Melissa Cookston, Winningest Woman in BBQ
Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Melissa Cookston is a trailblazing female food entrepreneur smoking the competition.
Cookston is a 7-time world barbecue champion; owner of restaurants Steak by Melissa in Southaven, Mississippi and Memphis BBQ Company, a successful barbecue restaurant with locations in Horn Lake, Mississippi; Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Dunwoody, Georgia; an author of two cookbooks, “Smokin in the Boy’s Room” and “Smokin’ Hot in the South;” and a celebrated southern Delta chef who is sponsored by Smithfield Foods.
Recognized nationally from many appearances on national news and talks shows as well as cooking shows and Food Network, Cookston served as a judge on season 4 of Destination America’s “BBQ Pitmasters,” and was named one of America’s most influential BBQ Pitmasters and personalities by Fox News in 2015. Cookston is sponsored by Smithfield and is a frequent contributor to Smithfield communications and marketing efforts.
Chef Tony of BBQGuys.com
Chef Tony Matassa was trained in his family's restaurant virtually from the time he was born! In his career, he has worked with some of the best chefs in the Cajun heartland, including Louisiana Chef Andrew Jaeger, French Chef Gerard Hemery, and Baton Rouge favorite Chef Joey Distefano.
Chef Tony loves the challenge of adapting his favorite hand crafted recipes to be cooked on the grill. Many of his childhood favorites, such as New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp have evolved into even more flavorful dishes.
In February of 2008, Chef Tony teamed up with BBQGuys.com to bring product demonstrations, recipe videos, and all things cooked or grilled to the world. Ever since, the BBQGuys.com YouTube following has grown. Chef Tony's daily goal is to make customers feel comfortable cooking and entertaining for friends and family in their outdoor kitchens. To stay up to date on recipes for the grill, subscribe to our BBQGuys.com YouTube channel.
Melissa "Grill Momma" Reome
Since I was a little girl and was tall enough to reach the stove, I’ve loved to cook. Growing up money was a little scarce so I would utilize my resources to get creative and make meals for my family. A pharmacist by trade, cooking in my adult years is stress relief after a long day, and also a way to bring my family and friends together. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania but have resided in New York for many years since attending college here. In 2016, I created my Grillmomma account on Instagram after many years of only sharing my cooks with those close to me.
After being frustrated that I could not find any remotely good barbecue close to where I live, I was on a personal mission to try to master what friends and mentors in the south have been doing for years. Grillmomma is more than just BBQ however. A lifetime carnivore, I also love to showcase a variety of other foods as well. I’m a year round griller, recipe creator and food blogger who loves to connect with others who also have this fire in their soul. Grill on my friends!