Position: Owner of TABLE fifty-two in Chicago, as well as Art and Soul restaurant in Washington DC.
Education: Self-taught
Foodie Fact: Smith is Oprah Winfrey's long time personal chef. In 2007 he received the 'Humanitarian of the Year' award from the James Beard Foundation.
Position: Chef and Owner of James, Washington Part, and Barbuto in New York City
Education: La Varenne cooking school in Paris Foodie Fact: Waxman has graced such prestigious kitchens as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Michael’s in Los Angeles, and his first cookbook, A Great American Cook, was published in 2007 Competing for: Meals On Wheels
Position: Chef and owner of Providence Restaurant in Los Angeles Education: Culinary Institute of America Foodie Fact: After a three-year run at Le Cirque where he worked with Paul Bocuse, Gerard Boyer, and Roger Vergé, Cimarusti moved to France to expand his culinary education at La Marée and Arpege. Competing for: Grameen Foundation
Position: Owner and chef of Roy's in Honolulu Education: Culinary Institute of America Foodie Fact: Yamaguchi Hawaiian restaurateur to win the prestigious James Beard Award. Yamaguchi has appeared on Iron Chef, is the author of four cookbooks, and hosted the cooking show Hawaii Cooks. Competing for: Imua Family Services
Position: Chef and owner of the successful New York restaurant Annisa and serves as consulting chef for Rickshaw Dumpling Bar Education: Ecole Ritz-Escoffier Foodie Fact: While earning a degree in French at Columbia University, she studied at Reid Hall – Columbia's French language institute in Paris and decided to return to Paris to study cooking. Competing for: SHARE
Position: Chef and Founder of Patria Restaurant Education: Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island Foodie Fact: Rodriguez is well known for being the "Godfather" of Latin Cuisine and coining the phrase “Nuevo Latino” in his first book in 1997. He was nominated for a 2009 James Beard Award for the "Best Chef South Region." Competing for: AYUDA for the Arts
Position: Chef and co-owner of the Besh Restaurant Group in New Orleans, including August, Lüke, and Besh Steak Education: Culinary Institute of America Foodie Fact: Besh was on Food & Wine's “Ten Best New Chefs” in America in 1999, “Best Chef in the Southeast” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, and was featured on the Sundance Iconoclasts series in 2007. Competing for: Make It Right
Position: Co-owner of La Brea Bakery and Campanile, and owner of Smoke and Mirrors (due to open in Hollywood in 2009) Education: Self-taught Foodie Fact: Peel was Wolfgang Puck’s chef de cuisine at the original Spago in LA. He has co-authored several books, including Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton At Home: Two Chefs Cook for Family and Friends and The Food of Campanile. Competing for: Doctors Without Borders
Position: Executive chef at Aureole in New York Education: California Culinary Academy Foodie Fact: At Philadelphia’s The Striped Bass, Lee acted as chef de cuisine under Alfred Portale and later became executive chef. Upon his return to New York City, Lee spent two years at Gilt where he earned the restaurant two Michelin stars. Competing for: Autism Speaks
Position: Chef and owner of Fleur de Lys (San Francisco and Las Vegas), the Burger Bar (Las Vegas, St. Louis and soon to open in San Francisco) and his latest venture, SLeeK Steakhouse and Ultra Lounge (St. Louis) Education: Ecole Hoteliere in Strasbourg Foodie Fact: Hubert is the recipient of the James Beard Foundation's lifetime achievement award and was named one of the “10 Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine in 1988. Competing for: Make-A-Wish Foundation
Position: Owner and chef of Radius in Boston Education: Academy of Culinary Arts in New Jersey Foodie Fact: In 2000, Schlow won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Northeast” and his restaurant Radius in Boston was named “Best New Restaurant” by Food & Wine. Competing for: Cam Neely Foundation
Position: Chef and owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and The Love Shack in Fort Worth Education: University of Tennesse (Finance and Marketing) Foodie Fact: The Love Shack earned three stars from The Dallas Morning News, which was singled out as having the "most perfect burger on the planet." Competing for: March of Dimes
Position: Executive Chef and owner of both Citizen Cake and Orson restaurants in San Francisco Education: San Francisco Art Institute Foodie Fact: Falkner won a James Beard Award Pastry Chef nomination in 2005 and Bon Appetit Pastry Chef of the Year in 2006. Competing for: The Edible Schoolyard
Position: Owner and chef of Graham Elliot in Chicago
Education: Johnson and Wales University
Foodie Fact: During his four years leading the kitchen at The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, he became the nations youngest four-star chef with perfect reviews from Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune, as well as three James Beard award nominations.
Position: Executive chef and owner of Jar in Los Angeles, and Tracht in Long Beach. Education: Three-year apprenticeship under Siegbert Wendler Foodie Fact: Tracht was among Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2002, she's made national appearances on the Today Show, Food Network and Extra and was inducted into Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News in May 2007. Competing for: JFS/SOVA Community Food and Resource Program
Position: Chef and owner of New York’s highly celebrated wd~50 restaurant Education: French Culinary Institute in New York Foodie Fact: In 2009, Wylie was nominated for a James Beard Award for "Best Chef, New York City," and wd~50 was nominated for "Best New Restaurant." Competing for: Autism Speaks
Position: Executive chef and owner of three Napa Valley restaurants – Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, Go Fish, and Mustards Grill Foodie Fact: Cindy is the author of four widely acclaimed cookbooks: The Fog City Diner Cookbook, Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, Big Small Plates, and her newest, Cindy Pawlcyn’s Appetizers Competing for: Community Health Clinic Ole
Position: Chef and owner of Ludo Bites (opening Spring of 2009)
Education: Trained in Paris for 13 years at Restaurant L’Esperance with Marc Meneau, Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, Arpege with Alain Passard and Le Grande Vefour with Guy Martin
Foodie Fact: Lefebvre was a nominee for the James Beard Foundation “Rising Chef Award” in 2001 and released his first cookbook, CRAVE, a Feast of the Five Senses in 2005.
Position: Owner and chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago
Foodie Fact: Bayless has appeared in a number of television shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America and Martha Stewart Living. His own show, PBS's Mexico One Plate at a Time is now in its 7th season. Competing for: Frontera Farmer Foundation
Position: Co-owner and chef of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado Education: Ecole Gregoire-Ferrandi Foodie Fact: Patterson was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in July 2005 and won 2008 Best Chef: Southwest from the James Beard Foundation. Competing for: The Children's Hospital
Position: Chef and owner of Napa Valley's Bottega Restaurant
Education: Culinary Institute of America Foodie Fact: Chiarello is the Emmy-winning host of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, and tastemaker behind NapaStyle, a specialty brand of foods and handcrafted products. Competing for: The Clinic Ole Foundation
Position: Noren serves as Vice President of Culinary Arts for The French Culinary Institute’s culinary, pastry, bread and Italian food departments. Education: Culinary School in Gavle Foodie Fact: In a 2008 survey of 40 top New York chefs, Noren was voted "The chef that should have gotten an award by now, but hasn't." Competing for: Friends of The FCI
Position: Owner and chef of Rick RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Education: Culinary Institute of America Foodie Fact: Moonen's passion and vocalization of sustainable seafood practices led him to publish Fish Without a Doubt in 2008 Competing for: Cape code Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association
