JAMES ROBERTS
Owner/Chef :: james@toutantbuffalo.com
James Roberts was raised amidst Louisiana’s coastal shrimping and fishing community, and began cooking in restaurants at a young age. Over the course of his early career, he discovered a passion for the food, the kitchen brigade system, and great service. Roberts traveled the country, augmenting his training, honing his skill set, learning different regional cuisines, and developing a strong management style, ultimately earning a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and graduating at the top of his class.
In 2007, the young chef relocated to Buffalo as executive chef for an esteemed country club. He fell in love with WNY, its people, and its farms. During his time here, Roberts has been recognized for his remarkable mentoring and leadership skills, with dozens of his young staff members finding achievement locally and worldwide.
After twenty successful years in the industry, Roberts looks forward to the opportunity to fully realize all that he has worked for by opening Toutant. Here, his cooking abilities, culinary vision, and commitment to excellent service can be utilized to their potential. His love of the region and the city of Buffalo makes Toutant the ideal place for his lifelong goal.
CONNIE ROBERTS
Owner/Marketing & Design :: connie@toutantbuffalo.com
Connie Roberts, owner and creator of the Toutant brand identity and marketing collateral, was raised in Rochester, NY and has always had an eye for fine detail. A bachelor’s degree in fine arts and years of marketing coordination and graphic design experience has given her a varied cache of expertise with which to bring the Toutant vision to life. Her style is simple and modern, unassuming and clean. Connie’s concentration on fluid design with coherence is felt uniformly throughout the project’s many facets.
Connie’s mastery of color palettes has also aided in the assistance of the design plan for Toutant. Her style touches and colorful interjections can be found throughout the L2K based interior design. The lighting scheme and wall adornments of Toutant’s dining areas welcome guests with her comfortable yet thoughtful inspiration. Connie is also responsible for the restaurant’s online presence, menu layout design, and internal marketing.
Toutant would be nothing without the support and dedication of this extremely talented designer, loving mother, and devoted wife.
JILL HUTNYAN
Beverage Manager :: jill@toutantbuffalo.com
A native Buffalonian, Jill spent much of her youth in various hospitality and restaurant service positions exploring her love of guest satisfaction. Her early work experience and formal education in Human Services identified her need for a career with relationships and communication. Leadership positions in the non-profit sector have enhanced her organization and team building, while honing her natural personability.
A quick study, Jill has wasted no time gaining experience in some of downtown’s busiest bars, developing and mastering a level of beverage industry skill and expertise that has drawn the praise of both patrons and peers. The adrenaline of a busy restaurant fuels her, excelling at high volume production with impeccable quality and consistency, while simultaneously cherishing the slower evenings of casual guest conversation and embracing the hospitable spirit of Toutant. Her technical aptitude and finesse, creative process, and her humble personal nature made the promotion to Beverage Manager an easy one for us.
In her role, Jill hopes to build and mentor a signature beverage style and team of her own, present a polished cocktail program of both accurate classics and inventive original creations, and expand on her knowledge of restaurant service and administrative responsibilities.
RUSS WHITFIELD
Chef de Cuisine :: russ@toutantbuffalo.com
A central Mississippi transplant, Donald "Russ" Whitfield, has called Buffalo home since 2009. His excitement and belief in the Toutant mission is complimented by his desire to constantly better himself as a culinary professional and team player, while driving his peers to do the same.
As a young man, Russ discovered the professional kitchen and hasn't looked back. His early culinary career has provided him with many educational opportunities to experience different culinary styles and restaurants of all calibers, honing his craft and furthering his understanding of kitchen culture and teamwork.
His personable demeanor, intense work ethic, attention to detail and his desire for excellence makes him an ideal model for his peer management and production role as Toutant’s chef de cuisine.