Admittedly, when my friend, sommelier Brett Feore, shared the details of his latest career move a few years back, I didn’t have much thought on the subject. A bit new to the restaurant world, particularly regarding the happenings of food-forward cities like New York, I was still trying to catch up on the who’s who within the culinary community.
“You know Scott Bryan, right?” Brett said, passing me a press release with details of the new restaurant. “He was in Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.”
“He was?” I answered, trying to remember bits and …

Like many, I’ve been increasingly intrigued by the ongoing saga of street food. Growing at mind-boggling rates, mobile vendors have sprung up in cities across America, leaving city and state lawmakers scratching their heads and scrambling to enact new regulations, while traditional restaurateurs are left baffled at how to manage the customer ebb and flow due to this increasingly popular sector of the culinary world.
I’ve been most curious about the inter-industry vibes, of course. The ever-evolving, ongoing dynamics of brick and mortar chefs vs. mobile chefs. At first, I had …

I’m surprised when chef Scott Conant addresses me by name at our first meeting. For a moment, I’m a little stunned, standing at the base of the event stage with my hand extended, elevator pitch at the ready. Until he notes my rapid fire ‘tweets’ from the weekend’s events.
Ah, yes. The power of Twitter.
After a formal shaking of hands and an exchange of business cards, along with an appeal for an interview, the surprisingly approachable chef, fresh off his culinary demonstration on this last day of the posh Taste of …

On a resplendent day in June, fresh off the plane from Denver and ready for a weekend of food, wine, and favorite chefs, I make my way to Aspen’s Montagna restaurant for the first interview on my schedule. Located in the heart of the posh Little Nell hotel, staff are hustling and bustling about while some of the bigger names in food (and food journalism) lounge lazily by the pool. Taking a seat on the nearby patio, Montagna’s executive chef, Ryan Hardy, makes his way toward me while shielding his …

Chef Tom Colicchio is more than just a pretty face. Most often recognized due to his stint as judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, Colicchio doesn’t just sit behind a table and critique ill-fated dishes delivered by nerve-wracked cheftestants every day.
He actually cooks in his kitchen.
It’s five o’clock on a Sunday in New York, and the eve of the James Beard Foundation Awards. Colicchio seems calm, cool, and collected as we take a seat in the dining room of Colicchio & Sons, despite being nominated for Outstanding Chef this year. Of …

Chef Jody Adams proved to be one tough cookie on this season’s Top Chef Masters. Adams, in competition with top chefs like Rick Moonen, Susur Lee, and Marcus Samuelsson, survived a number of battles (including an obscure Quickfire challenge to produce dishes designed to look like characters from The Simpsons) before being eliminated during a recent Exotic Surf and Turf challenge. Her first visit to Bravo’s popular competition series, the award-winning chef was happy to be a part of the season, noting that her on-air experience was full of …

When I first met Miami chef Michael Schwartz, he was busy manning the kitchen during a Cayman Cookout dinner this past January. Knee-deep in the fast-paced hubbub of Chef Dean Max’s restaurant, The Brasserie, Schwartz was calm, cool, and collected as plates flew by on the prep table. Snapping away at photos, I had the chance to observe as the affable chef, along with members of his and Max’s kitchen crews, put the finishing touches on each delish dish before passing them off to servers-in-wait.
Having read many of the glowing …

What I love about the James Beard Foundation Awards is this – anyone can win. It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small, young or old, with twenty years of hard kitchen experience or five years out of culinary school. Nominees are recognized for their fabulous contributions to the culinary world regardless of their road to the kitchen. It’s a snapshot in time – a notice of those who are putting out great food with great flavors right here and now.
Early next week, finalists for the 2010 James Beard Foundation …

Where does one even begin when writing about Anthony Bourdain? A chef whose fame has had more to do with sharp wit than kitchen skill, he is outspoken, unapologetic, and controversial. Recognized around the world for his renegade restaurant stories, his books, his shows, his raw, raucous comments have become the religion of guerrilla chefs everywhere, resulting in a reputation that certainly precedes him.
So, where to begin?
In searching for the right words, a recent episode of No Reservations came to mind. After traveling along the Hudson River with his friend, …

Even with applause and accolade, Chef Eric Ripert has kept his culinary kingdom rather manageable. With restaurants in only a handful of cities across the East Coast – D.C.’s Westend Bistro, Philly’s 10 Arts, and Blue on Grand Cayman Island – Ripert has the recognition without the schedule, present most nights in the kitchen where he found fame, the Michelin-starred Le Bernardin.
A classically trained chef and military veteran, Chef Ripert began at the New York City restaurant in the early 90s, taking on the role of executive chef after original …

In a year of restaurant failures and falls, few have maintained their steady climb to greatness. Offering a unique dining experience with spectacular food and service, New York’s Hill Country Barbeque Market is one of those few who have continued their ascention without interruption.
Sticking with hearty BBQ favorites and all the fixin’s, Hill Country has become a popular destination for celebrities and locals alike. As COO and Operating Partner, John Shaw has been imperative to that growth. With his original start in film, Shaw has developed a solid background in …

Strolling into a West Seattle restaurant on a dreary November afternoon, the man himself enters nearly unnoticed. Revered in writeups and showered with culinary awards, Chef David Chang remains a humble cook, without entourage, without fanfare, and generally in a friendly state. All despite his rock star status.
Local journalists and food writers trail in one by one for the media reception, while glasses of prosecco and lychee are passed about. Chang shifts uneasily from one foot to the other in his black Converse, the glass of water in his hand …

British culinary king Jamie Oliver is one of the few television chefs I really enjoy. With his down-to-earth demeanor, the Naked Chef has set himself apart from many of the pompous personalities in the food world today. In addition to his comforting kitchen presence, Oliver has focused much of his work on building the food community around him, establishing a charitable culinary training program as well as aiding in the development of healthier school lunch programs within the public school system, both in the UK and the US.
With his ninth …

Foodies in the Pacific Northwest know Chef Tom Douglas. Recognized for all of his delicious Seattle-area restaurants (and corresponding cookbooks), the James Beard award winner is also involved in local events like Teatro ZinZanni and Bumbershoot, as well as a weekly radio show with Chef in the Hat Thierry Rautureau.
In addition to his culinary accomplishments, I had been told by many in the industry that Douglas was a great guy to work with – both as a peer and as a boss. I sat down with the master chef and …

Owner of CCOF-certified Jacobsen Orchards and Yountville Seeds, Dr. Peter Jacobsen has been providing organic food stuffs exclusively for Chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry for the past eight years. Despite his connection with fame, he made a lasting impression at the 2009 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen Farm to Fork presentation by inviting the everyday citizen into the world of farming. Handing out packets of basil seeds to visitors, he noted, “Making food and farming is very personal for the person. The definition of the farmer is being …