



Attend chef demonstrations, hands-on savory, pastry and mixology workshops, wine and business seminars, career counseling sessions, and expert panels on current industry topics. Source cutting-edge culinary products and equipment from around the world at the Chef Products Fair.
The overarching theme of this year's Congress is What is American Cuisine? Our purpose is to explore how chefs and industry-leaders from around the country—and across the globe—define American cuisine. The regional nuances of well-defined and established cuisines, such as Italian, French, Spanish, or Chinese, are recognized by chefs, and subjects of study and exploration. But the definition of American cuisine—outside of hotdogs and hamburgers—and the regional differences within the United States is not commonly understood, inside nor outside of the US. The subject seems more prescient than ever given the increasing presence of a growing number of American chefs who are keyed into the international culinary circuit and actively participating in the international culinary dialogue.
This year's programming at ICC will be as diverse and multi-national as ever, but the American presenters will share a common goal: to present their particular version of American cuisine. In doing so, our hope is to move closer to a common understanding of our country's dynamic culinary character.
Admission to 2009 ICC is limited to chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, food & beverage managers, and restaurant owners, and other foodservice professionals, including food and equipment manufacturers, consultants, purveyors, publicists, architects, manufacturer representatives, and dealers.
A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 International Chefs Congress will benefit the Steven Scher Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Restaurateurs established in conjunction with the James Beard Foundation. For more information, go to www.chefsforscher.com.
September 20-22, 2009 (Sunday-Tuesday)
New York City
INDUSTRY-ONLY SYMPOSIUM at the Park Avenue Armory (click here for directions)
Purchase ICC Passes Here or call 212-966-7575
You must be a foodservice industry professional.
All ticket purchases subject to final StarChefs.com approval.
3-Day Working Restaurant Pass: $275
3-Day Industry Pass: $495
Hotel Offer for ICC
StarChefs has partnered with the following New York hotel. When contacting the hotel, please mention "StarChefs International Chefs Congress" when booking.
Marriott New York Downtown
85 West St. (cross street: Albany Street)
New York, NY 10006
Rate: $219 per night plus tax
1-800-228-9290
This special offer ends September 4th. All rooms must be guaranteed with a major credit card.











































































Sunday, September 20 10:10AM

Tuesday, September 22 11:30AM
After graduating college, Abou-Ganim learned an appreciation for a well-made cocktail using the freshest ingredients while working at Jack Slick's Balboa Café in San Francisco. In 1990, Tony assisted with the opening of Harry Denton's, and then in 1993 moved to New York City. Two years later, Abou-Ganim returned to San Francisco and re-joined Harry Denton to open Harry Denton's Starlight Room. It was here that Tony created his first specialty drink menu featuring several of his original cocktail recipes, including the Cable Car, Sunsplash, and Starlight.
In 1998, Abou-Ganim was picked by Steve Wynn to create the cocktail program at his Las Vegas resort/casino, Bellagio. Abou-Ganim implemented his bartending and drink preparation philosophy, captured in his motto: "quality ingredients and proper technique create great drinks." He developed hundreds of original cocktails for the resort's 22 bars.
Now regarded as a founding father of modern mixology, Abou-Ganim operates his own beverage consulting firm specializing in bar staff training, product education, and cocktail development. He hosts the Fine Living Network show “Raising the Bar: America’s Best Bar Chefs,” and in 2007, released a DVD "Modern Mixology: Making Great Cocktails at Home.” As the National Ambassador of the US Bartenders Guild, and Associate Member of the Museum of the American Cocktail, Abou-Ganim continues to educate about the history and lore of cocktails, as well as lead the bar industry into continually improving the art of the cocktail. Abou-Ganim lives in Las Vegas where he hones his craft daily by creating, sharing, and enjoying the very best cocktails.

Monday, September 21 10:10AM
He ascended the culinary ladder at several prestigious restaurants, including the acclaimed French Laundry in Napa Valley. After four years there, Achatz chose to broaden his knowledge and worked as an assistant winemaker at La Jota Vineyards. In 2001, he accepted the executive chef position at the four-star restaurant Trio in Evanston, IL.
Achatz was named one of ten “Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine magazine in 2002 and a “Rising Star Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in 2003. Under Achatz’s lead, Trio received four stars from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago magazine and garnered five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide in 2004. Achatz realized a lifelong dream by opening Alinea in Chicago in May 2005.
Under Chef Achatz’ leadership, Alinea has received worldwide attention for its hypermodern, emotional approach to dining. Alinea has received four stars from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago magazine. Achatz was named the “next great American chef” by The New York Times in September 2005 and in October 2006 Alinea received Five Diamonds from AAA. Ruth Reichl of Gourmet magazine declared Alinea the “Best Restaurant in America” in its twice-per-decade list of America’s Top 50 Restaurants. And between 2008 and 2009, Achatz picked up two James Beard Awards, the first for “Outstanding Chef” and the second (in 2009) for “Cookbook of the Year” for his first cookbook Alinea. Alinea is also ranked tenth in the 2009 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Sunday, September 20 12:00PM
Van Aken began cooking in Key West in the early 70s, and for the next decade worked his way up through a number of local kitchens. He teamed up with restaurateur Gordon Sinclair back in his home state of Illinois in the early 80s, and soon returned to Florida to open Sinclair’s American Grill in the southern part of the state. In 1985, he returned to Key West and the kitchen of Louie’s Backyard. At Louie’s his style began to take shape and gain recognition, enough to attract the young Charlie Trotter to his kitchen. In 1989, he opened Mano in South Beach, penned his first book, and brought the term “fusion cuisine” into the modern culinary lexicon with a historic address at that year’s food symposium in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Van Aken left Mano and in 1995 opened the doors to NORMAN’S in Coral Gables, Florida. The restaurant was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as “The Best Restaurant in America” in its first year of eligibility; in addition, it was deemed “Best Restaurant in Florida” by The New York Times and one of “America’s Top Tables” by Gourmet magazine for four consecutive years. Van Aken has opened a second outpost in The Ritz-Carlton Orlando. His newest project is Norman’s 180 slated to open this fall in The Colonnade Hotel, Coral Gables. He will be joined by his son, Justin, also a chef and an instrumental part of the future of the Norman Van Aken Companies.
Over his career, Van Aken has received many awards: The James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast; he has been inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who” list; he was the first chef to become a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Board of Trustees; he was also named to their National Advisory Board. He has received an honorary doctorate from Johnson and Wales University, and in 2006 he was honored as one of the “Founders of the New American Cuisine,” alongside Alice Waters, Paul Prudhomme, and Mark Miller, at Madrid Fusion. Chef Van Aken is a member of the StarChefs.com Advisory Board and recipient of the StarChefs.com 2008 South Florida Rising Stars Mentor Award. Additionally, he has published another three cookbooks, two on New World Cuisine and one on exotic fruit.
Of his style of cuisine, Van Aken says he creates interplay of his classic culinary know-how and regionalism. His larder, in the most tropical area of the US, includes conch, black beans, plantains, mangoes, coconuts, grouper, key limes, and more. He approaches this bounty with a blend of folk cooking methods and modern techniques.

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM
In 1999, Allen started working for the Batali group at New York City's Lupa under the watchful eyes of Mark Ladner. Four years—and a lot of pasta and pancetta—later, he was promoted to executive chef on the opening team of Batali's Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. An unmistakable Batali protégé—orange clogs and all—Allen also became a student of the art of salumi. He has spent the last several years in Italy studying the craft, as well as learning from both Mario and his father, Armandino of Salumi Artisan Cured Meats (Seattle, WA).
While at Otto, Allen launched the restaurant’s artisanal salumi program featuring over a dozen cured and aged meats, transforming the eatery into one of downtown Manhattan's top restaurant attractions. These days, Allen is the consulting salumist for all of the group’s Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles restaurants, in addition to leading the kitchens of all three Batali/Bastianich Las Vegas operations B&B Ristorante, Enoteca San Marco, and Carnevino. In 2008, he was awarded a StarChefs.com Las Vegas Rising Star Chef Award.

Monday, September 21 12:30PM
Andrés left his native land for New York City to prove his mettle in 1990. A few years later, he moved to Washington, DC to become chef and partner at Jaleo, a job that would turn into a career partnership and bring many more restaurants under the umbrella of ThinkFoodGroup. Café Atlantico and a second Jaleo soon followed; Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant featuring mezzes, and the six-seat minibar (located in Café Atlantico), featuring an ever-changing menu of 33 high-concept alta cocina dishes, opened in the early 00s. A Mexican small-dish restaurant, called Oyamel, was next.
In 2008, Andrés and TFG along with partners at SBE Hotel Group and designer Philippe Starck opened the first SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, launching a new luxury hotel brand. The signature restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés, received LA’s only four-star review from the Los Angeles Times.
Since moving to Washington, DC a decade ago, Andrés has earned numerous honors. Andrés was nominated in both 2008 and 2009 for The James Beard Outstanding Chef Award, and in 2003, he was named The James Beard “Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region.” Additionally, he serves as contributing editor of Food Arts magazine, a member of the StarChefs.com Advisory Board, and is the chairman of the board of DC Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that feeds the homeless and trains people for careers in the food service. In 2001, the organization recognized Andrés as the “Chef/ Partner of Distinction,” as part of a program that honors outstanding “Partnership in Job Training.”
Every summer Andrés travels to Spain to visit family and to work in his mentor’s restaurant, el Bulli, for several weeks. When not in a kitchen or hosting his PBS series “Made in Spain,” the chef is making appearances or traveling.

Tuesday, September 22 11:30AM
Born in San Sebastian, Spain, Arzak completed his studies at La Escuala de Hosteleria. After compulsory military service and traveling and working abroad, Arzak returned home to work at the family restaurant Arzak,which has been in his family since 1897. Arzak slowly transformed the restaurant’s style and cuisine, and by the mid-70s he began to receive awards and distinction for his innovation and ultramodern cuisine—the beginning of the New Basque Kitchen movement and what would grow into a worldwide culinary revolution.
Arzak combines staples of the Basque culinary legacy with many new creations of his own. While his cuisine is rooted in tradition and local ingredients, Arzak plays with his food, incorporating surprising elements like white clay into dishes.
In 1989, Arzak became a member of Traditions et Qualité and received its third Michelin Star, which it has maintained since. More recently, Chef Arzak was awarded the Grand Prize of the Art of the Kitchen by the European Academy of Gastronomy in 1999, the International “Trophée Gourmet” in 2008, and has received A La Carte Magazine’s “Special Prize in Gastronomy” also in 2008. Arzak was the recipient of the 2008 “Universal Basque Award” from the Basque independent Government and received a “Top Chef” award at the 2009 Madrid Fusion.

Tuesday, September 22 3:00PM
Asprinio ran his first kitchen, Cucina Nostalgia in Boca Raton, at just 17 years of age and helped earn the restaurant a three star review in its first year. He attended The Culinary Institute of America where he earned a culinary degree and then went to Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration to fine tune his culinary and management skills; then trained at the winery Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in New York to hone his wine palate and knowledge.
Asprinio pursued wine with his usual fervor and still holds the title of youngest person to pass the US Sommelier Association's Certificate Examination, and was one of the youngest to pass the Court of Master Sommelier's Certificate Course. At 22, Asprinio took over two wine programs at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and was the wine director at Michael Mina's NobHill in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
Since his appearance on Top Chef, Asprinio has made multiple television guest appearances and opened his first restaurant, Forte di Asprinio in Palm Beach County, in 2008. Only nine months after its inception, amongst many other awards, the restaurant was named one of the “Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the United States of 2008” by Gayot. Asprinio has since sold the restaurant space to his partner and is going to open a second Forte di Asprinio in Dubai.

Monday, September 21 1:00PM
Atkin's list of awards includes the Glenfiddich “Wine Writer Award,” and the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom's “Wine Columnist of the Year,” winning each in multiple years. In 2007, he was named “Communicator of the Year” by the International Wine & Spirit Competition and “Best Drink Journalist” in the World Food Media Awards. To top it off, in 2001, Atkin passed the Master of Wine (MW) examination at the first attempt, winning the Robert Mondavi Award for the best set of theory papers.
He has judged wines in the UK, France, the United States, Argentina, Spain, South Africa, Chile, and Australia and is co-chairman of the London-based International Wine Challenge, the world’s largest blind tasting competition. Atkin is also a founding member of The Wine Gang, the UK’s leading consumer wine recommendation site.
When it comes to his philosophy on wine, Atkins keeps it simple with two caveats: Drink the best wines you can afford, and drink them with your head and heart, not just your palate.

Tuesday, September 22 10:00AM
She graduated from Wesleyan College in Connecticut, but the pace and energy of restaurants beckoned, and Battenhouse made it her mission to assemble a stellar resume. She enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America and graduated at the top of her class, and worked at acclaimed establishments like Payard Patisserie and Bistro and Pondicherryin New York City.
Battenhouse’s move into wine began with a part-time job at Joshua Wesson’s Best Cellars shop in Manhattan. Battenhouse found her home in wine at the store; what started as a part-time gig turned into an eight-year tenure. She returned to the restaurant world to work as head sommelier at Tribeca Grill, where she was responsible for maintaining a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine list.
These days, Battenhouse is the wine director at Maslow 6, a wine shop in Manhattan. She continues her own education (she currently holds a Diploma of Wine and Spirits and is working towards her Master Sommelier certification), and also teaches classes and seminars at Maslow 6 and The International Wine Center.

Monday, September 21 1:15PM
He moved to Napa Valley in 2001 to help open Pat Kuleto's Martini House, paving his road to becoming a professional mixologist. Beattie began experimenting with ingredients that he either grew himself or got from the gardens of family and friends. At the same time, he developed relationships with local distilleries, Domaine Charbay and St. George in particular, and married the seasonal ingredients with local spirits.
In 2005, Beattie joined the team at Cyrus in Healdsburg, where he developed a bar program that was focused on hyper-seasonal produce collected from dozens of local Healdsburg-area farms and liquor from the San Francisco Bay Area. Adoring of his ingredient-driven cocktails, Beattie ended up with a 45-page menu that included his specialty drinks, classics, and descriptions for every spirit group and bottle behind his bar.
Beattie's next project was capturing his seasonal mixology philosophy in a book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus (2007, Ten Speed Press). The book features many of the culinary techniques Beattie has developed over the years and showcases 50 of his original cocktails. It has received accolades from multiple publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, and Gourmet magazine. Beattie was named the 2009 Rising Star Mixologist for StarChefs.com's first Napa Sonoma Rising Stars Awards. Today, Beattie runs consulting and beverage catering businesses, shaking and stirring up his drinks for events, parties, and bars in the Bay Area.

Sunday, September 20 10:10AM
Blais attended The Culinary Institute of America, where he nurtured a growing passion for French technique. He interned at The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and honed his skills working under the leadership of Chef Thomas Keller and side-by-side with budding culinary stars, like Grant Achatz.
Blais finished his CIA education and then stayed on for a fellowship in the fish kitchen, where he learned to master fish fabrication and cookery. He went on to cook in the kitchens of several great chefs at exemplary restaurants, including Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel. But he found his own professional compass after a brief stint at Adriàs’ el Bulli.
In 2000, Blais was lured to Atlanta by a group of restaurateurs to run a small seafood kitchen before opening his own place, the eponymous BLAIS, in the winter of 2004. Despite opening BLAIS to critical acclaim, it only remained open for a short time. Since then, Blais has helped develop products and recipes for major corporations, such as Diageo, iSi, McCormick, and Quaker.
Trail Blais is Blais’ creative culinary company that has consulted on, designed, or operated three- and four-star restaurants in Atlanta. Currently, Trail Blais is working on a conceptual breakfast foods project called (for the time being) "A. M." and operating Flip Burger Boutique in midtown Atlanta, a high-end eatery serving modern American burgers—a far cry from his deconstructed Filet-O-Fish days.

Sunday, September 20 4:45PM
But Bloomfield didn’t permanently settle stateside until she got an offer she couldn't refuse. Restaurateur Ken Friedman pursued Bloomfield (after a tip from Brit celeb chef Jamie Oliver) to head up the kitchen of his first restaurant The Spotted Pig, a casual gastropub concept to be set in the West Village in New York City. Friedman flew Bloomfield in to check out the scene and to meet partner Mario Batali. Bloomfield won over Batali and a deal was struck; the gastropub opened with great success a short time later.
At The Spotted Pig, Bloomfield presents an unlikely pairing, fusing British and Italian cuisines using local, seasonal ingredients. She's made a name for herself by serving straight-forward dishes with a touch of creativity that often incorporate off-cuts and organs, like pig ear and liver. The restaurant has received one star from the Michelin Guide for four consecutive years. In 2007, Bloomfield was named a Food and Wine Magazine “Best New Chef.” This past November, April and Friedman opened a new fish-focused restaurant, The John Dory, which was recently awarded two stars by The New York Times.

Sunday, September 20 11:30AM
As managing editor, Blunt wears many hats. He has been integral to the vision and development of the International Chefs Congress and has been a key player in ensuring its growth and success. Blunt has built the StarChefs.com advertising client base from virtually nothing and has worked to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the products the company promotes to its audience. He has negotiated the company’s legal and business contracts, and has bridged countless partnerships with media, organizations, and venues.
Blunt’s role goes far beyond the business side of things: He works on the ground to contribute to tasting and interviewing many of the chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and restaurateurs that StarChefs features. Particularly involved in the growth of mixology content on the site, Blunt has been a visionary in seeing the importance and influence of mixology in the restaurant industry.
In his role as editor, Blunt has read and revised tens of thousands of pages of editorial content, working day in and day out with the StarChefs editorial staff. He has been a big supporter of charities over the years, such as Share Our Strength, Partnership with Children, Chefs for Scher, and numerous other organizations.

Sunday, September 20 12:45PM
After studying at the Sorbonne, the young chef worked for some of Europe’s most acclaimed chefs, including Roger Vergé, Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Gaston Lenôtre, and Frédy Girardet. Having earned his chops, he returned to New York and worked for leading restaurants such as Le Cirque, Le Périgord, and La Côte Basque. In 1985, David became the first executive chef of Montrachet in Tribeca; the restaurant earned three stars from the The New York Times.
But it was his eponymous flagship restaurant, opened in 1987, that really put Chef Bouley on the US culinary map: Bouley restaurant brought together fine French cuisine and an American chef in a way that was, and still is, modern and refined—and according to The New York Times worthy of a rare four stars. The chef and his restaurant also each won a James Beard Award for "Best Chef" and "Best Restaurant" respectively.
Since he opened Bouley, Chef Bouley has built a small empire of Tribeca eateries and is continually evolving and reinventing his businesses. In the last 20 years, the chef has launched a retail and wholesale bakery called Bouley Bakery, the Austro-Hungarian inspired Danube (which brought him another James Beard Award in 2000 as "Outstanding Chef of the Year"); Upstairs offering a collection of Japanese dishes and sushi in addition to seasonal dishes from guest chefs; the French/Italian focused Secession; and the Bouley Test Kitchen, where Bouley, his team, and visiting chefs experiment and conduct cooking classes for the public. Multiple projects are in the works, including a Japanese kaiseki-style restaurant, called Brushstroke, and a 10,000 square foot kitchen commissary with an attached restaurant and market.
Additionally, Bouley has published a cookbook, East of Paris, featuring Eastern European recipes. He has also travelled extensively in Japan and is a veritable master of Japanese cooking techniques. In more recent years, he has developed a reputation for effortlessly blending obscure Japanese ingredients with his particular brand of French cooking.

Monday, September 21 5:30PM
Now, Boulud is chef-owner of ten award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fêtes catering company. While he hails from Lyon, it is in New York where he has truly mastered the culinary scene, so much so that Boulud is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities.
Over the last two decades, Boulud has evolved from a chef to a chef-restaurateur, bringing his artistry to his New York City restaurants Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, ar Boulud and now, DBGB Kitchen and Bar. In addition, he has created Café Boulud in Palm Beach and Daniel Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. In May 2008, the chef extended his culinary reach internationally, opening Maison Boulud in the Legation Quarter in Beijing, China. Boulud and his restaurant management company, The Dinex Group, have also recently formed a partnership in Vancouver where they manage the renowned Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Lumière. Adjacent to Lumière they have created a new DB Bistro Moderne, a sister restaurant to the one in Manhattan’s Midtown. Two new Manhattan destinations, Boulud Sud and Épicerie Boulud are scheduled to open on the Upper West Side in May 2011.
Boulud’s culinary accolades include James Beard Foundation awards for “Outstanding Restaurant,” “Outstanding Restaurateur,” “Best Chef, New York City” and “Outstanding Chef of the Year.” In addition, he has been named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. Daniel has been cited as “one of the ten best restaurants in the world” by the International Herald Tribune, has earned three Michelin stars, a coveted four star rating from The New York Times, Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award” and is ranked eighth among Restaurant Magazine’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” The Chef’s culinary style is reflected in his six cookbooks and his “After Hours with Daniel” television series.
Boulud is one of the American culinary industry’s greatest mentors and in 2007 he was the recipient of the StarChefs.com New York Rising Stars Mentor Award as well as the 2008 StarChefs.com Mentor Innovator Award, honoring his profound effect on and dedication to New York City’s culinary community. He also serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board. Additionally, the Chef has authored six books and has created three seasons of his “After Hours with Daniel” television series.

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
Bremer went on to open his own short-lived restaurant, Gabriel’s, in Portland, Maine, and then moved to Boston in 2000 to become sous chef under another James Beard Award-winning chef, Jody Adams, at Rialto.
It didn’t take Bremer too long before he was ready to venture out on his own once again. He opened Salts in March 2004 with his life and business partner, Analia Verolo. Greatly influenced by international greats like Michel Bras and Ferrán Adrià, Gabriel’s cuisine at Salts pushes the boundaries of contemporary dining, but is always grounded in familiar and comforting flavors.
Bremer has also started a small farm outside of Concord, New Hampshire to supply his restaurant with seasonal and heirloom produce. With his father as the primary plant care-taker, they have expanded from a couple plots growing staples to nurturing over 40 different items, including 10 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, while partnering with local gardeners who enjoy growing for Bremer’s restaurant. The farm and the produce they receive from it has had a profound impact on Bremer’s cooking—something he calls “from earth to cutting board.”

Monday, September 21 10:10AM
Brock gets his hands dirty on a 2 1/2 acre farm he started on Wadmalaw Island just south of Charleston. He wanted to create a true field-to-table experience—not just for his guests, but for his staff as well. The McCrady’s team works the farm together to produce most of the vegetables for the restaurant. Heirloom seeds from plants that are at risk of extinction are harvested from family, friends, and farmers throughout the Southeast and planted with care by the restaurant staff. Brock explains: “When you push a carrot seed into the ground and stare at it for sixty days waiting for it to grow, you look at that carrot differently when it finally makes its way into the kitchen and onto someone’s table.” Brock also raises heritage hogs on the farm for the restaurant's curing program—think miso-cured bacon.
Despite Brock's forward-thinking cooking techniques and ultra-contemporary flavor profiles, Chef Brock still finds most inspiration from the traditions of the past. His knowledge of curing meats comes courtesy of time spent with the likes of Allan Benton of Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams. His affection for heirloom produce spawns from memories of his family table in Virginia. The chef has partnered with Glenn Roberts (of Colombia, South Carolina based Anson Mills) to save the James Island Red Corn strain (a.k.a. Jimmy Red).
Brock's distinctive brand of culinary artistry has earned him local and national recognition, including two consecutive nominations for the James Beard Rising Star Chef Award in 2008 and 2009 and Best Chef 2009 by The Charleston City Paper. Previous to McCrady's, Brock worked at several venerable southern restaurants, the likes of the Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, TN); Lemaire Restaurant in the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA; and at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, SC. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charleston.

Sunday, September 20 10:10AM
Bruce also worked at the American Hotel and at New Jersey’s Bernard’s Inn before attending Le Cordon Bleu. He too graduated with the highest honors and went on to apprentice at Le Recamier and at Chef Bruno Hess’s newly-opened restaurant Bistro Du Louver. Bruce then spent time at Michelin two-star Duquesnoy, Michelin three-star Pierre Gagnaire in Saint-Etienne, and Boulangerie Poilâne in Paris.
Bruce returned from France to join Eric, who was then chef and owner of one of New York’s most popular restaurants, Nick and Eddie. In 1992, the Bromberg brothers teamed up to create Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which was an immediate success. Since then, they have added seven businesses—all with the Blue Ribbon moniker: Blue Ribbon Sushi, Blue Ribbon Bakery, Blue Ribbon Brasserie Brooklyn, Blue Ribbon Sushi Brooklyn, Blue Ribbon Market, Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar, and Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill in 6 Columbus Hotel.
Adding to the mini restaurant empire, the Brombergs have a line of all-natural, grilled frozen chicken nuggets called The Bromberg Brothers’ Blue Ribbon Naked Nuggets; a line of bread sold wholesale and retail; and five varieties of 100% raw Mexican honey from their honey farm in the village of Atlixco.
The restaurants, bakery, sushi bars, market, and products are all named Blue Ribbon, “the translation of Cordon Bleu, which represents first prize, top quality, and our experience of being Americans trained in France,” explains Bruce.
The latest Bromberg project is Brooklyn Bowl, which opened in July (2009) in Brooklyn’s hyper-hip Williamsburg. The Bowl is a 20,000 square foot bowling alley/performance venue/restaurant endeavor built for LEED certification; the brothers operate and manage the restaurant portion.

Sunday, September 20 11:30AM
Bruno fortuitously met the founders—Bob Giraldi, Phil Suarez, Patricia Greaney, and Fern Berman—and worked on the StarChefs business plan in its early days. The mission statement was to give chefs the tools they need to succeed to be the best they can be in this fractious and ever so competitive industry. In 1999 Bruno became CEO of StarChefs.com, where she combines her culinary training with her business know-how. In her tenure at StarChefs, Bruno has increased website traffic exponentially and has grown the content library from 4,000 to 29,000 pages.
In 2001 Bruno became Editor-in-Chief, leading StarChefs to become the industry authority on chefs, food trends, and the culinary world. The Rising Star awards were launched in 2003 by Bruno as a platform for young chefs—previously unsung in the culinary world—to be recognized broadly. Today, StarChefs has awarded 347 Rising Star Awards at 26 Rising Star Galas in 15 cities. Seeing a need for a collaborative forum for chefs to come together, Bruno and her partner, Managing Editor Will Blunt, launched the StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress in 2006. Today 1500 culinary professionals come together annually to discuss what is going on in the industry, their challenges, new ideas, trends, and to share techniques.
Traveling throughout the country and the world, Bruno and her editorial team are on the ground meeting and tasting the food of countless chefs and other industry players. This first-hand experience is the basis for the content on StarChefs.com. In 2005 Bruno developed a passion for photography and began to give the StarChefs audience a visual account of what she was experiencing; she continues to do all her own photography on the road. The culture of photography—and now video—has become part of the fabric of the StarChefs publishing philosophy. With the advent of social media, Bruno now tweets all of her tastings, often in the moment, to provide chefs inspiration as they create new dishes.

Sunday, September 20 2:45PM

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM
Prior to his DessertTruck days, Chang was pastry sous chef at Le Cirque in New York. He was mentored by Michael Zebrowski at the Westin Governor-Morris hotel in Morristown, NJ. He is a 2004 graduate of The French Culinary Institute's Classic Pastry Arts program.

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
With years of restaurant experience under his belt, Chau decided to open his own restaurant, Kampuchea, in November 2006. But this time he wasn’t in his usual front-of-the-house spot, but behind the stoves. In all of his years of restaurant experience, Chau had never even boiled water on a commercial stove. But Kampuchea was his own. So he stepped forward into the chef’s role and designed and executed a modern Cambodian menu with great success.
Chau’s second project was inspired by the cult following that developed for Kampuchea’s num pang, the Cambodian term for “bread” or “sandwich.” In March 2009, Chau, Partner/Co-Executive Chef Scott Burnett and Co-Owner Ben Daitz, opened Num Pang Sandwich Shop near Union Square in Manhattan.

Monday, September 21 3:15PM
Always an entrepreneur, Dey believed that Indian food—which she found to be poorly executed and confined to stereotypes in the US—would be welcome as an upscale concept. Combining her business savvy with her passion for food, Dey established Vermilion, an upscale Indian-Latin fusion restaurant, in Chicago and New York City. Dey continues to oversee all aspects of operations and stays deeply involved in the evolution of her two restaurants. She is also a staunch supporter of women in business, as evidenced by her female-led teams at both locations of Vermilion.
As executive chef of Vermilion NYC and Chicago, Maneet Chauhan is at the helm of the kitchen. She enjoys taking the best of both Indian and Latin cuisines and melding them with Dey’s vision, travels, and guidance. Chauhan’s culinary career began after she graduated from the top of her class at the WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, India’s top culinary and hotel management school. She then interned at India’s finest hotels and kitchens, including the Taj Group, Oberoi Hotels, and Le Meridian. Chauhan came to the US in 1998 to attend The Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated with high honors.

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM
Under the culinary direction of Choi, Kogi has developed a menu that delivers high-end food at street level prices. Twitter is used to communicate truck locations and Choi's daily specials to well over 39,000 loyal followers. Add some wheels to the mix and you've got yourself a restaurant that geographically responds to the flavor of the crowd, traveling from one LA neighborhood to the next. Currently Kogi operates three trucks in LA—Azul, Verde, and Roja—and fresh out of the kitchen at the Alibi Room in Culver City. A New York outpost is in the works.

Monday, September 21 10:10AM

Sunday, September 20 2:45PM
Clarke’s writing career began when he won the American Sommelier Association/Wines From Spain's Rias Baixas Writing Contest in 2003; since then he has written on a freelance basis about wine, beer, and spirits for a number of publications, including the New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Imbibe, and Foreign Policy. He contributes regularly to StarChefs.com and Forbes.com.

Monday, September 21 4:00PM
“My influences don’t always come from people—sometimes a movement in cuisine or a book can affect me. Perfumers, for example, bring something very new to the equation,” he says. A more recent concoction combines a classic perfume and classic cocktail: Conigliaro created a food-grade essence from the perfume so that "as the drink gets to the table, you have a very faint smell of the perfume which evokes memory and emotion... It's not just all about flavor. It's about smell, sight."

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Cree’s desserts at Veil were intricate and complex—everything you’d expect from a forward-thinking, fine dining setting. Now at Poppy, the casual, seasonal, thali plate restaurant from renowned Seattle Chef Jerry Traunfield (formerly of The Herbfarm), she has re-worked her concepts, keeping them exciting and sophisticated, while making them more accessible to casual diners, and feasible for her high-volume kitchen. Cree runs the pastry kitchen, turning out up to three hundred desserts a night, with only one assistant. Her true love is fine dining, she says, but this is an invaluable experience in editing and execution.
Cree is a 2009 StarChefs.com Seattle Rising Star and was named “Best Pastry Chef On The Rise” in 2008 by Seattle Magazine, and has been featured on Anthony Bourdain's “No Reservations” and in Gourmet magazine. Her own writings on food can be found on her blog tastingmenu.com and have been published in The London Guardian.

Sunday, September 20 12:45PM
Curtis earned his Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and in 2004 became the 22nd Master of Wine (MW) in the US. He continues his work with the Institute of Masters of Wine, serving on the board of the Institute in North America, speaking at their annual Education Seminar in Napa Valley, and organizing the Institute’s Annual Champagne Tasting, held in New York and in San Francisco.
He has garnered a number of honors, including the prestigious “Bourse André Crispin” in 2002, presented by the Commanderie de Bordeaux aux Etats-Unis, and has contributed to publications such as The Sommelier Journal, Harper’s (UK), the International Wine Review, Santé magazine, among others.

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Unfortunately, DeChellis’ parents weren’t thrilled with that raucous chef life, but the determined, food-obsessed DeChellis pressed on. He enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in 1992, and after graduation, began his professional career as a chef de partie working at the Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown, New Jersey. DeChellis then landed a position in San Francisco as sous chef at Wolfgang Puck’s famous Postrio. After three years in San Francisco, Puck sent DeChellis to France to further educate him on traditional French technique, where he worked at two Michelin three-star restaurants: the famed L'Arpège and Lucas Carton.
Upon returning to the States, DeChellis’ career took a seminal turn when he began working with Rocco DiSpirito at the then New York Times three-star-rated Union Pacific. While working there, DeChellis also traveled around the world, going on eating trips through France, hunting for truffles and cooking in Singapore. To round out his epicurean experiences, he also worked with such renowned chefs as David Bouley, Charlie Trotter, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Notably, his extended stays in Spain included stages at Martín Berasategui in Lasarte, Adolfo in Toledo, and Arzak in San Sebastián.
In recent years, DeChellis has opened several of his own restaurants, including the Japanese Sumile (plus an outpost in Tokyo’s Shibuya district); Jovia, an Italian inspired restaurant in Manhattan’s Upper East Side; and followed up with a modern American tempura bar, BarFry, in 2007. He was a 2005 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Chef, and currently serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board.
Now with La Fonda Del Sol, DeChellis fulfills a lifelong love of Spain with a menu that spans its rich and varied regions, and includes both casual tapas and upscale dishes. DeChellis’s cooking is, as always, authentic and clean; his devil-may-care approach to cooking has resulted in rave reviews from critics and a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world.

Tuesday, September 22 4:45PM
When not diving headlong into recipe testing and historical cocktail research, Deragon is tending bar at one of Manhattan’s new-styled speakeasy bars, PDT (Please Don’t Tell). He is the resident curator of the house-made bar ingredients—bitters being, of course, his specialty. Deragon has been featured in The New York times and Departures Magazine for his work in recreating Abbott’s bitters. He is also the CTO for an entertainment company in New York City.

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM
Ekster’s foray into the Manhattan cupcake “scene” was rather spontaneous. He was on his way to securing a position at a major international law firm, but the change in the economy took that off the table. Undeterred—and disappointed with New York’s cupcake selection—he spawned the idea for CupcakeStop, a truck that offers fresh-baked cupcakes of every variety.
He rapidly secured a seemingly non-existent vendor license and staffing permits, and jumped through New York City bureaucratic hoops. He designed the company logo, wrapped it around the enormous new truck, created and launched the company’s website, and then personally taste-tested nearly 1,000 cupcakes. Ekster found the perfect cupcake and fit for his new venture in Chef Manal Mady, formerly of the famed Bouley Bakery. A model of 21st century social media success, the CupcakeStop utilizes Facebook and Twitter to identify its upcoming stops, and has amassed a following of 6,300+ in just two short months.

Monday, September 21 4:45PM
Emett trained at Waikato Polytechnic in New Zealand and then worked at several restaurants including Waipa Delta, Cin Cin on Quay in Auckland, and Est Est Est in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000, Josh joined the Michelin three-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London as senior chef de partie. He then moved to the kitchen team at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's under head chef Mark Sargeant.
Emett’s zeal for combining the best ingredients and accomplished technique led him to join chef patron Marcus Wareing as head chef at the reopened The Savoy Grill in 2003. In January 2004 their efforts were rewarded when The Savoy Grill was awarded a Michelin star, its first in more than 100 years of operation.
In the autumn of 2006 Emett decided to make the move across the Atlantic to New York, where he is now chef de cuisine of Gordon Ramsay at the London, The London Bar, and the casual-fare restaurant, MAZE. He was chosen as a StarChefs.com Rising Star Hotel Chef for New York in 2008.

Sunday, September 20 5:30PM
After two years roving the world, particularly the New World, Gagnaire returned to his family restaurant, Le Clos Fleury, near Saint Etienne and took over the kitchen. It was 1976 and Gagnaire earned his first Michelin star. He decided to go solo in 1981 and opened his first restaurant in Saint Etienne; he received two Michelin stars. Gagnaire opened his second restaurant in 1992 and soon earned three Michelin stars for his signature cuisine. But the St. Etienne restaurants weren’t mean to be; in 1996, Gagnaire went bankrupt and left St. Etienne for Paris.
With the support of friends, Gagnaire opened a new restaurant in late 1996 in Paris; within two years he regained his three-star status. Gagnaire has since opened multiple restaurants worldwide, including London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Dubai, and soon in Las Vegas, and is revered for his ability to maintain impeccable standards at so many restaurants scattered across the globe.
But Gagnaire’s godlike status in the culinary world isn’t just because he’s a brilliant restaurateur. Gagnaire was one of the first chefs to embrace the idea of food as art—like a painter, he marks his culinary “eras” by dish and year. Constant evolution and change have allowed Gagnaire to stay at the forefront of the international culinary scene and stay relevant when so many other chefs of his generation have remained devoted to a specific time and place in their cuisine.
Gagnaire’s collaboration with French chemist and professor Hervé This (who is considered by many to be a founding father of molecular gastronomy) has pushed the chef to greater heights and spawned two cookbooks, including La Cuisine c'est de l'amour, de l'art, de la technique published in 2006 and Alchimistes au Fourneaux in 2007. Gagnaire’s other books include Sucre-Sale (2002) and Lucide & Ludique (2007).

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
García has appeared at world-class culinary events like the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia, Madrid Fusion, CIA Worlds of Flavor in California, and ICC in New York. García has also appeared on “The TODAY Show,” “Fretz Kitchen,” “Gambero Rosso,” and “Iron Chef America” assisting Chef Andrés.
Dr. Cesar Vega is a passionate cook, food scientist, and author. He earned his food engineering degree in Mexico, Masters in food science from the University of Guelph in Canada, Doctorate in food science from the University College Cork in Ireland, and culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
Dr. Vega’s professional experience includes work at such companies as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Dippin' Dots and Mars, Inc. As an accomplished author, Vega has co-authored the manuscript “Molecular Gastronomy: A Food Fad or Science Supporting Innovative Cuisine?” and is the editor-in-chief of the book The Kitchen as a Laboratory: Science Reflections Inspired by the Kitchen. Most recently, Vega joined the editorial board of the soon-to-be published International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.

Sunday, September 20 2:45PM

Sunday, September 20 10:10AM
By and large, Dr. Goussault is credited with developing sous vide cooking in 1974; there's no question the large impact this low-temp cooking technique has had in thousands of kitchens across the globe. He founded Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes pour l'Alimentation in Paris in 1991 to train chefs around the world in precise temperature cooking and he has trained many of the top chefs in Europe and the US on the application of sous vide cooking.
As the chief scientist for Cuisine Solutions, Inc., where he has worked for over 16 years, Goussault has helped design and build five sous vide cooking manufacturing facilities in the US, France, Chile, Brazil, and Norway. He also oversees all of the scientific aspects of the company’s sous vide cooking processes, methods, and parameters, and is responsible for the company’s quality assurance programs.
Dr. Goussault has published scientific articles, appeared on television, and presented at forums around the world. He received the "Ordre National du Mérite" from the President of France in 1995.

Monday, September 21 1:00PM
Granik currently works in New York as Director of Fine Wine Initiatives for Empire Merchants of the Charmer-Sunbelt Group. A dynamic teacher, she is known in New York City for her advanced tasting classes, as well as for her work as instructor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust at the International Wine Center. She frequently judges in international wine competitions, and writes about wine for publications such as the New York Times, World of Fine Wine, and the Haute Life Press. Other written work includes serving as the technical editor of the Professional Wine Reference (2006), and as contributor to 1001 Wines You Must Try before You Die (2008).
Granik is a recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, the most recent being the 2008 Thomas Jefferson Award, conferred by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, honoring remarkable women in the wine industry.

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
By 14, Daniel had started his formal training with his first culinary apprenticeship. From there he went on to work at many of Switzerland’s finest hotels and restaurants, including the Michelin three-star restaurant le Pont de Brent, where he met his mentor, Chef Gérard Rabaey. It wasn’t too long before Humm accepted his first executive chef position, at Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps, and earned his first Michelin star. To top it off, he was also named “Culinary Discovery in Switzerland 2002” by Gault Millau.
Humm crossed the pond to the US in 2003 to take the helm at Campton Place in San Francisco. He immediately garnered attention for his innovative interpretation of contemporary French cuisine, including four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle. From that point on, Humm's US career has been filled with accolades: The San Francisco Chronicle named him a 2004 Rising Star Chef; the James Beard Foundation nominated him for their Rising Star Chef Award in both 2004 and 2005; he was one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2005; and a StarChefs.com 2005 Rising Star Chef.
In 2006, Humm joined Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to lead the Eleven Madison Park kitchen. Humm quickly transformed the restaurant into one of the city’s top dining destinations. Under Humm’s leadership, Eleven Madison Park received its first three star review from The New York Times in January 2007 and was just upgraded to a rare four stars in August. In 2008, the restaurant won a James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service.”

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
In 1982, Huynh left Ho Chi Minh City (f.k.a. Saigon) for America. He settled in upstate New York with his adopted family, who owned an Italian restaurant. After a short period of training and working as a sous chef, he climbed the ranks to executive chef. Despite his success in the kitchen, Huynh decided to follow in his father's footsteps and enrolled at the NY Institute of Technology to study architecture in 1987; but he kept one foot in the kitchen throughout his studies.
After working at several restaurants, including Saigon Bistro, Huynh's two disciplines of architecture and culinary arts began to merge into a distinct culinary style. Moving on to open his own restaurant, Bao 111 in 2002, and then Bao Noodles the following year, he quickly gained the reputation as a chef to watch. The James Beard Foundation singled him out a "tastemaker" and New York Magazine recognized Huynh as one of the “Best Chefs” of 2003.
Huynh teamed up with restaurateur Drew Nieporent for Tribeca’s trendy Mai House and collaborated with his life and kitchen partner, Thao Ngyuen, on B’un in SoHo. The chef then traveled uptown to work with Main Street Restaurant Partners in opening BarBao. Huynh also owns noodle restaurant Pho Sure and Vietnamese beer garden Bia Garden.

Tuesday, September 22 10:10AM
Isidori's culinary acumen caught the attention of Donald Trump and, at age 25, Isidori became Trump’s executive chef. For six years Isidori created and launched dining concepts for the Trump Organization, including The Trump National Golf Clubs in Bedminster, NJ and Westchester, NY, and the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL. He soon became the corporate executive chef for Trump Golf Management. During this time Isidori developed his passion for locally-sourced ingredients and regional farming.
Isidori was appointed vice president of food and beverage for the Trump Hotel Collection in 2007. He oversaw the creation and implementation of all dining concepts within the resorts, and served as executive chef for DJT, Trump’s signature restaurant in The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas. At DJT Isidori was named a StarChefs.com 2008 Las Vegas Rising Star and was awarded a Michelin star in 2009.
Isidori moved back east in 2009 to bring his market-inspired seafood to Harbour in New York City, where he married sustainability and high-level composition with approachability. He is an active member of the Blue Ocean Institute, Chefs Collaborative, and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Currently, he is pursuing projects in the New York area and working as a consulting chef.

Monday, September 21 11:30AM
Iuzzini developed an interest in pastry arts as a teenager when he worked at The River Café in Brooklyn, New York. Although his station was garde-manger, Iuzzini often visited the pastry kitchen. His visits turned into assistance and eventually into a full-time pastry job under Pastry Chef Eric Gouteyron.
After graduating The Culinary Institute of America, Iuzzini worked at Daniel under Francoise Payard and was on the opening staff of Payard Patisserie. Following a year in France, where he held apprenticeships with some of the country’s finest patisseries, Iuzzini returned to New Yorkto Daniel. He worked his way up the ranks and eventually became the executive pastry chef.
In May 2002, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten offered Iuzzini the position of executive pastry chef at his flagship restaurant Jean Georges. At Jean Georges Iuzzini takes an inventive four-in-one approach to his plating: each dessert is a tasting of four dishes that are each a different play on one ingredient.
Iuzzini was awarded “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006 and was named one of the “10 Most Influential Pastry Chefs in America” by Forbes Magazine. During the seven years that Iuzzini has been at Jean Georges, the restaurant has received four stars from the New York Times as well as three Michelin stars. Iuzzini recently published his first cookbook, Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets From a Four-Star Pastry Chef (Clarkson Potter, 2008).

Monday, September 21 10:10AM
Kilpatrick opened two bakeries in 1999, High-Rise Bread Company and High-Rise Pie Company, where some of her recipes are still featured today. In 2001, she and James-Beard-Award-winning Ana Sortun reunited to develop the concept for Oleana restaurant. While working with Sortun, a nimble spice user, Kilpatrick fell in love with the exotic flavors and spices of the Mediterranean and Middle East.
At Oleana, Kilpatrick’s contemporary interpretations of traditional eastern Mediterranean desserts and pastries compliment the Middle Eastern inflected cuisine of Sortun. Kilpatrick brilliantly incorporates Middle Eastern spices and ingredients like orange blossoms, rose petals, kaymek, and kadayifi. In August of 2008, Kilpatrick and Sortun collaborated once again to open Sofra, a bakery and café inspired by the cuisine of Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. Kilpatrick has been named Boston’s Best Pastry Chef by Boston Magazine in 2002, 2007 and 2008.

Sunday, September 20 12:00PM
A native of Massachusetts, Lagasse was on the track to become a musician with a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music. Instead, he enrolled in the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University. Following graduation, Lagasse traveled to Paris and Lyon where he polished his skills and learned the art of classic French cuisine. Returning to the US, the young Lagasse worked in fine restaurants in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia before heading south to the Big Easy. Lured to New Orleans by Dick and Ella Brennan, Lagasse was the executive chef at their legendary restaurant, Commander's Palace, for over seven years.
Lagasse opened his first restaurant, Emeril’s Restaurant in 1990 in downtown New Orleans; two years later he opened NOLA Restaurant in the French Quarter. Lagasse is now the chef-proprietor of 11 restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Gulfport, and Bethlehem. Outside of his TV cooking, he is best known for his approachable take on modern Creole cuisine.
Throughout his extensive career, Lagasse has received countless accolades. He was named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" by the James Beard Foundation in 1991. More recently, Lagasse was chosen as “Executive of the Year” by Restaurants and Institutions magazine in 2004, and he was named “Restaurateur of the Year” by New Orleans CityBusiness in 2007. In 2009, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
As a national TV personality, Lagasse has hosted over 1,500 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s "Good Morning America.” He is the host of “Emeril Green,” “Essence of Emeril,” and “Emeril Live.”
Lagasse is the author of 13 cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine, and Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World, a children’s cookbook. Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation in 2002 to support and encourage culinary arts and education programs for children. As of May 2009, the foundation has contributed $3 million to organizations in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.

Monday, September 21 10:10AM
"But what about politics? What about justice?" he later fretted.
His friend said, "My politics all come out of love."
And so he stuck to the three tattoo plan.
Before he was telling you about his tattoos, Francis worked with nonprofit organizations and taught writing and literature to students in the woods. He is a Contributing Editor at Gourmet magazine, a regular contributor to the Financial Times, and writes a weekly column at gourmet.com. His work has also appeared in Wine and Spirits, New York Newsday, and in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 editions of Best Food Writing.
He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and The Culinary Institute of America, and makes the meanest ratatouille.

Sunday, September 20 11:45AM
When an editor of a travel magazine asked them to write a story about road-tripping their home state in search of great food, they embarked on a second career as food and travel journalists. They currently write food stories for Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times Dining Section, Sunday Magazine, and Book Review sections, and are the wine columnists for Martha Stewart Living.
The brothers were the first young food writers to bring a refreshingly real-life, ravenous voice to the rarefied food coverage in the New York Times. Their first story for the Grey Lady, about being homesick southerners stranded in New York City and trying to find raw peanuts at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, brought to life a corner of New York that even most New Yorkers had never heard of. And their lighthearted yet erudite voice touched a nerve in typically tucked-in and straight-laced magazines,. They wrote about a Tennessee corn-cob winemaker for Gourmet, for example, and for Food & Wine, a road-trip to hardscrabble Appalachian Kentucky. But it was their first cookbook that put them on the map as writers to be reckoned with: The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook swept the 2007 awards season, winning two IACP awards and two James Beard Awards, including "Cookbook of the Year." They are the youngest authors ever to take that award.
In the decade since they began writing, the entire world has changed for southern food. Matt and Ted can speak to the state of southern food today with the perspective of knowing where it's been, as well as where it's going. With their new book, The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern (2009, Clarkson Potter), they're moving a deeper discussion of southern food into the mainstream.

Tuesday, September 22 10:10AM
But French cuisine was his curiosity, so Liebrandt landed a job at Pierre Gagnaire’s eponymous three-star Michelin restaurant in Paris for a year. But his need to further expand his culinary repertoire remained, and Liebrandt moved to New York to work with David Bouley as chef de cuisine at Bouley Bakery. His next job was as the executive chef at Atlas. While there, Liebrandt became the youngest chef ever awarded three stars from The New York Times; he was 23 years old.
Liebrandt left Atlas in 2001 and became the director of the restaurant Papillon, which earned two stars from The New York Times. He took a hiatus from the New York restaurant scene in 2002 to cook for numerous high-profile clients abroad. In 2003, he founded the Veda Group, a restaurant consulting firm. He then served as executive chef at Gilt, where he was named a StarChefs.com 2006 New York Rising Star Chef.
Liebrandt, with restaurateur Drew Nieporent, opened Corton in 2008. The chef’s modern French menu melds the tradition of classical cuisine with a contemporary approach to ingredients and technique. The flavors are clean, precise, and intense. Corton received three stars and was named one of “The 10 Best New Restaurants of 2008” by The New York Times. Liebrandt has been profiled in Vogue, W Magazine, The UK Sunday Telegraph and, most recently, was named a 2009 Food + Wine “Best New Chef.” And he serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board.

Sunday, September 20 2:45PM

Monday, September 21 11:30AM
He honed his craft at some of the most prestigious kitchens in the country including Palladin, Union Pacific, Atlas, and Park Avenue Café. During his tenure at wd~50 Mason earned a 2005 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Pastry Chef Award and won national recognition for his hypermodern pastry. Mason is known for his amazing culinary vision and gift in combining unusual and innovative ingredients that surprise, delight, and challenge the palate.
At Tailor, a contemporary dining and cocktail parlor, his goal is to blur the line between dinner and dessert—testing the palates and the imagination of his diners. His menu is divided into “salty” and “sweet” categories and features unconventional takes on classic cocktails. Since its opening, Tailor has been a destination for culinary exploration.

Sunday, September 20 3:30PM
Following his move to New York at age 16, Merino quickly went from busboy to bartender and soon became beverage manager at Roth’s Westside Steakhouse—all while attending high school and studying English and graphic design. It was at Roth’s that Merino had the opportunity to put together his first wine and cocktail list, which won an award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine.
Since then, Merino has created signature cocktails for dozens of restaurants and bars around the world, including New York’s Rayuela, Cafe Frida, 42 (The Ritz-Carlton, White Plains, NY), Rix (Coronado Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, FL), The Modern, Tokyo’s ANA Hotel, and Mexico City’s famed Izote restaurant, among others.
In 2006 Merino created The Liquid Chef, Inc. to educate and showcase the artistry of ingredients and liquors from all over the world. He added The Liquid Team, a team of mixologists trained by Merino, in 2008.
Merino received the 2006 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Mixologist award, and has received special recognition from Mexico’s government for his knowledge of Mexican ingredients. Merino recently launched a cocktail program on board Mexicana Airlines as well as Celebrity Cruises Equinox. He also started his own line of products, which include foams, syrups, mixers, and salts.

Monday, September 21 2:30PM
In 2001, he opened Morimoto in Philadelphia. In 2004, Wasabi by Morimoto opened to great acclaim at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, followed in 2005 by Morimoto-XEX in Tokyo. In January 2006, Morimoto brought his eponymous restaurant to New York City. The stunning space, designed by Tadao Ando and located in the city’s west-side warehouse district, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Restaurant Design” in 2007 and 2008. Morimoto New York has garnered numerous awards, including being named by Condé Nast Traveler as a 2006 “Hot List Restaurant,” one of New York’s “Top 50 restaurants” by Travel + Leisure, “Top Newcomer” by Zagats, and one of New York Magazine’s “Best New Restaurants.”
His first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, published by DK in 2007, won two awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Morimoto’s impact on the culinary community is not limited to his culinary innovations and cookbooks. He is an exceptional teacher and serves as a mentor to dozens of chefs—four of his protégés won StarChefs.com Rising Stars Awards.

Sunday, September 20 2:15PM
Murata is the third generation in his family to cook at Kikunoi, a century-old ryotei, or restaurant, in Kyoto. After traveling through France and then working at Kamome, he returned to his family and worked along side his father at Kikunoi. In 1989, Murata opened Kikunoi Kiyamachi and won critical acclaim for his new style of kaiseki cuisine.
His modern approach to his forefather’s classic cooking—steeped in ceremony and meaning—has redefined how many chefs regard this high-level Japanese cuisine inside and outside of Japan, influencing the likes of Nobu Matsuhisa and Ferran Adrià. In traditional kaiseki style, Murata’s dishes are intensely seasonal. Each dish is a study in nature: for example spring’s first buds poking through snow are interpreted by Murata in the form of grated daikon, chrysanthemum leaves, and coltsfoot buds with tilefish and tofu. The aesthetic of his dish is just as important as the inspiration and philosophy behind it. Murata’s creations are precise, delicate, and masterfully balanced in all aspects.
Today, Murata travels all over the world to showcase his specialized cooking. His first book, Kaiseki (Kodansha International, Inc.) was published in 2006 and won “Best Chef Book” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He serves as the chairman for The Japanese Culinary Academy and plays an integral role in the Japanese culinary industry.
Besides overseeing Kikunoi in Kyoto and Tokyo and Kikunoi Kiyamachi in Kyoto, Murata also manages a high-end line of food products that is available at luxury department stores throughout Japan.

Sunday, September 20 3:15PM
Dr. Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young bring real meaning to terms like mad kitchen science and whiz-chef. They both have backgrounds in science, mathematics, economics, physics—their credentials alone will make your head spin. But it’s their enthusiasm for innovation in culinary arts and food technology that sets them apart from your average scientists. Young, who has degrees in mathematics and biochemistry from the University of Washington, was hired by Heston Blumenthal in 2003 to build and lead the research team at The Fat Duck. Over nearly five years, Young expanded the experimental kitchen to eight chefs and scientists, who together developed dozens of innovative techniques and recipes that helped The Fat Duck rise to become a top-rated restaurant in the world. In late 2007, Young returned to Seattle to work with Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, a scientist and entrepreneur with degrees in mathematics, geophysics, and space science from UCLA and in mathematical economics and theoretical physics from Princeton. Dr. Myhrvold founded Microsoft Research in 1991 and served as the company’s first chief technology officer until 1999. He then co-founded Intellectual Ventures, a firm dedicated to creating and investing in inventions. Currently CEO of I.V., as well as one of its many inventors, Myhrvold has more than 100 patents to his credit, including several related to food technology. An avid practitioner of modernist cuisine, Myhrvold worked for two years as a stagier at Rover’s in Seattle and trained at the Ecole de la Varenne in Burgundy. His original research on sous vide cooking has been published in numerous reports to eGullet and covered by the New York Times Magazine, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal. Myhrvold and Young are currently writing a comprehensive book covering the techniques of traditional and modern cuisine and the science behind it.

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM

Monday, September 21 5:00PM
She discovered her aptitude for picking up on subtle flavor nuances in wine during weekly staff wine tastings when she worked at Larry Forgione’s An American Place. Her manager took her aside and encouraged her to further develop her palate. It wasn’t until she began working at Vong and then under Susan LaRossa and Annie Turso that Paparazzo’s wine career really took off.
LaRossa arranged for Paparazzo to visit some wineries in Sonoma, and Turso then turned her on to studying with the American Sommelier Association. During the 20-week course she moved on to help open Tom Valenti’s ‘Cesca as Assistant Sommelier to Patrick Bickford, which gave her the chance to explore Italian wine intensively.
Paparazzo stepped back from the wine side to work in events for Dan Barber and Philip Gouze while they opened Blue Hill at Stone Barns. While not directly involved, she kept her eye on the wine program, and when the wine director position opened at the original Blue Hill location in Greenwich Village, she jumped at it. Four years later, Paparazzo has made herself at home. When not searching for a new wine to round out her wine list, she finds time to be an active member of the Vino Vixens, a weekly tasting group dedicated to fostering the careers of female wine professionals. Paparazzo was just named the StarChefs.com 2009 New York Rising Star Sommelier.

Monday, September 21 10:10AM
Phan bussed tables throughout high school and kept track of the Bay Area's more avant garde restaurants, and to this day he credits Chez Panisse and Zuni Café for heavily influencing his food philosophy. Despite his love for food, his parents prodded him to study architecture at The University of California at Berkeley. After college, he took over the family garment business and then worked in the Silicon Valley during its heyday in the early 90s.
But thoughts of food and cooking continued to tug at Phan, so he ventured to open a small creperie in a San Francisco hotel. His plans were thwarted when the hotel owner discovered that the crepes were to be Vietnamese in character (not French) and nixed the deal. Undaunted, Phan, with the support of his family, began to conceptualize The Slanted Door and pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant.
Phan's vision for the restaurant was to create an ingredient-driven menu of traditional Vietnamese cooking in a stylish setting. He knew that there was nothing else like it in the Bay Area and was confident that savvy San Francisco diners would support it. Phan is a pioneer in the modern Asian restaurant concept movement—a trend that is still at the forefront of the restaurant industry.
Fourteen years on, and now a 175-seat restaurant in the Ferry Building, The Slanted Door still cooks from scratch, showcases local, farm-fresh products, and serves as a model for modern Vietnamese cuisine.
Fourteen years on, and now a 175-seat restaurant in the Ferry Building, The Slanted Door still cooks from scratch, showcases local, farm-fresh products, and serves as a model for modern Vietnamese cuisine.

Monday, September 21 3:00PM
The dynamic duo run the New York City-based cocktail catering company, with Sasha Petraske, bringing high-end—what they call “luxury”—drinks and service to events and private parties, and also consult under the guise of Liquid Relations with Ryan Magarian. Pope and Solomon implemented signature beverage programs for Fairmont Hotels throughout North America, and designed numerous cutting edge cocktails for notable brands, like Ketel One, Brown Forman Spirits, and Moet Hennessy.
In addition to their work behind bars, Pope and Solomon have teamed up with award-winning filmmaker Steve Rivo to co-produce “In the Spirit—The Tale of the Cocktail”, a feature length documentary, that explores the role of the cocktail throughout American history.
Pope and Solomon have been featured in or contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Imbibe, The Robb Report, Lucky Magazine, and Modern Bride.

Sunday, September 20 10:10AM
After working together for a year, Morales encouraged Portnoy to spend time in Spain to further his understanding of the avant garde techniques and philosophies behind the country’s “alta cocina.” Portnoy worked at Restaurant Mugaritz with renowned chef Andoni Aduriz outside of San Sebastian, Spain, where he learned more about the application of modern technique and, more importantly, the range of taste.
Upon his return to the States, Portnoy moved to New York to be the opening pastry chef at Cru, the critically acclaimed modern European restaurant led by Chef Shea Gallante. But when the wanderlust struck, Portnoy moved to San Francisco, where he worked at Winterland (where he was named a 2005 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef) and Campton Place.
In 2008, Portnoy collaborated with mixologist Daniel Hyatt to establish SucrePunch, a collaborative project to investigate and contribute to the dessert and cocktail culture. Currently Portnoy works as a consultant, helping to develop savory, pastry, and cocktail menus for eateries in San Francisco. When not in the kitchen, Portnoy enjoys working on his mopeds (of which he has a respectable collection) and zipping around San Francisco and Marin County.

Tuesday, September 22 11:30AM
As co-owner and beverage director of the Flatiron Lounge, Reiner draws much of her inspiration from her native Hawaii, utilizing the freshest fruits and top quality spices and spirits available in her cocktails—to present what she calls “new age tropical.” Reiner’s beverage program at the Clover Club is focused on classics, but as always with her signature style of ultimate quality and fresh farmers market ingredients.
Reiner began her career in the cocktail lounges of San Francisco and made her way to New York City in 1997. She caught the interest of the King of Cocktails himself, Dale DeGroff, who has been a mentor to her since. Reiner began installing beverage programs in some hot spots around Manhattan and by May of 2003, with the opening of Flatiron Lounge, she had fulfilled her dream of opening her own gourmet cocktail lounge.

Tuesday, September 22 10:10AM
In 1995, he was hired as the executive chef at New York’s Aquavit; just three months later, Aquavit received a three-star review from The New York Times. Samuelsson received the James Beard “Rising Star Chef” award in 1999, and “Best Chef, New York” in 2003. He was recognized in Crain’s New York Business’ annual “40 under 40,” and was celebrated as one of “The Great Chefs of America” by The Culinary Institute of America.
Known for many years as a wunderkind of Scandinavian cuisine, Samuelsson returned to the cuisine of his birth, publishing The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa in 2006, which received a James Beard Award for “Best International Cookbook” in 2007.
Samuelsson is the co-founder and chief creative director of Townhouse Restaurant Group, a restaurant management and consulting company with projects in the US and Europe, including New York City’s Aquavit, Riingo, AQ Kafé, and August, C-House (in Chicago), and formerly Merkato 55, an Ethiopian-focused restaurant in New York City’s Meatpacking district. He is the author of Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, Aquavit c/o New York, En Smakresa med Marcus Samuelsson, and Street Food. His upcoming book, New American Table, is due out in October.
Samuelsson is the host of “The Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson”, a cooking series on the Discovery Home Channel that premiered in the fall of 2005. Samuelsson serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board and the board of directors of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), and is an ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF. In 2005, Samuelsson was appointed visiting professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts, and received an honorary doctorate of culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in 2006.

Monday, September 21 4:00PM
Saunders began her bartending career at the Brooklyn Heights Waterfront Ale House in 1996. While there, she took a one-night seminar with the legendary Dale DeGroff at New York University; Saunders was so enthralled by his presentation that she approached DeGroff, offering to work for free in exchange for further training.
By 1997, she was partnering with DeGroff for special events for The Rainbow Room, and in 1999 was working with him at Blackbird. Following the closing of Blackbird, she became bar manager at Chef Waldy Malouf’s Beacon Restaurant, later serving as beverage director of The Tonic with Chef Joe Fortunato. In December 2001, Audrey joined The Carlyle as beverage director for the reopening of the hotel’s legendary Bemelmans Bar; she reinvented the beverage program, which Forbes magazine has since voted one of the top 20 bars in the world.
Saunders has appeared on American and British television and radio and has been written about internationally in myriad major publications, including The New York Times, The Times (London), New York Magazine, Wine & Spirits, Food Arts, Food & Wine, and Saveur. Recent awards and recognitions include “Best Bar 2008” from Cheers Benchmark Awards, and “Best American Cocktail Bar” from Tales of the Cocktail in 2009. Saunders is on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board, a member of the advisory panel of The Museum of the American Cocktail, and the beverage chair for NYC chapter of City-Meals-On-Wheels, as well as Share Our Strength/Taste of the Nation charities.

Monday, September 21 3:00PM
The dynamic duo run the New York City-based cocktail catering company, with Sasha Petraske, bringing high-end—what they call “luxury”—drinks and service to events and private parties, and also consult under the guise of Liquid Relations with Ryan Magarian. Pope and Solomon implemented signature beverage programs for Fairmont Hotels throughout North America, and designed numerous cutting edge cocktails for notable brands, like Ketel One, Brown Forman Spirits, and Moet Hennessy.
In addition to their work behind bars, Pope and Solomon have teamed up with award-winning filmmaker Steve Rivo to co-produce “In the Spirit—The Tale of the Cocktail”, a feature length documentary, that explores the role of the cocktail throughout American history.
Pope and Solomon have been featured in or contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Imbibe, The Robb Report, Lucky Magazine, and Modern Bride.

Tuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Growing up, Sosa’s family took their meals seriously, and it was the perfect breeding ground for Sosa’s budding culinary curiosity. He graduated The Culinary Institute of America with honors and jumped headlong into two of Connecticut’s top-rated kitchens, including the four-diamond Stonehenge Inn and Restaurant and Acqua. In 1999, Sosa moved to New York to work at Jean Georges—the starting point of his obsession with Asian ingredients and techniques.
In the following years Sosa worked at TanDa, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Dune in the Bahamas, Spice Market, and Yumcha; and consulted at Buddakan and Morimoto. He was also invited by Alain Ducasse to create a special seasonal menu at his Paris restaurant Spoon Food & Wine.
Sosa’s broad-ranging restaurant experiences cemented his devotion to Asian flavors, which he expanded with trips to Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. He has big plans for his high-concept Asian sandwich shop, including opening another 11 locations across the US in the next two years. He was just awarded the StarChefs.com 2009 New York Rising Star Restaurant Concept Award.

Monday, September 21 11:30AM
Stupak’s culinary career began early and humbly as a 12-year-old prep cook (he convinced the restaurant’s owner he was of legal working age) and continued into high school where he took advantage of the school’s culinary arts program. Stupak started participating in culinary competitions and soon found himself competing at a national level. The competitions paid off when he won a full scholarship to attend The Culinary Institute of America.
An externship at Boston’s prestigious Clio Restaurant gave Stupak his first opportunity to work the pastry station, part of a mandatory rotation for all cooks. Although he enjoyed the station he hadn't quite found his sweet genius and pursued work in the savory kitchen.
The young cook's entry into pastry wasn't exactly intentional. After a stint as tournant at Tru (Chicago), Stupak was offered the sous chef position at The Federalist (Boston). However, a twist of fate landed him in the position of pastry chef. Fascinated by innovation and technique, and seeking an environment that supported his vision, the now pastry chef returned to Clio to become the restaurant’s first pastry chef. Soon the accolades began to pour in: Boston Magazine awarded him the title of “Best Pastry Chef” in 2003; the following year Food & Wine Magazine hailed him as “a visionary.”
It wasn't too long before Chef Grant Achatz asked Stupak to head his pastry team for the opening of the now landmark restaurant Alinea. After two years with Achatz, Stupak was offered the pastry chef position at Wylie Dufresne's wd~50, fulfilling Stupak's ambition to work in New York City and continue his pursuit of innovation.
Stupak was the StarChefs.com 2005 Chicago Rising Star Pastry Chef and was named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America in 2008 by Pastry Art & Design magazine. Additionally, he has made several television appearances, including The Today Show, Colameco's Food Show on PBS, The Discovery Channel, and won an Iron Chef America competition in 2008.

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
In 1978, Torreblanca returned home to open his own pasteleria in Elda, Alicante. Using his imagination and focusing on the purity of flavors, Torreblanca has revolutionized pastry. Outside of his home base at Pasteleria Totel, Torreblanca offers his expertise as a consultant, giving classes, workshops, and presentations throughout the world. He is the author of six books, two of which, Paco Torreblanca and Paco Torreblanca 2, were awarded “Best Pastry Book of the World” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2003 and 2006.
Torreblanca is a member of the international association Relais Dessert, and has received numerous accolades during his career of over 30 years. Most recently, he was named “The Best Pastry Chef for Restaurant Desserts in Spain” in 2004 and was awarded a special award from the Academy of Gastronomy in 2006.

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
Tramonto grew up in Rochester, New York, and was exposed to what he calls classic “melting pot” all-American diversity. His Italian-American heritage influenced his cooking and food education early on, but he was always curious about other cuisines.
Young and ambitious, Tramonto moved to New York in 1984 where he worked at legendary restaurants Tavern on the Green, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Aurora. Tramonto was lured to Chicago by Richard Melman in 1987 to work at his popular Lettuce Entertain You restaurants Avanzare and Scoozi!. He then went on to open and work at several other Lettuce Entertain You restaurants.
The chef worked at Charlie Trotter's for a year and then was asked by Bob Payton (of My Kinda Town, Ltd.) to transform the kitchen and cuisine at his award-winning country house hotel, Stapleford Park, in Leicestershire, England. Tramonto’s proudest moment was when he received the coveted Michelin Guide's Red "M" after only a year at Stapleford, a feat seldom accomplished by an American chef. During his time abroad, Tramonto worked and staged with some of the great Michelin-starred chefs of Europe including Michel Guérard, Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Chapel, Raymond Blanc, and Anton Mosimann.
Tramonto’s passion for food, distinctive culinary style, and his proven track record at home and abroad primed him for running his own restaurant. When he and his culinary partner, Gale Gand, opened Trio in 1993, the restaurant was an immediate success and earned the Chicago Tribune’s first four-star rating in six years. The two went on to open Brasserie T and eventually their flagship restaurant, Tru, in 1999. In 2005, Tramonto opened Osteria di Tramonto, Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood and RT Sushi Bar & Lounge in Wheeling, IL in the Westin Hotel.

Sunday, September 20 12:00PM
At just 28 years old Trotter opened his eponymous Chicago restaurant in 1987, which for over two decades has been considered one of the finest dining establishments in not only the country, but also the world. His personal, modern interpretation of cuisine—one that increasingly blends Asian elements—set the bar for creative fine dining in America, paving the way for many of today’s best restaurants and chefs. The restaurant has received countless accolades, including eight James Beard Awards, induction into the Relais & Châteaux, membership in Traditions & Qualite, and five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide.
In 2000, Trotter opened Trotter's To Go, a take-out gourmet retail shop in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Trotter has also expanded his culinary empire to Las Vegas, where he has Restaurant Charlie and Bar Charlie. Trotter is the author of 14 cookbooks, the subject of two management books and the host of a nationally aired cooking show, “The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter”, on PBS. Future plans include opening a new restaurant in the Flatiron district of New York City, as well as a retrospective cookbook reflecting the evolution of his culinary style over the past 15 years.
Beyond his culinary endeavors, Trotter has embarked on a number of philanthropic activities, including supporting national and international charities. Closest to his heart is the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation. Since its inception in 1999, Trotter has hosted weekly dinners for high-school students and underwritten annual fund raising dinners for the foundation.
Chef Trotter received an award at the White House from President Bush and Colin Powell for his work with the foundation and was named one of only five “heroes” to be honored by Colin Powell's charity, America's Promise. In 2004, Chef Trotter was awarded the “Humanitarian of the Year” award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for his overall service to the community. And in 2008 he won both the StarChefs.com Chicago Rising Stars Mentor Award and StarChefs.com Community Innovator Award.

Monday, September 21 11:30AM
The Austrian-born apothéker makes a mission of importing obscure herbs and ingredients from Europe, and collecting recipes from monks and monasteries to make his herbal remedies and infusions. He is known in the industry as a cocktail artist; one who meticulously blends fresh fruits, botanicals, and secret elixirs to create his signature beverages.
Trummer now calls his Chinatown lounge (a former opium den) Apothéke home, which he opened in 2008 with partner (and food writer) Heather Tierney. Before that, Trummer worked for David Bouley, the Chambers Hotel, Home Bar on Shelter Island, and 60 Thompson.

Tuesday, September 22 10:00AM
The young Vandaele’s initial training came from his chef-father, who created traditional, regional Belgian cuisine in his own innovative style at the family’s restaurant. But Vandaele had his sights set on bigger kitchens outside of his hometown. He received culinary training at the Culinary Institute for Restaurant and Hotel Management in Brugge. And he gained much of his knowledge, drive, and creativity through his experiences at some of Europe’s top fine dining restaurants, such as Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which received two Michelin stars while Vandaele served as sous chef under respected Chef Roger Souvereyns.
Vandaele’s next career move brought him to America’s capital, where he served as executive chef for the European Union’s head diplomat to the US, followed by the position of executive chef at the Dutch Embassy. But like many chefs, Vandaele's goal was to open his own restaurant. Still inspired by his native cuisine, the chef wanted to bring to DC a bit of his homeland; Belga Café was opened in 2004. In 2006, he was named a StarChefs.com DC Rising Star chef.
Over the last five years, the restaurant has elevated the common conception of Belgian cuisine for its diners, introducing many to the idiosyncrasies of Belgian cuisine. Not surprisingly, the Belgian chef has a deep love for beer, particularly those from his native land. Vandaele offers a vast menu of over 100 different beers at his restaurant, and uses beer in many of his dishes, including a dessert featuring Hoegaarden ice cream in Hoegaarden.

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
García has appeared at world-class culinary events like the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia, Madrid Fusion, CIA Worlds of Flavor in California, and ICC in New York. García has also appeared on “The TODAY Show,” “Fretz Kitchen,” “Gambero Rosso,” and “Iron Chef America” assisting Chef Andrés.
Dr. Cesar Vega is a passionate cook, food scientist, and author. He earned his food engineering degree in Mexico, Masters in food science from the University of Guelph in Canada, Doctorate in food science from the University College Cork in Ireland, and culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
Dr. Vega’s professional experience includes work at such companies as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Dippin' Dots and Mars, Inc. As an accomplished author, Vega has co-authored the manuscript “Molecular Gastronomy: A Food Fad or Science Supporting Innovative Cuisine?” and is the editor-in-chief of the book The Kitchen as a Laboratory: Science Reflections Inspired by the Kitchen. Most recently, Vega joined the editorial board of the soon-to-be published International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.

Monday, September 21 9:00AM
Waltuck’s enduring skill and originality have earned him international renown and numerous awards. He first began cooking while studying biological oceanography in Manhattan in the early 70s. After a brief stint at The Culinary Institute of America, Waltuck spent two years as lunch chef at La Petite Ferme in New York City, and then set out to open Chanterelle with his wife Karen in a then-remote section of SoHo.
The chef’s French-inspired menu changes monthly and features seasonal ingredients from local farmers (some of whom he’s known since the early days of Chanterelle), as well as the finest seafood, game, and, of course, wild mushrooms. His extensive travels over the years have influenced his cooking style; although he remains firmly based in the French classical technique, he incorporates diverse flavors from Europe, the Far East, and other parts of the world.
Waltuck’s first book, Staff Meals from Chanterelle, debuted in July 2000. A second book, Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic, was published in October 2008. Among its many accolades, Chanterelle is proud to be the recipient of two James Beard Awards, for “Outstanding Restaurant” in 2004 and “Best Chef New York City” in 2007.
Always striving to keep Chantrelle fresh, Waltuck recently closed his landmark restaurant for renovation and will be reopening for its 30th anniversary this autumn.

Sunday, September 20 12:00PM
But in addition to being a writer, editor, lecturer, and serving on several boards, Clark is first and foremost founder and president of Clark Wolf Company, a New York-based food and restaurant consulting firm. His most recent and current clients include the town of Seaside, Florida; Tabcorp, Australia; restaurant Florent in New York City; National Arts Club; Chefs Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas); Bradley Ogden (Bradley Ogden at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas); Rick Moonen (rm Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay); and Richard Sandoval (Zengo in Denver).
Wolf also hosts the NYU Critical Topics Series in New York, and is the Founding Chair of the Advisory Committee to New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, and now Special Advisor to NYU Fales Library’s Food Studies Collection.
Wolf made his entry into the world of food by way of cheese: he opened and managed a cheese and wine shop at the base of Nob Hill in San Francisco, where a chance meeting led to a lasting friendship with James Beard. Wolf next opened the San Francisco branch of the Oakville Grocery and retooled the original Napa Valley store. He was the first to retail Laura Chenel’s California Chevre and made it a mission to source similarly undiscovered products. Barbara Kafka lured Wolf to Manhattan in 1982 with an offer to open and run Star Spangled Foods; a year later he began traveling, lecturing, and consulting for specialty food retail stores. In 1986 Wolf formed Clark Wolf Company.
In 2008, Wolf was awarded the Silver Spoon from Food Arts, and in 2009 was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who, which he helped found in 1984 with Cook's Magazine.

Sunday, September 20 3:15PM
Young, who has degrees in mathematics and biochemistry from the University of Washington, was hired by Heston Blumenthal in 2003 to build and lead the research team at The Fat Duck. Over nearly five years, Young expanded the experimental kitchen to eight chefs and scientists, who together developed dozens of innovative techniques and recipes that helped The Fat Duck rise to become a top-rated restaurant in the world.
In late 2007, Young returned to Seattle to work with Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, a scientist and entrepreneur with degrees in mathematics, geophysics, and space science from UCLA and in mathematical economics and theoretical physics from Princeton. Dr. Myhrvold founded Microsoft Research in 1991 and served as the company’s first chief technology officer until 1999. He then co-founded Intellectual Ventures, a firm dedicated to creating and investing in inventions. Currently CEO of I.V., as well as one of its many inventors, Myhrvold has more than 100 patents to his credit, including several related to food technology.
An avid practitioner of modernist cuisine, Myhrvold worked for two years as a stagier at Rover’s in Seattle and trained at the Ecole de la Varenne in Burgundy. His original research on sous vide cooking has been published in numerous reports to eGullet and covered by the New York Times Magazine, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal.
Myhrvold and Young are currently writing a comprehensive book covering the techniques of traditional and modern cuisine and the science behind it.

Sunday, September 20 9:00AM
With practice and practical experience, Zuckerman mastered classic techniques and execution. She has been the pastry chef at Chanterelle since 1999; her desserts feature fresh, seasonal ingredients, cleanly executed design, and textural contrasts. Her overriding belief is in the centrality of simple, pure, complimentary flavor; her favorite combinations are coconut and cardamom and star anise and maple. Zuckerman’s menus, which change monthly, reflect a growing and evolving sensitivity towards sourcing and sustainability.
Zuckerman’s desserts have earned praise and been featured in Food + Wine, Art Culinaire, Food Arts, New York Observer, and Time Out New York. The New York Times described a tasting of her caramel desserts as a “life-changing experience.” Her first cookbook, The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle, was published in the fall of 2006.















































































































































































































































































































