Born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Tony Balestreri loves his meat and the art of live fire cooking. From winning whole hog smoking competitions, to crafting specialty sausages, Tony has dedicated his life to innovating the meat eating experience. Before becoming CEO of Steak Chips, Tony made his mark on the culinary scene in Chicago when he moved there in 2011. Tony helped open Red Door in Chi-town's Bucktown neighborhood, ran the dim sum and brunch program at critically acclaimed Fat Rice, worked as sous chef and head of the meat smoking program at Kimski, and was head chef at Marz Community Brewing and the Welcome Back Lounge.