Chefs
BJ Mueller recently relocated to the Bay Area to develop and launch East Bay Culinary Projects. Born and raised in sunny South Florida, BJ earned his B.S. in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduation, BJ travelled throughout Europe and the United States, studying and mastering the principles of sustainable farming and haute cuisine.
A sought-after chef and caterer, BJ has worked with several James Beard-awarded chefs, including Norman Van Aken, Hiro Sone, and Alan Wong. Most recently, BJ was a chef at 11 Maple Street, long regarded as one of the top restaurants along Florida’s southeastern coast.
Christopher Pipilis, the Projects’ co-founder, is a private chef catering to families and enterprises throughout the Bay Area. He first tested the culinary waters at age 15, when he worked after school at a mom-and-pop pizza restaurant in Chicago. His passion for food later inspired him to create and submit a recipe for a nationwide scholarship competition. For his efforts, Christopher was awarded a full scholarship to Johnson & Wales University and graduated in 2005. From there, Chris worked in kitchens across the country–from privately-owned restaurants to five-star hotels.
After making the Bay Area his home, Christopher joined the Oakland-based Grace Street Catering. And in his pursuit for a more profound understanding of what food means to life, Christopher has spent three summers working on an organic farm in Northern California.
