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Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2015

Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2015

By Food & Wine

Updated May 31, 2018

Credit: © John Kernick; © Nicole Franzen

Each year, Food & Wine editors tour the country to uncover America's most brilliant up-and-coming chefs. Here are our Best New Chefs from 2015 as well as their must-visit restaurants, expert travel tips and go-to recipes.

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Carlos Salgado, Taco María (Costa Mesa, CA)

Credit: © John Kernick; © Rick Poon

Growing up on Mexican food, Carlos Salgado is using his expertise to create exceptional dishes at Taco María while still honoring his family's cooking. Carlos Saldago Creates Incredible Riffs on the Food of his Childhood Watch: When Lazy Bear Met Taco Maria Burnt Strawberry Tamales Gazpacho Verde Salsa Negra

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Bryce Shuman, Betony (New York City)

Credit: © John Kernick

F&W's 2015 Best New Chef Bryce Shuman employs flavors, techniques and ingredients from all over the world, with a special interest in ancient grains. How Chef Bryce Shuman Transforms Ordinary Sounding Dishes Quinoa with Yogurt and Sprouts

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Grae Nonas and Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie (Austin)

Credit: © John Kernick

Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas are an unlikely duo. But when the two chefs began working together at Los Angeles fish restaurant Son of a Gun, they found a common bond in an unlikely place: vintage cookbooks. How Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas Bonded over Vintage Cookbooks Grae Nonas Lands in Minneapolis, Embraces His "Viking" Heritage Crab Salad with Corn Pudding and Carolina Gold Rice Cucumber Salad with Buttermilk Dressing and Pickled Onion Tomato Salad with Tomato Water Granita The Most Brilliant Mac & Cheese Hack Ever The Five Commandments for Making Perfect Biscuits Where to Eat and Drink in Amsterdam

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Ori Menashe, Bestia (Los Angeles)

Credit: © John Kernick

Ori Menashe is keeping the masses fed with his incredible SoCal-influenced antipasti, pizzas and pasta at this downtown L.A. restaurant Bestia. Ori Menashe's Life in Six Scenes Burrata Salad with Peaches, Pickled Pepper and Pea Tendrils Butterflied Shrimp with Pistachios and Orange-Saffron Vinaigrette Fig and Arugula Salad with Grated Frozen Gorgonzola Piccante

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Jim Christiansen, Heyday (Minneapolis)

Credit: © Eliesa Johnson; © John Kernick

Jim Christiansen is that rare cook who has both McDonald’s and Noma on his résumé. He's also interned at Noma in Copenhagen and made elegant French food at La Belle Vie in Minneapolis. How Jim Christiansen Went from the Fry Station at McDonalds to an Internship at Noma Jim Christiansen’s Elegant Chicken Liver Tart Vegetable Bagna Cauda with Dill Oil Grilled Pork Chops with Malt and Burnt Onion Glaze

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Jonathan Brooks, Milktooth (Indianapolis)

Credit: © John Kernick; © Nicole Franzen

Fun fact: Jonathan Brooks is the first chef to ever win F&W's Best New Chef award without serving dinner. Breakfast and brunch are the mission with his restaurant Milktooth, which is only open until 3 p.m. Chef Jonathan Brooks Makes Brunch-Friendly Cocktails from a Tchotchke-Decorated Garage Long Island Iced Coffee Red Cabbage and Fried Mortadella Okonomiyaki White Quinoa Grits with Shrimp and Mexican Grilled Corn

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Katie Button, Cúrate (Asheville, NC)

Credit: © John Kernick

F&W's 2015 Best New Chef Katie Button started her culinary career as the first American server at El Bulli and later scored the nearly impossible-to-get position in the restaurant's pastry kitchen. With her restaurant Cúrate, she’s now proud to bring the Adrià spirit to the North Carolina hills. How Katie Button Learned to Make the Ultimate Gin and Tonic from Ferran Adrià Avant-Garde Tapas in the Smoky Mountains How to Win at Grilling Whole Fish Ajo Blanco with Crab and Green Grapes

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Jake Bickelhaupt, 42 grams (Chicago)

2015 F&W Best New Chef Jake Bickelhaupt is creating gorgeous, complicated and delicious dishes with mulitple interwoven components, and all within the 200-square-foot space of his restaurant 42 Grams. Chef Jake Bickelhaupt Makes the Case for Grilling Your Steak Cold Jake Bickelhaupt Makes Gorgeous, Complex Dishes in a 200-Square-Foot Space Miso Caramel Sauce

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Tim Maslow, Strip-T's (Watertown, MA)

Tim Maslow’s restaurant Strip T's was once his father's dying diner. Today, it is a popular restaurant serving a mash-up of Italian, American and Asian cuisine. How Tim Maslow Resurrected His Dad's Diner and Created an Ambitious Restaurant of His Own Corn Dogs with Krab Relish Spaghetti with Corn Carbonara and Crab

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Zoi Antonitsas, Westward (Seattle)

F&W's 2015 Best New Chef Zoi Antonitsas dropped out of art school before she discovered another career: cooking. Today, she prepares delicious Greek-influenced dishes, but she is still an artist at heart. Zoi Antonitsas' Greek-Influenced Dishes are More Complicated Than They Seem Grilled Branzino with Skordalia and Ladolemono Grilled Asparagus with Taramasalata Chicken Legs with Honey and Aleppo

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