Chef Lance Knowling

Chef Lance Knowling is a classically trained culinary artist whose career spans more than three decades at the highest levels of American cuisine — from the grand dining rooms of luxury hotel brands to the most celebrated independent restaurants in New York City.

A native of Kansas City, Chef Lance launched his culinary career as an apprentice through the Texas Chefs Association in Dallas, receiving formal training in Classical French Cuisine. That foundation served him well at prestigious properties including Sheraton Hotels, Four Seasons, and Marriott Hotels, where he earned multiple awards and medals during his apprenticeship.

He brought that distinction to New York City, joining Marriott’s flagship property, The New York Marquis, as Chef of JW’s, the hotel’s signature fine dining restaurant. From there, Chef Lance built an exceptional résumé across some of the most influential dining establishments in the New York Metropolitan area — among them Le Delice, Butterfield 81, The Park Avenue Club, and America Bar + Restaurant — while also partnering with elite catering firms including Mary Giuliani Catering & Events, widely regarded as New York City’s premier catering house.

In 2002, Chef Lance opened Indigo Smoke in Montclair, New Jersey, to immediate critical acclaim. A vibrant celebration of Southern cuisine and Kansas City barbecue, Indigo Smoke earned recognition as one of New Jersey’s finest restaurants, garnering New Jersey Monthly‘s “Best of” and “Critics’ Choice” awards for ten consecutive years.

His reputation has been documented by The New York Times, The New York Daily News, New Jersey Monthly, Time Out New York, The Star-Ledger, Black Enterprise, and Zagat. His client roster includes Columbia University, Aetna, Peloton, Citi Bike, Essence Magazine, Vibe, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The New York Jets, The Brooklyn Nets, and the NFL and MLB. Chef Lance has cooked for a distinguished roster of public figures including Whoopi Goldberg, Queen Latifah, Nas, Senator Cory Booker, Dr. Cornel West, Andre Braugher, Michael Strahan, and many others. In 2010, he was part of the select culinary team for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, where he prepared a specially crafted meal for President Bill Clinton.

Chef Lance is equally committed to community. He has lent his talents to organizations including Table to Table, the James Beard Foundation, Autism Speaks, and City Harvest, and founded The Black Chef Series, a nonprofit dedicated to elevating Black culinary professionals. His television appearances include Food Network’s Extreme Chef, Fluffy’s Food Adventures with Gabriel Iglesias, NBC New York, and CBS New York, among others.

In 2015, he opened Blujeen in Harlem — another critically acclaimed venture specializing in Modern Southern Cuisine and fine catering — before returning to Dallas during the pandemic to serve as a private chef to celebrity clientele.

Chef Lance has since returned to the Northeast and now serves as Executive Chef at The Woolverton Inn in Stockton, New Jersey. A historic country estate and member of both Select Registry and Historic Hotels of America, The Woolverton Inn is consistently recognized as one of the finest bed-and-breakfasts in the United States. The property’s signature restaurant and event space — set within a beautifully restored eighteenth-century barn — provide a singular stage for Chef Lance’s refined culinary vision.