R2GO

vania, where she developed a love of cooking by looking over her Mum’s shoulder in the home kitchen. Later, she ventured to the big city of Washington, D.C., where she took her first cooking classes at age 19. There she learned a variety of techniques, from Jewish pastries to savory dishes. Continuing her training she took classes in Maryland and Massachusetts. After several years of spoiling her husband and family by honing here skills at home, Regina enrolled in culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina. After completing those studies, Regina added to her skills by taking cooking classes throughout the East Coast. She worked for several years in Charleston in catering and small boutique restaurants. Relocating to Scotland, she accepted a chef du partie position in an eclectic fusion-style eatery in inner-city Glasgow. She continued her education in the international spectrum at Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland and at Regaleali, a winery and cooking school in Sicily. At the Yorke Arms in North Yorkshire, England, she served as a Sous Chef, preparing the award-winning (Michelin star) country inn’s distinctive contemporary British food. Returning to the United States with an international repertoire, she settled in Indianapolis in 2000. Here she was determined to bring a lifelong dream to be the chef of her own restaurant to fruition – R bistro was born. It didn’t take Indianapolis long to discover R bistro. The restaurant was reviewed by a multitude of publications, from neighborhood newsletters to The New York Times, all praising the culinary skills of Chef Regina. Presented to individuals representing innovation and a focus on the Indianapolis community, NUVO Newsweekly awarded Regina its Cultural Vision Award in 2008. That same year, she represented Slow Food Indy in Turin, Italy during Slow Food International’s Terra Madre world meeting. Since 2000, Regina has been an active member of the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs organization and was awarded the Catherine Brandel Fellowship in 2009. Regina published her first cookbook, “Regina’s Seasonal Table” in 2008. She was chosen as a James Beard semi-finalist in 2010 – 2014. She also received the coveted Ross Farris award in 2013, and was recognized as the first local chef to actively source ingredients locally and feature the producers on her R bistro menu. Regina is a Member of the Chefs Collaborative, an organization that celebrates local food and fosters a more sustainable food supply; has been a member of Slow Food USA and Slow Food Indy since 2008, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs since 2000.