Freedom Plaza’s executive chef, Jaime Simoes Jr., has received the coveted LCS “Chef of the Year 2025” award after rising to the occasion and conquering the three-round, “chopped-style” cookoff on July 31, 2025, at the Sysco Test Kitchens in Houston, Texas. Simoes will bring home a $10,000 grand prize.  

As one of five finalists, Simoes secured the champion title with a winning dish featuring trout filet with olive tapenade, citrus zest, and crisped kale. The dish also included Chef Simoes’ take on roasted red pepper romesco sauce and was finished with pomegranate molasses. Simoes graduated from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA.

This year’s event featured four celebrity judges including Chef Christian Gill, Chef Neil Doherty, Chef Tse Richmond, and Andrew Christman. To read more about this year’s celebrity judges, click here.  

The event runner-up, Steven Pont, is the executive chef at Essex Meadows in Essex, CT.  The other 2025 Chef of the Year finalists included: