Food & Wine Names 2009 Best New Chefs
The prestigious award, now in its 21st year, recognizes 11 rising culinary talents from around the country, including San Francisco, Memphis, Seattle and more.
-- Restaurants & Institutions, April 2, 2009
(press release)
New York, NY (April 2, 2009) – Who are America’s next superstar chefs? Food & Wine Editor in Chief Dana Cowin announced the magazine’s highest accolade, the coveted Food & Wine Best New Chef awards, at a celebration at City Winery in New York City. Launched in 1988, this yearly award recognizes up-and-coming chefs with an innovative culinary style and a distinctive vision creating exceptionally delicious food. The 2009 winners will be featured in the July issue of Food & Wine and will travel to Colorado for the 27th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 19 to 21. For more on this year’s winners go to foodandwine.com/bestnewchefs/2009.
"We sought out great chefs in every corner of America, from Memphis, Tennessee to Portland, Oregon, and found some extraordinary cooking,” says Cowin. “Some of our winners are in seriously elegant restaurants. Others are in small, quirky, casual spots. But they’re all immensely talented, creative and driven. I am thrilled to introduce them to a national audience.”
2009 F&W Best New Chefs:
Nate Appleman A16 & SPQR, San Francisco
Bryan Caswell Reef, Houston
Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook Animal, Los Angeles
Kelly English Restaurant Iris, Memphis
Mark Fuller Spring Hill, Seattle
Linton Hopkins Restaurant Eugene, Holeman and Finch, Atlanta
Christopher Kostow Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Paul Liebrandt Corton, New York City
Barry Maiden Hungry Mother, Cambridge, MA
Naomi Pomeroy Beast, Portland, OR
At the party, former F&W Best New Chefs based in New York City, including Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern (’02), David Chang of Momofuku (’06), Scott Conant of Scarpetta (’04), Christopher Lee of Aureole (’06), Michael Psilakis of Anthos (’08), Bradford Thompson of Lever House Restaurant (’04) and Laurent Tourondel of BLT Restaurants (’98) created signature dishes. Also, Top Chef winners Harold Dieterle of Perilla in Manhattan and Stephanie Izard of the forthcoming Drunken Goat in Chicago prepared tastings for the celebration. Beringer, FIJI Water, Grey Goose and Riedel sponsored the evening.
The F&W Best New Chefs are chosen as part of a months-long selection process. The magazine works with restaurant critics, food writers and other trusted experts around the country to identify outstanding chefs who have been in charge of a kitchen for less than five years. Then the editors travel, incognito, to taste the food themselves.
As America’s talent-seeking epicurean magazine, Food & Wine has awarded the Best New Chef title to such luminaries-in-the-making as Thomas Keller (‘88), Nobu Matsuhisa (‘89) and Tom Colicchio (‘91). For a complete guide to two decades of F&W Best New Chefs, visit foodandwine.com/bestnewchefs.
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