Cara

Cara Stadler is one of the most acclaimed chefs in the Northeast and a long-standing James Beard Award

nominee, known for her inventive interpretations of Chinese and pan-Asian cuisine served through the lens of

New England ingredient sourcing. Born in Boston and raised between Massachusetts and Shanghai, she

trained in French classical technique at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before stages at Martín Berasategui in the

Basque Country and the Fat Duck under Heston Blumenthal - a grounding in molecular gastronomy that made Episode 7’s challenge a natural fit.

In Maine, she co-founded a family of restaurants that defined Portland’s dining scene for the better part of a

decade: Tao Yuan in Brunswick (her contemporary Chinese flagship), the Bao Bao dumpling houses, and the

tea-and-breakfast spot ZaoZe Cafe. Collectively these concepts earned her multiple James Beard Award

semifinalist and nominee nods and a Food & Wine “Best New Chef” recognition. Her cooking is defined by a

deep respect for fermentation, house-made sauces, and the textural contrast between silky and sharp - all

qualities that surface unmistakably in this Episode 7 panna cotta pairing.

Stadler entered America’s Culinary Cup as the only New England-based competitor and the only contestant

filming while pregnant - she was in her second trimester with her daughter Lina, born mid-February 2026. She

told the Portland Press Herald that she only accepted the booking because the month-long Canadian shoot

lined up with that trimester, calling it her opportunity to “dip a toe back in” professional cooking before stepping

away from restaurants to focus on her young family. Through Episode 7 she had quietly held second place

overall - a position she would reinforce in the molecular gastronomy cook-off, scoring 659 points (second only

to two-time Top Chef winner Buddha Lo).