BEST
NEW CHEFS IN AMERICA Here are the winners of the 'Best New Chefs in America' award, chosen from hundreds of nominations from the nationwide network of food experts at "Food &Wine" magazine. To qualify, the chefs needed to have been in charge of a kitchen in the United States for less than five years and that their food surprised and thrilled (the 'judges'). Ask our Culinary Specialists to arrange for you to sample the cuisine of the 'Best NEW Chefs in America'. Click here for a 'F&W Restaurant Guide' for your travels with the Best Chefs in America! Washington.
D.C. Portland, ME New Orleans
Portland, OR WASHINGTON, DC. He won because in a tiny 400-square-foot kitchen, he makes exceptional Greek-inspired food that's both creative and based on centuries-old traditions. He was born in Arlingto, VA in 1979. He gained experience at McCrady's, Charleston, SC. He attended Johnson & Wales University in Charleston for one year. "I was learning so much more at McCrady's that I dropped out." His first kitchen job was working at his parents' Mediterranean restaurant, La Casa, in Alexandria, VA. "I stood on a milk crate because I wasn't tall enough to reach the sink to wash dishes." His age when he opened Komi was 24. How Komi got its name: "I used to go to the Greek island of Chios every summer. My parents were born there; my grandmother still lives there. She and my grandfather grew their own vetables; they made their own olive oil and goat cheese. Komi is the name of a beach on the island." (His ingredient obsession is goat. "We go through eight to 10 a week, and we only have 12 tables." ) PORTLAND, ME He won because he's so passionate about featuring Maine products at his excellent modern American restaurant that he considers Vermont cheeses imported (but he still buys them). He was born in Quincy, MA in 1969. His education was at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, VT. His experience has been at the White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport, ME and Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA.His hobby is beer making; he has a brewing certificate from th American Brewers Guild and worked as a brewer at Harpoon in Boston. His pet peeve is when his chefs taste with their fingers. His favorite kitchen tool is a blowtorch; "It's a great on-th-fly too." NEW ORLEANS He won because he meods the influences of California cuisine and Michelin-starred restaurants in England to creatre a contemporary New Orleans menu. He was born outside of Honolulu in 1970. He gained his experience at Gidleigh Park, Devon, England; Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, Oxford, England; Red Room and Lilette in New Orleans. His most memorable cooking experience was preparing a meal for Vice President Al Gore. "I got a vice-presidential pencil set, with a seal and everything." His favorite cheap eat is the late-night barbecue truck Que Crawl parked outside of Tipitina's nightclub on most weekends. PORTLAND, OR He won because he's talented and bold enough to play with classic dishes that mitht include esoteric animal parts, like tongues and feet, or an entire field's worth of vegetables. He was born in Napa. CA in 1981. His experience was at Psaley' Place and Gotham Bldg Tavern, Portland. His age when he open Le Pigeon was 25. that his all-imprtant kitchen lesson is the power of a lemon sqeeze. He says his biggest influence is his sous che Eric Vanklay . "We stand together for 70 hours a week and talk about food." SEATTLE He won because he spins the extraordinary produce he gets from his farmer friends and his connections as a part-time forage into sublime Mediterranean-influenced dishes. He was born in San Bernandino, CA in 1979. He was educated with the Culinary Arts program at Seattle Central Community College and the community of farmers and cooks in Seattle, especially The Herbfarm's Jerry Traunfeld. His pet peeve is "Not being delicate with ingredients. I hate heavy hands." His ingredient obsession is vinegar. "I use more vinegar and have more types of it than anyone I know. I have 17 kinds right now." His fantasy splurge would be to have Marco Pierre White kill an animal and cook it for him at his house. WESTERN SPRINGS, IL He won because he wants to get his customers as excited as he is about the supreme local and seasonal ingredients in his Western Europen-accented menu.ated at West Viginia Wesleyan College amd Bickhannon Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He was born in St. Louis in 1970. His expierence has been is New York City and Charlie Trotter's, Everest and Blackbird in Chicago. His latestest obsession is that he just bought another walk-in cooler that he'll set up like a wine fridge for aging charcuterie and cheesemaking. CAMBRIDGE, MA He won because his food is as comforting and delicious as a grandmother's - if her kitchen were equipped with a couple of immersion circulators. He was born in Concord, NH in 1977. His experience was at Fore Street in Portland, ME and Rialto in Cambridge, MA. He got into cooking because when he was a kid, his mother and he baked every Suncay. "We'd pick different breads, like sour cream bread - I think that one was a James Beard thing." His hobby is classical percussion. He studied percussion for 14 years. He did some jazz project and things with the Cleveland Orchestra. But the more he got into music, the more he saw that the life of a studio musician wasn't bery glamorous. So he gave up a full scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music to cool. His new obsession is, "I hope I don't kill muy immersion circulator. It's opened up a new world for me." The food trend he most dislikes is "People who who note El Bulli as inspiration and then sprinkle Altoids on lamb. Iv'e dubbed it a bad game of telephone." SAN DIEGO He won because he's amazingly adept at taking the serious French cooking techniques he mastered in Europe and turning them into playful dishes. He was born in Thousand Oaks, CA in 1979. He was educated at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT. . His experience is from Lausanne, Switzerland, Escargot in London, and of working with Marco Pierre White at L'Escargot, "He has an incredible ability to taste food in his heart. He'd read the menu we wrote, then he'd close his eyes, and you could just see him tasting it." If he weren't a chef, he says he'd be a storm-chaser. Or I could be the weather chef, cooking fo the storm chasers. I'd make fast, healthy food, because they have to move fast." SAN FRANSISCO He won because he uses global ingredients to create dishes that are unfussy but wonderfully nuance - like shrimp poke with edamame and seaweed. He was born in Plattsburgh, NY in 1968. He was educated at Santa Clara University uin Santa Clara, CA and City College of San Fancisco Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies, San Francisco. He gained his experience at The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton and Gary Danko in San Francisco. He studied business and marketing in college, but never really had a career in marketing; he was watching a lot of Jacques Pepin and Julia Child reruns and reading magizines lie Food & Wine, and decided it was time to look in being a chef. When Clint Eastwood came in and wanted a romaine salad and they didn't have one on the menu, he ran next doorto get the lettuce. He copes with the longhours. "Twelve hour days are almost common - that's less than people in some other jobs work," he tells himself. NEW YORK CITY She won because her terrific gastoputi meny infuses modes British dishes with spirit and sophistication. Shwas bofrn in Birmingham, England in 1974.ve Studies. She was educated at Birminham College of Food, Tourism and Creat ity. Her experience was at Kensinton Place, Bibendum and River Cafe in london and Chez Panise in Berkeley, CA. She tells the story that her sisters were already at cooking school; she wanted to be a police officer but didn't get in. Her mom said, "What are you going to do?" I said, I'll cook."Her ingredient obsession is smoked food. "I'm still trying to find the classic smoked trout. It's like trying to find the perfect sneaker. It might take a year." Her favorite kitchen tool is a mezzaluna. "I use it to chop everything - but it's got to be sharp or you'll mash your ingredients to death." Thanks
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