The People's Best New Chef: New England

New England Region Winner:

Jamie Bissonnette. Photo Courtesy of Coppa.

Jamie Bissonnette

RestaurantCoppa
City, StateBoston, MA
Why he's amazingBecause he's not afraid to challenge diners' palates with the daring nose-to-tail cooking (including calf's-brain ravioli and blood-sausage pepperoni on pizza) at his intimate enoteca.
BackgroundToro, KO Prime, Eastern Standard, Pigalle, Tremont 647, Clio (Boston)
Culinary schoolArt Institute, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Must-try dishSpaghetti carbonara with egg, pancetta and uni.
Favorite foodTripe.
Hours spent in the tattoo chair250. "On my hand, I have a ham bone that says 'eat offal,' and a caricature of a chef on my leg. On one arm, I have grapes. And I have a few pigs, since I love charcuterie."
coppaboston.com
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Gerard Barbin. Photo Courtesy of Sensing.

Gerard Barbin

RestaurantSensing
City, StateBoston, MA
Why he's amazingBecause his French pedigree is bringing high-concept, formal food to Boston.
BackgroundLe Bateau Ivre (Courchevel, France); Le Grand Vefour, Potel & Chabot, Pierre Hermé (Paris)
Culinary schoolApprenticed at Hameau Albert 1er in Chamonix, France, a two-Michelin-star Relais & Châteaux restaurant.
Must-try dishCod steamed in lemongrass, served over soba.
Originally fromFrance
Homesick forCorner bakeries with fresh baguettes.
Why he likes Boston"Boston is a welcoming city with a strong identity. There are a lot of good restaurants and chefs, and a lot of strong areas for dining, like the North End, Back Bay, South End, Cambridge. The fish and seafood quality in Boston is phenomenal."
Culinary mentorGuy Martin, the Michelin-starred French chef.
sensingrestaurant.com
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Nemo Bolin. Photo © Scott Pinocci.

Nemo Bolin

RestaurantCook & Brown Public House
City, StateProvidence, RI
Why he's amazingBecause he brings an earthy New England sensibility to the European gastropub concept.
BackgroundRubicon (San Francisco), Craigie Street Bistrot (Cambridge, MA), No. 9 Park (Boston)
Culinary schoolCambridge School of Culinary Arts.
Must-try dishHouse-smoked cod chowder.
Cocktail highlightJakewalk (tequila, white rum, elderflower liqueur, bitters and lime).
Why he wanted to open a restaurant"[My wife and I] live to hear that unmistakable sigh when someone takes the first bite of their meal and just melts into their chair."
cookandbrown.com
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Kara Brooks. Photo Courtesy of Still River Café.

Kara Brooks

RestaurantStill River Café
City, StateEastford, CT
Why she's amazingBecause she taught herself cooking and farming and has made her restaurant in the Connecticut boonies a New England destination.
BackgroundBlue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, NY)
Must-try dishPan-seared Georges Bank scallops with farm onions and scallop jus, scallop ceviche and hazelnut-encrusted scallop.
LocavorismVegetables come from her garden at the restauarant, and she uses only New England dairy, fish and meat.
Mixology programAperitifs, beer and wine, but no hard alcohol (Eastford is a partially "dry" town).
How she got the idea to start a restaurantIn St. Bart's during a six-month sabbatical from her job as an attorney. "Rather than lay out in the sun for months, [my husband and I] decided to write a book about the island and its chefs. We became inspired to take some risks and do the same thing ourselves."
How she trained to be a chefPracticing on family and friends.
Cooking philosophy"We emphasize what we grow, when we're growing it, and try to present it in fun, innovative ways. It's not cooking as trickery, but at the same time there should be some fun in it."
Greatest challenge"Our [out-of-the-way] location, we always say, is one of our biggest charms, but it is also one of our biggest challenges."
stillrivercafe.com
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Christopher Coombs. Photo Kevin Day Photography.

Christopher Coombs

RestaurantDeuxave
City, StateBoston, MA
Why he's amazingBecause be combines complex French technique with Yankee audacity to create daring, flavor-intense food.
BackgroundDbar (Dorchester, MA); Troquet, Aujourd'hui, Blue Ginger (Boston); The Inn at Little Washington (Washington, VA)
Culinary schoolCulinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.
Must-try dishSpiced Long Island duck breast with lentils du Puy, prune port gastrique and sauce Robert.
Best known forBeing a contestant on the Food Network's Chopped.
His kitchen strategy"I'm super-obsessive-compulsive when cooking: Everything's organized and labeled. If you're sloppy and messy, you won't last a month in this business."
deuxave.com
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Geoffroy Deconinck. Photo © Irvin Serrano.

Geoffroy Deconinck

RestaurantNatalie's at Camden Harbour Inn
City, StateCamden, ME
Why he's amazingBecause he uses his traditional Belgian pedigree to modernize French food.
BackgroundCafé Boulud, Daniel, Bouley (New York City); Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris); L'Epicerie (Belgium)
Culinary schoolCERIA Culinary Academy in Brussels.
Must-try dishSalad with house-cured duck prosciutto.
Born and raisedBelgium
camdenharbourinn.com
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Joseph Margate. Photo The Liberty Hotel.

Joseph Margate

RestaurantClink. at Liberty Hotel
City, StateBoston, MA
Why he's amazingBecause he creates irresistible, umami-rich food with a modern French bent that goes beyond standard hotel cuisine.
BackgroundEleven Madison Park (New York City); Jardinière (San Francisco); Earth & Ocean at W Hotel, Lark (Seattle)
Culinary schoolCalifornia Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
Oddball ingredientSpanish arrope (candied pumpkin in grape must) with foie gras torchon.
Must-try dishVeal-and-ricotta meatball sliders.
Cooking philosophySeasonal and local, with an emphasis on umami.
libertyhotel.com
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Jake Rojas. Photo Courtesy of Tallulah on Thames.

Jake Rojas

RestaurantTallulah on Thames
City, StateNewport, RI
Why he's amazingBecause he's bringing attitude, tattoos and a modern, playful New England menu to the region's most traditional town.
BackgroundThe Sunset Restaurant (Malibu, CA); Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand, Mix (Las Vegas)
Culinary schoolArt Institute of Dallas.
Must-try dish"Deconstructed clam chowdah": clams, potatoes and bacon with creamy broth poured tableside.
Tattoos"Live to cook" and "Cook to live" in Spanish, with a knife and spoon, on his arms.
tallulahonthames.com
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Robert Sisca. Photo Courtesy of Bistro du Midi.

Robert Sisca

RestaurantBistro du Midi
City, StateBoston, MA
Why he's amazingBecause he turns out wonderfully refined dishes inspired by the rustic flavors of Southern France.
BackgroundLe Bernardin, One if by Land, Two if by Sea (New York City); Gracie's (Providence); Bosun's Bistro (Nantucket, MA)
Culinary SchoolJohnson & Wales.
Must-try dishStuffed calamari with lobster jus.
Essential kitchen toolA cake tester, to test the proper doneness of fish.
Favorite food to eat at homeGrilled cheese with pepperoni.
bistrodumidi.com
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Joel Viehland. Photo Courtesy of Community Table.

Joel Viehland

RestaurantCommunity Table
City, StateWashington, CT
Why he's amazingBecause his obsession with locally sourced food never gets in the way of his flavors.
BackgroundNoma (Copenhagen); Bayona, Emeril's, Herbsaint (New Orleans); Gramercy Tavern (New York City)
Culinary schoolJohnson & Wales.
Must-try dishRabbit fricassee.
Inspiration for the restaurant nameThe 12-seat communal table in the dining room, made from a black walnut tree that fell 30 years ago.
Best known forHis relentless commitment to sustainability.
Why he opened a restaurant in rural Connecticut"A normal restaurant has three or four suppliers. I want to source as much locally as possible, so I have 35 to 40 vendors I work with."
On the restaurant's no-reservations policy"We wanted it to be super-democratic. We didn't want it to be a clubhouse for high-powered New Yorkers who would make their reservations weeks in advance. We didn't want it to be fussy, and the only way to do that was to make it first-come first-served."
communitytablect.com
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Chef finalists in other regions

Voting starts on 2/15/11 and ends 3/1/11 at foodandwine.com/peoples-bnc. One vote per computer per region. Votes from any automated means or intended to disrupt the voting process (in American Express Publishing Corporation's sole discretion) will be void. Chefs with the highest eligible votes per region will become finalists (10 total). The People's Best New Chef title will be determined based on highest number of eligible votes received during the voting period. All votes subject to verification. The People's Best New Chef is a trademark of American Express Publishing Corporation.