News Chefs Meet the 2014 People's Best New Chef After tallying thousands of your votes, we're proud to introduce the winner of our 2014 online competition. Meet the People's Best New Chef 2014 and the incredible regional winners around the country. By F&W Editors Updated on May 23, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email At F&W, we name America’s 10 most brilliant up-and-coming chefs every year. Now we want to know who you think is the most talented new chef in America. After tallying thousands of your votes, we're proud to introduce the winner of our 2014 online competition. Meet the People's Best New Chef 2014 and the incredible regional winners around the country.The People's Best New Chef 2014 / Midwest Winner Photo © Matt Kocourek Carl Thorne-Thomsen Restaurant: Story (Read a review) Location: Prairie Village, KS Why He's Amazing: Because he's turning out incredible European-inspired dishes in a shopping center in suburban Kansas. Culinary School: Self-taught background: 40 Sardines (/sites/default/files/verland Park, KS); Michael Smith Restaurant, Extra Virgin (Kansas City, MO) More on Carl Thorne-Thomsen View All Midwest ContendersThe Regional Winners Photo © Andrea Bricco Ori Menashe Restaurant: Bestia (Read a review) Location: Los Angeles Why He's Amazing: Because he's a meat virtuoso: Bestia's menu offers more than 60 forms of sensational house-made charcuterie, in addition to impeccable pastas and pizza. Culinary School: Self-taught background: Angelini Osteria, All'Angelo, Pizzeria Mozza, La Terza (/sites/default/files/os Angeles) More on Ori Menashe View All California Contenders Photo courtesy of Hodge's. Chris Hodgson Restaurant: Hodge's (Read a review) Location: Cleveland 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 (/sites/default/files/hoenix), The Spotted Pig (New York), Dim and Den Sum Truck (Cleveland) More on Chris HodgsonView All Great Lakes Contenders Photo courtesy of Restaurant Cotton. Cory Bahr Restaurant: Cotton (Read a review) Location: Monroe, LA Why He's Amazing: Because he's sourcing the best ingredients—from cornmeal and sweet potatoes to rabbits, venison and duck eggs—from friends and neighbors for his updated and spectacular Southern dishes. Culinary School: Self-taught background: Sage (/sites/default/files/onroe, LA); internships at Commander's Palace and Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse (New Orleans) More on Cory Bahr View All Gulf Coast Contenders Photo excerpted from FRANNY'S by Andrew Feinberg, Francine Stephens, and Melissa Clark (Artisan Books). Copyright (c) 2013. Photographs by John von Pamer. Danny Amend Restaurant: Marco's (Read a review) Location: Brooklyn Why He's Amazing: Because his stellar cooking résumé is quietly present in his super-delicious, unfussy, homespun Italian dishes. Culinary School: The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) background: Franny's (/sites/default/files/rooklyn); Per Se, Alain Ducasse at the Essex House (New York City) More on Danny Amend View All New York Area Contenders Photo courtesy of Jamestown FiSH. Matthew MacCartney Restaurant: Jamestown Fish (Read a review) Location: Jamestown, RI Why He's Amazing: Because his fish-centric dishes take cues from classic French, Italian and American-immigrant cooking but they taste innovative and modern. Culinary School: New York City College of Technology background: Colicchio & Sons, Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel (/sites/default/files/ew York City), Pasta Nostra (Norwalk, CT) More on Matthew MacCartney View All New England Contenders Photo © Adam Milliron Justin Severino Restaurant: Cure (Read a review) Location: Pittsburgh Why He's Amazing: Because he closed a successful butcher shop in California to open a meat-centric restaurant in Pittsburgh where he butchers and cures everything himself and educates eaters about the provenance of their food. Culinary School: Pennsylvania Culinary Institute (Pittsburgh) background: Elements, Eleven (/sites/default/files/ittsburgh); Manresa (Los Gatos, CA); Bouchée Restaurant and Wine Bar (Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA) More on Justin Severino View All Mid-Atlantic Contenders Photo © Matt Kocourek Carl Thorne-Thomsen Restaurant: Story (Read a review) Location: Prairie Village, KS Why He's Amazing: Because he's turning out incredible European-inspired dishes in a shopping center in suburban Kansas. Culinary School: Self-taught background: 40 Sardines (/sites/default/files/verland Park, KS); Michael Smith Restaurant, Extra Virgin (Kansas City, MO) More on Carl Thorne-Thomsen View All Midwest Contenders --> Photo © Kim Floresca Kim Floresca & Daniel Ryan Restaurant: [ONE] (Read a review) Location: Chapel Hill, NC Why They're Amazing: Because after working together in some of the world's most acclaimed kitchens, they're cooking up sublimely inventive food—like wild onion madeleines and savory pumpernickel macarons—at their very own spot. Culinary School: Floresca: Golden Gate University (Roseville, CA); Ryan: Baltimore International College background: Both: Internships at El Bulli (/sites/default/files/oses, Spain) and Mugaritz (San Sebastián, Spain); The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena, CA); Floresca: Per Se (New York City); Tru (Chicago); Ryan: Adour, Eleven Madison Park (New York City); Alinea (Chicago) More on Kim FlorescaMore on Daniel Ryan View All Southeast Contenders Photo © Justin Lee Steven Redzikowski Restaurant: Oak at Fourteenth, Acorn (Read a review) Location: Boulder, CO; Denver Why He's Amazing: Because after starting his career at Le Cirque at age 21, he's raising the bar on the Colorado food scene with his two seasonally focused restaurants—one centered around a unique oak-fired oven and grill (Oak), the other a super-hip shared-plates spot (Acorn). Culinary School: Schenectady County Community College (Schenectady, NY) background: Little Nell (/sites/default/files/spen, CO); Cyrus (Healdsburg, CA); Frasca Food & Wine (Boulder); Jean-Georges, Le Cirque (New York City) More on Steven Redzikowski View All Southwest Contenders Photo courtesy of Star Noodle. Photo courtesy of Star Noodle. Sheldon Simeon Restaurant: Migrant (Read a review) Location: Kihei, HI Why He's Amazing: Because he's meshing his Hawaiian background with local produce and Asian techniques at this no-frills Filipino gastropub. Culinary School: Maui Culinary Academy (Kahului, HI) background: Star Noodle, Aloha Mixed Plate, Old Lahaina Luau (/sites/default/files/ahaina, HI) More on Sheldon Simeon View All Northwest & Pacific Contenders Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit