flare for the finer things continue to inspire and impact the community.

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Sara Watson has an extensive background in the culinary arts community in the Fargo-Moorhead region and beyond. Sara is a mother of 4 originally from Glyndon Minnesota. Growing up on a farm she learned the value of food-to-table production. 

After high school in Glyndon, Sara earned a Bachelors of Arts at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with an Art History Degree. While earning her degree, she worked in many high end restaurant establishments and concert venues in the Twin Cities. 

Because of the work experience she changed career directions and moved on to study Culinary Arts at the Colorado Mountain Culinary Institute in Keystone/Silverthorne Colorado. 

Sara met her spouse Eric Watson in Colorado and they made their way back to Sara’s roots in the Red River Valley to raise their four children. 

Together they created Mosaic Foods Catering Company and helped start Maxwells Fine Dining. Moving away from Maxwells they developed their own concepts of Mezzaluna in Downtown Fargo and Rustica Eatery and Tavern in Moorhead MN. They have sold their shares to employees and all restaurants continue to thrive. 

During all of this Sara also taught future culinarians at MNSTATE and is so proud of the successful folks who came out of that program. 

As the “Covid Era” approached, Sara bravely joined forces with a new business partner and they fixed up an old school house in Ottertail County and opened Blackboard Restaurant. Still thriving and serving 100’s of guests each summer. Sara moved on fall of 2022. 

Currently, Sara works as a private/personal chef to families in the Red River Valley and Lakes Region. She serves on the Board of Directors for “Define the Fight” and does a little consulting on the side. 

All the while still running around with the teenagers still under her wing.