A South Jersey native, Montana Houston, was raised predominantly by a single mother and his sister. As a result, he spent a great deal of time with his grandmother, who was a phenomenal cook and would work wonders with simple ingredients. Houston’s father refined palate cultivated his interest in being a chef. His father’s untimely death gave him the fire and passion to pursue the culinary arts professionally. Houston credits his time working with renowned Chef Max Hosey at Brick Farm Tavern, who had experience in three-Michelin starred restaurants, a strong belief in minimizing food waste, and a commitment to sourcing from local farms established the foundation for the chef he is today. This foundation gave Houston the opportunity to go on to work with some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, such as Ai Fiori, Restaurant DANIEL, and Eleven Madison Park. His career took him to Philadelphia where multiple award-winning chef, Michael Solomonov, mentored him. Houston is currently the Executive Chef at Restaurant Aleksandar, which is located in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he articulates his unique perspective on the intersection between Contemporary European Cuisine and seasonal Northeastern ingredients. Houston was named Eater Philly’s 2024 Chef of the Year.