Josh Adams
Restaurant June (Read a review)
Location Peoria Heights, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because he’s brought molecular gastronomy techniques to his Midwestern hometown—using hydrocolloids to create “airs,” foams and powders out of mint or, say, bacon fat. The results are both gorgeous and delicious.
Culinary School Self-taught
Background Internships at Charlie Trotter’s, Vie, Alinea (Chicago), and at Revolver (Findlay, OH)
Quintessential Dish Poached egg on brioche with coffee-smoked shiitake mushrooms and guanciale
Alternative Career Adams originally wanted to be a cartoonist. He had his “epiphany moment” during a meal at Charlie Trotter’s.
His Approach to Learning “I’m really big on self-teaching. I read about Trotter—he didn’t really work a lot of time in a kitchen. He spent a lot of time staging all around the country and really went back and taught himself a lot. And I read about Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal. How is it that three of the best guys didn’t spend tons of time in restaurants and ended up being three of the better chefs? Those are definitely people I’ve idolized since I was younger. There has to be something said for the path they took.”
Local Produce At Thunder Valley, a certified-organic farm in Princeville, Illinois, 80 acres are dedicated solely to growing food for June.
Jimmy Bannos Jr.
Restaurant The Purple Pig (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because he represents the next generation of great Chicago chefs with his playful, daring take on Mediterranean food.
Culinary School Johnson & Wales University (Providence)
Background Del Posto, Lupa, Esca (New York City)
Quintessential Dish Sweet-crunchy pig’s ear with pickled cherry peppers
How He Got into the Food Business Bannos followed his father, legendary Chicago chef Jimmy Bannos Sr., of the Cajun restaurant Heaven on Seven. “Growing up I would clean the tables and chairs, then I’d put coleslaw and pickles on the tables. It was fun for me, and when I got tired I would just curl up under the tables.”
Inspiration “Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone eat—and love—pig’s tail for the first time, or seeing a skeptical vegetarian come in and enjoy a complete meat-free meal.”
Thai Dang
Restaurant Embeya (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because his superlative food melds Vietnamese flavors from his childhood with French and Chinese cooking techniques, resulting in stunning dishes like garlic chicken prepared Peking duck style.
Culinary School L’Academie de Cuisine (Gaithersburg, MD)
Background CityZen, Zentan (Washington, DC); L2O, Ria, Balsan (Chicago)
Quintessential Dish Green papaya salad with cilantro, crispy shallots and house-made beef jerky
On the Food at Embeya “What I showcase on my menu is all of my travels through Japan and Thailand, as well as my family. We cook and we enjoy each other’s company every weekend.”
Nickname Dang is the youngest of 10 children—seven boys and three girls. Embeya is the phonetic spelling of Em be, their nickname for him, which means “little one” in Vietnamese.
Role Model Every Sunday, Dang’s mother cooks a special meal for her family using industrial-size pots for pho (soup) and noodle dishes. “Picture a woman standing roughly 5-foot-1 climbing on a step stool with the longest ladle known to man, to cook, stewing and grilling for a group the size of an army.”
Micah Frank
Restaurant Black Market (Read a review)
Location Indianapolis, IN
Why He’s Amazing Because he’s helped make Indianapolis a foodie destination by offering an exceptional gastropub menu.
Culinary School Self-taught
Background R Bistro (Indianapolis), Restaurant Eve (Alexandria, VA)
Quintessential Dish Beef tongue “cocktail”: seared, sliced beef tongue with pickled beets, potato chips and fresh horseradish
What He'd Be If He Weren't a Chef Landscape architect
Food Obsession Pickles, from Indian-spiced eggs to Asian-inspired ramps. “You can pickle almost anything, from cucumbers to beef tongue. It’s a humble way to add complexity to a dish without being overly complicated.”
Chris Hodgson
Restaurant Hodge’s (Read a review)
Location Cleveland, OH
Why He’s Amazing Because he pioneered Cleveland’s acclaimed food-truck scene with his quirky takes on American comfort food, now featured at this brick-and-mortar spot.
Culinary School Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale (Scottsdale, AZ)
Background Christopher’s Crush (Phoenix), The Spotted Pig (New York City), Dim and Den Sum Truck (Cleveland)
Quintessential Dish Shrimp and “grits”—pan-fried polenta—with Korean sausage and curry beurre blanc
TV Fame His food truck, Hodge Podge Truck, finished second on the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race in September 2011.
Why He Returned to Cleveland “Cleveland needs young people coming back to invest in the city. I wanted to be a part of my hometown.”
Matthew Kirkley
Restaurant L2O (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because he translates his training with haute cooking titans like Paris chef Yannick Alléno into opulent yet playful dishes.
Culinary School The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
Background NoMI, One Sixty Blue, Ria (Chicago); Joël Robuchon at the Mansion (Las Vegas)
Quintessential Dish Bouillabaisse of scorpion fish, daurade, clams, fennel and tomato confit
Early Food Sourcing Kirkley grew up in Baltimore and often went crabbing with his father from docks on the Chesapeake Bay. “Chicken necks are the traditional bait.”
Extreme Measures For the freshest seafood possible, Kirkley had a 200-gallon aquarium installed at L2O. Each of the tank’s two chambers has a different salinity level, oxygen content and temperature, one simulating the English Channel, the other closer to that of the California-Oregon coast.
Person He’d Like to Work with Some Day Henry Rollins, the punk rock star turned spoken word artist and activist. “I’m a fan of strong personalities with a sense of conviction.”
Matthias Merges
Restaurant Yusho (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because after years of working with fine-dining giant Charlie Trotter, Merges is wowing eaters with his intensely flavored grilled Japanese street food. “When I left Trotter’s I wanted to really test myself and push myself to think differently,” he says.
Culinary School The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
Background Charlie Trotter’s, Carlos’ (Chicago); Metropolitan (Salt Lake City)
Quintessential Dish Maitake mushrooms and soft-cooked egg with dashi gelée
Favorite Ingredient “Anything from the sea.”
How He Got into Cooking As kids, “My brother and I would cook on anniversaries or birthdays. We had the Time-Life [cook]books from all over the world and I would read them like they were comics. I didn’t think food could look like this—colors and shapes. So we would grab recipes from that and my parents thought it was incredible. Cuisine is just beautiful. I wanted to be a cook forever.”
On Owning and Running His Own Restaurant “It’s a curse and blessing.”
James Rigato
Restaurant The Root (Read a review)
Location White Lake, MI
Why He’s Amazing Because he’s bringing thoughtful seasonal cooking to a restaurant in a Michigan strip mall.
Culinary School Schoolcraft College (Livonia, MI)
Background Shiraz (Bingham Farms, MI), The Rugby Grille (Birmingham, MI), Bacco Ristorante (Southfield, MI)
Quintessential Dish Cider-braised pork shoulder with smoked-cheddar grits and green-apple salsa verde
First Job Dishwasher at a local diner
Hometown Pride “The resources [in Michigan] are wildly underrated. Wild ramps, morels. Asparagus that rivals anything from California or Mexico. I’m a really big fan of lake fish. I think lake fish is phenomenal.”
Favorite Menu Item The fried bologna sandwich. “I eat one a week. I suggest a fried Michigan egg on it. I also add house-pickled jalapeños to mine.”
Food Philosophy “Every time you buy something at a grocery store, you’re casting a vote. Demand local. Buy local.”
Jason Vincent
Restaurant Nightwood (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because when so many chefs are using avant-garde techniques, he’s making simple, delicious food with superb skills, not technology.
Culinary School The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
Background Internship at Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain); Lula Cafe (Chicago); Fore Street (Portland, ME)
Quintessential Dish One long noodle, filled with carbonara sauce and topped with mussels
Former Life Focus Following cult-favorite band Phish
On Simplicity “There’s that saying that a well-dressed woman should take off one accessory before leaving the house. I believe that. We don’t need to put truffles on everything and hike up the cost.”
Lee Wolen
Restaurant The Lobby (Read a review)
Location Chicago, IL
Why He’s Amazing Because he’s defying expectations of what an ambitious hotel restaurant chef should be, eschewing visual tricks and foams in favor of accessible, deeply flavorful food.
Culinary School The Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts (Pittsburgh)
Background Moto, Butter (Chicago); Eleven Madison Park (New York City)
Quintessential Dish Whole roast chicken for two, served two ways: as a crispy-skinned breast with roasted apples and chocolate jus, and as a pile of shredded dark meat tossed with chives and cream
Early Cooking Influence “My grandma. I just loved to eat. I come from a Jewish background, so [growing up I ate] a lot of matzo-ball soup, brisket, potato pancakes.”
Cooking Philosophy “I have a strong belief in using minimal ingredients and utilizing them to their fullest, making different textures and forms, including raw, cooked, pickled, compressed and so on.”
On Eating Your Greens “I love to eat vegetables and believe we all could benefit by eating more vegetables.”
Secret Indulgence Chocolate chip cookies
*NOTE: Many chefs change their menus frequently; “quintessential dishes” may not always be available.
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