David Chang of Momofuku and Jonathan Benno of Per Se are among Food & Wine's best new chefs of 2006. The press release in full:
FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE NAMES PER SE'SJONATHAN BENNO AND MOMOFUKU'S DAVID CHANG AMONG ITS 2006 BEST NEW CHEFS
— 18th Annual List Surprises Epicurean Enthusiasts with Unexpected Picks—
New York, NY (April 4, 2006) – Per Se's Jonathan Benno and Momofuku’s David Chang have earned the coveted Food & Wine Best New Chef title with eight other up-and-coming chefs nationwide, revealed Food & Wine Editor in Chief Dana Cowin today. The 2006 Food & Wine Best New Chefs will be celebrated at a party this evening at the Battery Maritime Building in New York, and will be featured in the annual chef issue available on newsstands June 15.
"I believe Food & Wine readers will agree that we're seeing amazing talent and innovation at all kinds of restaurants—from haute dining to noodle bars," explains Cowin. “Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2006 are testing the boundaries of culinary arts everywhere and succeeding at the highest levels.”
2006 F&W Best New Chefs:
Cathal Armstrong Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VAJonathan Benno Per Se, New York, NY
Michael Carlson Schwa, Chicago, IL
David Chang Momofuku, New York, NY
Mary Dumont The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH
Douglas Keane Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA
Christopher Lee Striped Bass, Philadelphia, PA
Pino Maffeo Restaurant L, Boston, MA
Jason Wilson Crush, Seattle, WA
Stewart Woodman Five, Minneapolis, MN
Cowin adds, “At Food & Wine, we also continue to find more great chefs outside major cities. This year is the first time the magazine has named a Best New Chef from New Hampshire.”Food & Wine’s staff travels the country in search of the most brilliant new chefs for its annual list, now in its 18th year. Past F&W Best New Chefs who have gone on to culinary stardom include Thomas Keller, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Daniel Boulud. To find these chefs, the editors first consult a network of nominators in various cities from food critics to chefs, then get on planes and trains or hit the road to taste at the source.
Co-hosting the Food & Wine Best New Chef party this year will be Katie Lee Joel and former F&W Best New Chef (’91) Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Food will be prepared by past F&W Best New Chefs in New York City: Scott Conant of L’Impero and Alto, Shea Gallante of Cru, Laurent Tourondel of BLT Steak, BLT Fish and BLT Prime, and Tom Valenti of Ouest. Chrysler, Penfolds and Riedel will be sponsoring the evening.
The 10 Food & Wine Best New Chefs will cook together for the first time at an exclusive tasting dinner at the 2006 Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen, June 16-18, 2006.
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Food & Wine, the modern, stylish, talent-seeking, trend-spotting epicurean magazine, is published by American Express Publishing.
