Chef Bruce Kalman

Bruce Kalman is an award winning, nationally recognized chef and founder who discovered his passion for culinary as a teenager flipping pizzas in Paramus, New Jersey. He honed his craft at his local College’s culinary program, where mentorship and kitchen discipline shaped his philosophy to respect

ingredients, master technique, and stay endlessly curious. Kalman rose through America’s kitchens, cooking under Paul Bartolotta at Spiaggia and David Burke at Park Ave Cafe NYC before leading kitchens at Okno, Green Dolphin Street, and

Coco Pazzo. He held executive chef positions in Santa Fe and Phoenix; and in Los Angeles helming The Misfit and The Churchill, also co-founding the acclaimed UNION restaurant and Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market, and launching his artisanal pickle line, BK Brinery in 2013. These experiences set the stage for his move

to Las Vegas and the opening of Soulbelly BBQ in 2021, a contemporary, chef-driven reinterpretation of American barbecue that fuses butchery, fermentation, and seasonal flavors with regional smokehouse traditions, all while supporting local farmers and producers. Kalman has earned national acclaim on television as a James Beard Foundation “Rising Star Chef”

nominee, winner of Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Knife Fight, he also appeared on Top Chef Season 15, and was a finalist on Food Network's BBQ Brawl. Bruce has appeared as a guest on Hallmark's Home & Family, The Talk, Viceland’s Untitled Action Bronson Show, and Last Call with Carson Daly.