Hands Please

The @marketplace.avl set the tone. @sopranarooftop kicked it into overdrive with the @handspl3ase after party🤲

Creatives, connection, community @handspl3ase Asheville 📸: @fmasonmedia

The faces and places that make up this beautiful @handspl3ase community🤲 📸: @fmasonmedia

The @handspl3ase Asheville party continues 🎉 📸: @fmasonmedia

Asheville has always held a special place in our hearts, and bringing @handspl3ase here felt like something we were meant to do. This city is built on community, creativity, and resilience, and especially post-Hurricane Helene, it was important for us to shine a light on the incredible people who make Asheville what it is. We kicked off the evening @marketplace.avl by @chefbillyd , set on one of the oldest streets in Asheville in the heart of downtown, at one of its most storied restaurants. And we closed the night high above it all at the rooftop of @sopranarooftop , in one of the city’s newest spaces, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. A full-circle experience that truly showcased some of the very best Asheville has to offer. We are beyond grateful to everyone who showed up and showed out, traveling from all across the country to be part of something so meaningful. The energy, the collaboration, and the connections made over these days were truly unforgettable. A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors who helped bring this vision to life. Your belief in @handspl3ase and in the power of community made all of this possible. @1000piersgin @bentonsbacon @chemistspirits @cheneybrothers @cooksmillwhiskey @embassysuitesasheville @hiwirebrewing_avl @leadingdc @lecreuset @madein @markedtreevineyard @mountainvalleywater @oakandgristdistilling @oftbagency @opentable @outerbanksdistilling To everyone who attended, please come back, explore Asheville, support its businesses, and continue to uplift this amazing community. And most importantly, keep the connections you made here alive. That is what this is all about. With full hearts, thank you for being part of @handspl3ase Asheville. Let’s keep building, supporting, and celebrating this beautiful culinary community together🤲 📸 by: @fmasonmedia

An evening rooted in craft, connection, and celebration. @handspl3ase , an intimate gathering of chefs and hospitality leaders, brought together industry voices for its launch last December at @causadc_ . Hosted by @joshuahernand3z , Hands Please is an ongoing event series honoring the spirit of service and creativity that define the industry—offering a rare moment to pause, connect, and share. See more photos in Vessel’s Spring 2026 issue; find the link in bio. 📸 by @joshfoolovesyou

Asheville for the week🎉

Today the 2026 James Beard nominations were announced, and my heart is so full. I want to congratulate all of the James Beard nominees who are dear friends and people I have known and admired for many years. Seeing your work recognized today is a powerful reminder of the talent and dedication across this industry. But in particular, I want to celebrate the group who gathered/and were represented with us in Washington DC last month for @handspl3ase . To see so many of you from that room recognized across so many categories and from so many parts of the country speaks to the caliber of people who came together in that space. Having that depth of talent, creativity, and leadership in one room was something special. And to everyone who attended @handspl3ase , nominated or not, what stood out that night was the level of commitment, integrity, and purpose you bring to your work every day. The impact you have in your kitchens, restaurants, communities, and teams matters deeply and is what truly moves this industry forward. This is a celebration for everyone who is doing the work. Congratulations to all the 2026 James Beard nominees. I hope we see you at the next @handspl3ase @handspl3ase attendees nominated: Outstanding Chef: @chefdeanneff @seabirdnc Outstanding Chef: @chefannahmed @khaluna.mpls Emerging Chef: @chefanthonyj @dinemarcusdc Best New Restaurant: @peregrineraleigh @chefsaifrahman @pmshanahan Best Chef: Great Lakes: @sarahlustbagel @loaf_lounge Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic: @mguerra2 @tatianamorarangel @mita_dc Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic: Cagla Onal @mylittlechamomile Best Chef: Midwest: @pastrydiane @dianesplacemn Best Chef: Midwest: @lorynnalic @balkantreatbox Best Chef: Midwest: @gustavo_romero_veytia @katarzynakiernoziak @nixtampls Best Chef: Midwest: @davidyoshitomo @omakase_ota Best Chef: Southeast: @keeppushingchef @montgomeryskyfarm Best Chef: Southeast: @chef_robin.clt @omakasebyprimefish Best Chef: Southwest: @cheff_jeff @maderokc Best Chef: Texas: Masayuki Otaka @mabodallas Bet Chef: Texas: @bob_somsith @laodbar

What a night. What a community. We are already in conversations about the next @handspl3ase gathering and we are aiming for April. We are currently narrowing down the venue and location, and we want your voice in it. Where should we bring @handspl3ase next? Drop a city, tag a space, or tell us where your community needs this. Thank you to every chef, general manager, bartender, baker, fisherman, server, and hospitality professional who showed up and made the very first @handspl3ase event in DC such a meaningful success. This initiative exists because of you and it came to life because of your energy, generosity, and willingness to show up for one another. This is just the beginning. Thank you for believing in it and for building it with us. 📸 credit: @joshfoolovesyou

What was supposed to be a small birthday dinner party turned into something I could never have imagined: the very first @handspl3ase gathering. What started as a simple idea became a room full of energy, generosity, and connection that I’ll never forget. For a long time, I was scared to host anything because I didn’t know if anyone would show up. You all proved me so beautifully wrong. @handspl3ase is for the culinary industry. It doesn’t ask anything of you except that you show up, be yourself, and help each other. It’s a safe space, a place to unwind, celebrate, share best practices, and lift one another up. It’s a home for ideas to grow, whether through events, the website, or the genuine connections you create together. To the entire @causadc_ @amazoniadc_ , thank you for creating a flawless evening and for hosting us in such a beautiful space. @chefcarlosdelgg , @chadspangler11 , @cocktailery_tomfoolery your teams warmth, care, and attention to detail set the tone for everything this night became. A very special shoutout to the @leadingdc team for being such an important part of making this night happen, especially @johnrleadingdc , @maru_valdes5 , and @alyssa_bonk . Your support, energy, and behind the scenes magic brought this vision to life in the most beautiful way. And to our incredible sponsors, thank you for pouring so much heart into this night. @mostotequila , the way you showed up for this community, offering not just amazing tequila but genuine enthusiasm and partnership, meant the world. And @merolincaviar @alborzt thank you for adding such elegance to the evening. Your generosity and belief in what we’re building helped create moments people are still talking about. I’m deeply grateful to both of you. And to everyone who came out: if you were in that room, you matter to me. My hope was that new friendships would spark, meaningful connections would form, and that everyone would leave with something special. Judging by the night we had, I think we did exactly that. This is just the beginning. Here’s to many more @handspl3ase gatherings. Thank you, truly, for celebrating with me. 🎥 credit: mxwl.glover for @leadingdc