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.
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
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)
View All Midwest ContendersThe Regional Winners
Photo © Andrea Bricco
Ori Menashe
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)
Chris Hodgson
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)
Cory Bahr
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)
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
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)
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)
Photo © Adam Milliron
Justin Severino
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)
Photo © Matt Kocourek
Carl Thorne-Thomsen
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)
Photo © Kim Floresca
Kim Floresca & Daniel Ryan
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)
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)
Sheldon Simeon
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)