A Miami native, Howie claims home-court advantage in this competition. A true chef at heart, he can't help but let his passion come through in everything he does. Due to his father's early death, Howie was raised by only women and has no problem communicating his feelings. A chef for 10 years, his culinary expertise is contemporary American, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines. A "hurricane" in the kitchen, he loves to source the best products and let them speak for themselves.