BEST NEW CHEFS

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For 18 years, Food & Wine has had the supremely satisfying task of selecting our annual Best New Chefs. Chosen from hundreds of nominees, these up-and-comers, who have been in charge of a kitchen for no more than five years, amaze us with their brilliant and delicious cooking. Often the winners prepare their supercreative dishes in elegant settings—like Douglas Keane, who opened his luxurious dream restaurant, Cyrus, in Healdsburg, California. But this year, to acknowledge the evolution of the restaurant world, we opened the award to chefs who are elevating modest foods and are thrilled to honor ramen-master David Chang at Momofuku in New York City. We're also recognizing outstanding cooks working in the kitchens of star chefs who have more than one restaurant. Jonathan Benno, for instance, creates his own genius dishes at chef Thomas Keller's Manhattan outpost, Per Se. Finding these talented men and women is a yearlong process. First we gather suggestions from food writers and culinary insiders from coast to coast; then we start traveling and tasting. Here are this year's 10 winners and their excellent dishes.