Who We Are

Chef Lisa Counts discovered her passion for cooking at a young age, helping her family make gallons of tomato sauce each summer at her nonna's house. A Kendall College graduate with degrees in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Lisa honed her skills in Chicago's top kitchens, including 312 Chicago, NAHA, Custom House, Henri, and Spiaggia. She played a pivotal role in opening Acanto, inspired by a transformative culinary trip to Italy.

After years in demanding restaurant roles, Lisa found renewed purpose teaching at The Chopping Block, where she now serves as owner of the Lincoln Square location. Dedicated to preserving its legacy, she inspires students to embrace the joy of cooking while expanding the school’s reach in Chicago. 

Chef David Wieseneck has been teaching at The Chopping Block since 2021, sharing his love for French bistro fare and comforting braises like brisket and Cioppino. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, he attended the California Culinary Academy and has been cooking professionally since 1992, driven by a lifelong passion for food and flavor. His favorite ingredients - olive oil, salt, cheese, butter, and lemon - reflect his bold, satisfying cooking style and love of fat.

David finds inspiration in great ingredients, past meals, and the joy of feeding others. Outside the kitchen, he likes to spend time with his kids, see live music, watch movies, and play ping pong. He believes cooking should be fun, forgiving, and full of experimentation - and that a good apron can be transformative.

Chef Dionna Israel has been inspiring home cooks at The Chopping Block since 2012 with her fun, flavorful approach to food. A graduate of Schoolcraft College and Wayne State University, she’s been cooking professionally since 2001 and is known for the spicy Southern flare she brings to the kitchen with comfort foods like her sage-sausage chicken and biscuits with fire gravy, and her Grandma's carrot cake.

For Dionna, cooking is both creative and calming - a way to transform simple ingredients into something extraordinary.  Influenced by her mood, curiosity, and love of food, Dionna encourages new cooks to experiment, have fun, and learn from every dish. When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s homeschooling her four wonderful children, seeking out sushi with her husband, training martial arts, or singing at her local church. Her must-haves? Butter, cream, all things spicy, and definitely chocolate.

Chef Drake Mandrell has been teaching at The Chopping Block since 2021, where he’s best known for leading sushi classes with a laid-back, flavor-focused style. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he’s been cooking since 1995 and credits his passion for food to a lifelong love of eating - starting with catching and cooking fish as a kid in Dallas, Texas. His signature ingredient? Soy sauce.

Drake enjoys experimenting with new ingredients, drawing inspiration from his appetite and curiosity. He encourages new cooks to taste everything and embrace the process. When he's not in the kitchen, you'll find him enjoying Korean BBQ, exploring tech, or spending time with his young daughter, Willa.

Chef Elexis Ruiz brings warmth, energy, and creativity to every kitchen she enters. Born and raised in Chicago, she discovered her love for food while gathered around her grandmother’s rocking chair, being spoon-fed rice and beans. After years of working in restaurants and exploring other career paths - including a stint in corporate trend analysis - Elexis returned to her culinary roots with a renewed passion. A graduate of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and alum of The Chopping Block’s own Culinary Boot Camp, Elexis has cooked at beloved Chicago spots like Café Ba-Ba-Reeba and Community Tavern. Her rich cultural heritage as a Dominican and Puerto Rican chef deeply influences her flavor-packed, memory-driven approach to cooking.

Elexis’s signature dish, Sopa de Fideos con Salchichón is a nostalgic nod to her childhood and her belief that food should comfort and connect. She’s passionate about showing others that cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating - it can be joyful, expressive, and even healing. Whether she’s teaching a beginner how to use acid as a seasoning or guiding a seasoned home cook through a new technique like deglazing for pan sauces, Elexis creates a space where curiosity and confidence can thrive. When she’s not in the kitchen, you’ll likely find her watching crime documentaries, going to concerts, or hanging out with her trio of cats.

Chef Gram Gould joined The Chopping Block in 2023 and brings a deep passion for foundational skills, especially in classes like Knife Skills and homemade breads. A graduate of the French Pastry School, he’s worked in top kitchens across Chicago, New York City, Denver, and California. From making apple pie with his grandma to perfecting pit-style BBQ brisket, Gram’s love for cooking is rooted in both tradition and exploration.

Inspired by farmer's markets and the joy of feeding others, Gram believes in learning through taste, patience, and curiosity. When he’s not cooking, he’s likely gardening, practicing jiu jitsu, or spending time with family - often around a table of homemade food. His advice for new cooks: trust your senses, season confidently, and cook with humility, like his favorite chef, Anthony Bourdain.

Chef Kelly Kijak has been sharing her love of pastry at The Chopping Block since 2022. A graduate of the French Pastry School in Chicago, she’s been cooking professionally since 2016 and draws inspiration from her family's cooking traditions -especially the annual clam bake she helped prepare as a child. Her signature dish, churros with goat milk ice cream, reflects her creativity and passion for sweets.

Kelly finds joy in bringing people together through food and is constantly inspired by seasonal ingredients, new flavors, and fellow chefs. When not in the kitchen, she enjoys gardening, crafting, movie nights, and spending time with her cats. Her advice to new cooks: stay organized, taste everything, and practice with patience (and good music).

Chef Matt Eastwood Keller brings a fresh perspective and a great sense of humor to the kitchen - two traits that serve him well whether he’s creating a new pasta dish or cracking jokes on stage. Trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School on a working farm in rural Ireland, Matt discovered his love for cooking after burning out in a desk job and realizing that his happiest moments happened around food. His culinary roots go back to the age of 10 when he started making pancakes every Sunday for his family - a tradition that sparked his curiosity and comfort in the kitchen. Now, he’s all about simple, bold flavors and approachable dishes, like his signature pasta with anchovy, lemon zest, garlic, and tons of basil.

For Matt, cooking is about curiosity, connection, and not taking yourself too seriously. He’s passionate about learning and encourages students to stay playful in the kitchen - after all, a "whoopsie" just means you’re trying something new. When he’s not teaching or experimenting with recipes, you can find him performing stand-up comedy at Uptown Taproom or binge-watching the Real Housewives with a ball of yarn in hand (yes, he knits). Whether he’s inspiring students to trust their instincts or reminding them to reheat leftovers in the air fryer, Matt brings warmth, wit, and wisdom to every class.

Chef Sara Salzinski has been a cornerstone at The Chopping Block since 2002, bringing decades of experience and a deep love for culinary technique. A Kendall College graduate who trained at renowned restaurants like Ambria and Blackbird, she’s especially passionate about teaching technical classes like sauces and pasta. Inspired early on by family dinners and deep-dish outings at Pizzeria Due, Sara feels most at home in the kitchen, whether she’s roasting meats, braising, or crafting Thanksgiving dinner.

For Sara, cooking is both relaxing and creative - a chance to unwind and nourish loved ones. She finds inspiration in fellow chefs, food media, and her husband, who also teaches culinary arts. When not in the kitchen, she’s enjoying wine, gardening, listening to music, spending time in nature, or exploring the city’s food scene. Her advice to new cooks: experiment fearlessly, season well, and always taste as you go.

Chef William Haskin brings both depth and soul to the kitchen - shaped by rural roots, a reverence for nature, and a passion that took hold the moment he realized food could mean more than just a paycheck. Originally from near LaCrosse, Wisconsin, William got his start in kitchens during high school but found true inspiration working under a passionate chef in a small Italian restaurant. That moment changed everything - leading him to culinary school at Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, and into a lifelong pursuit of cooking that’s as much about connection as it is about technique. He has a soft spot for comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, but his heart lies with handmade pasta, expertly cooked meats, and the simple joy of garlic, flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil.

William sees cooking not as a rigid craft, but as a deeply human, ever-evolving experience. He believes in discovering food rather than creating it - letting the moment, the ingredients, and the people shape the outcome. His style is rooted in exploration, whether he’s free diving in open water, backpacking through the wilderness, or foraging ingredients on a walk through the woods. He brings that same spirit of curiosity and connection to every class, encouraging students to taste everything, try something new, and find joy in the process. For William, the perfect meal isn’t just about flavor - it’s about building memories, telling stories, and creating something meaningful together.

In 1997, after 17 years as a professional chef, Shelley founded The Chopping Block with a vision to make cooking approachable, fun, and accessible to everyone. Her innovative concept combined a recreational cooking school, gourmet kitchen store, and private event space - all under one roof. This fresh approach quickly resonated with Chicagoans, and The Chopping Block grew to become one of the busiest culinary schools in the country.

Shelley built a trusted, award-winning brand known for making cooking accessible and fun. In 2023, Shelley successfully sold The Chopping Block Lincoln Square to Executive Chef Lisa Counts, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter in culinary entrepreneurship and the beginning of new opportunities ahead.