Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Bruce Kalman is a James Beard­ nominated chef and a partner in two restaurants, Union in Pasadena and Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market in downtown Los Angeles. He began his career at a local pizzeria in New Jersey, and later attended a small hands­ on culinary program at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ.

After school, Bruce cooked with Paul Bartolotta at Spiaggia in Chicago before taking on executive chef roles at Okno, Green Dolphin Street and Coco Pazzo. He then took on executive chef stints in Santa Fe (Il Piatto) and Phoenix (Chelsea’s Kitchen) before making a move to Los Angeles to open The Misfit in Santa Monica, serving farmer’s market­driven fare, with a strong emphasis on Northern Italian and Mediterranean flavors and preparations. He continued this tradition of hand­crafted cuisine as executive chef of The Churchill in West Hollywood, before becoming the co­owner and chef of the award­winning Union in 2014 and the newly opened Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market with business partner Marie Petulla.

Chef Kalman has appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15, Viceland’s Untitled Action Bronson Show, Food Network's Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, Esquire Network's Knife Fight, and Bravo's Best New Restaurant and national shows like CBS’s The Talk, ABC’s FabLife and Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family.

In his spare time, Chef Kalman is the frontman in the chef cover band, Foie Grock, with fellow chef Duff Goldman.