John Winterman A native of Indiana, John Winterman is a maître d'hôtel, restaurateur, and writer who has led teams at some of the country's most prestigious restaurants. In 2014, he opened Bâtard in Tribeca, which won a James Beard Award its first year. This was followed by Francie, a restaurant he opened with chef Chris Cipollone that earned a Michelin star in 2021. He has written for Food & Wine and Town & Country, among others. Experience John's first experience in the hospitality industry was in 1993 as a restaurant busser in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he'd moved after graduating from Indiana University Bloomington. In just a few years he'd moved again and risen in rank, working as the dining room manager at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago for close to seven years. His next role took him to the west coast, where he worked at another prestigious institution — Gary Danko in San Francisco — as maître d'hôtel until 2005. During this time, he employed his extensive cheese knowledge as the restaurant's maître fromager.Following Gary Danko, John led the dining room as maître d'hôtel at Daniel Boulud's flagship restaurant DANIEL in New York for close to nine years, then became a restaurateur himself. In 2014, he opened and ran the James Beard Award-winning Tribeca eatery Bâtard, leaving in 2019 to open Francie with acclaimed chef Chris Cipollone; the restaurant earned its first Michelin star two years later. Finally, John is a writer who contributes regularly to publications like Food & Wine, Town & Country, Esquire, and CNN about hospitality trends (and occasionally, cheese). Education John graduated with a bachelor of arts in English and history from Indiana University Bloomington. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.