Our Team

Michael Jou

Executive Chef

Max Johnson joined us after working in some of the most successful eateries in town. A true foodie, curious, and detail-oriented, they are the best Bartender we could have hoped for.

Nicholas Gilbert

Beverage Director

Nicholas made his first wine from the crabapple tree in his backyard when he was thirteen. He has worked nearly every position from back to front of house. Additionally, he has had brief careers in construction, music, fine art photography and politics.
These days he is conducting business and building a unique and exciting beverage program for Red Paper Clip.

Colette Balbuena-Nedrow

General Manager

Colette fell in love with hospitality at a young age. Both her parents worked in the industry and she remembers the feeling of entering a beautiful and exciting world every time she would visit their respective restaurants. After some very fun bartending jobs abroad, she rediscovered her love for fine dining working in Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco and New York.

Kevin Chen

Chef/Owner

Kevin Chen is a native New Yorker who discovered his passion for cooking while working at his family’s bakery in Flushing, Queens. He began his career as a pastry cook at Soho House, then moving to One if by Land, Two if by Sea where he advanced to pastry chef. 
Determined to challenge himself, Kevin decided to focus on savory cooking and began working with Grant Achatz at Alinea. Following his time in Chicago he was a part of the opening team of Apis Restaurant in Austin; a  locally-sourced but globally-inspired restaurant and apiary grounded in classic techniques and featuring ingredients fresh from their farm and range. The experience of Apis led him to work with Dan Barber’s team at Blue Hill at Stone Barns as he continued to become more interested in working closely with the people who grow the ingredients that continue to inspire his style of cooking.