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Chef Eric Ripert
 Born in Antibes, France, Chef Eric Ripert began his relationship with food in the most formative of all kitchens, his grandmother's. Watching, tasting and learning at her elbow, Ripert developed the Mediterranean palate that influences his cooking today. When the young chef's family moved to Andorra, just over the Spanish border, he expanded his repertoire to include Spanish flavors and ingredients.
Ripert attended culinary school in Perpignan, and in 1982 moved to Paris to work at La Tour D'Argent, the renowned Parisian establishment that dates back more than 400 years. After two years as a cook, Ripert moved to the Michelin three-star, Jamin, where he soon was promoted to Assistant Chef de Partie. He left to fulfill his military service in 1985, then returned at the request of Jamin chef/owner Joel Robuchon, as Chef Poissonier.
Ripert came to the United States in 1989 to work as sous chef at Jean Louis in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. In 1991, he moved to New York, where he worked briefly as sous-chef under David Bouley until he was offered to work for Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze as a chef for Le Bernardin.
In 1995, Ripert earned a four star rating from the New York Times and Le Bernardin continues to receive critical acclaim for its food and service, including being recognized by the Zagat Guide as the “Best Food” in New York City for the past four consecutive years. In 1998, the James Beard Foundation named Le Bernardin Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Eric Ripert Top Chef in New York City, and in 1999 they received the Outstanding Service Award. In 2003 the James Beard Foundation named Ripert Outstanding Chef in the United States.
Chef Dean Fearing
 The creator of “Elevated American Cuisine – Bold Flavors, No Borders,” and chef/partner for Esquire Magazine’s 2007 “Restaurant of the Year,” Dean Fearing has served celebrities, presidents and rock stars. He has been featured in culinary media worldwide, has cooked on every national morning television show and, when not in his restaurant, leads his own all-chef band, The Barbwires, who have recently-released their first CD.
Long known as the “Father of Southwestern Cuisine” and now the creator of a new generation of highly-flavorful dishes, Chef Dean Fearing has spent his life cooking for people who love good food. After 20-plus years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, he opened his own acclaimed restaurant, Fearing's in August 2007 at the new The Ritz-Carlton Dallas. The lively, comfortable restaurant offers seven stylish dining settings, including the most distinctive alfresco experience in Dallas, as well as a hugely popular interactive display kitchen offering ringside seating for true foodies. Fearing’s Restaurant was nationally reviewed in just its first few days of operation and received its first major award just weeks later, winning America’s “Restaurant of the Year” and “Table of the Year” ratings in the November, 2007 issue of Esquire Magazine.
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Chef Anthony Bourdain
 Dubbed "the bad boy of cuisine" for his rock-star look and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs and cooking, Anthony Bourdain is not your typical celebrity chef. A 28-year veteran of professional kitchens, Bourdain is currently the executive chef at New York's famed bistro, Les Halles.Bourdain entertains and educates with his exotic tales of travel and lessons learned from the kitchen trenches. He shares his passion on topics ranging from "Great Cuisines: The Common Thread" to the celebrity chef phenomenon and the culture of cooking. He also imparts his drill-sergeant approach to running a kitchen, which he shared with the Harvard Business Review, in "Management by Fire: A Conversation With Chef Anthony Bourdain." "The fantastic mix of order and chaos," he says, "demands a rigid hierarchy and a sacrosanct code of conduct, where punctuality, loyalty, teamwork and discipline are key to producing consistently good food."
Gail Simmons
 Gail Simmons joined FOOD & WINE in 2004 and handles special projects for the magazine, acting as liaison between the marketing and editorial teams on magazine events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure at the magazine, she has been responsible for the annual FOOD & WINE Classic.
Gail lends her strong culinary expertise as permanent judge on BRAVO’s Emmy Award–winning series Top Chef, now in its sixth successful season. The series is rated the #1 Food Show on cable television. In addition, she also makes frequent appearances on television and at events, and appeared as a speaker at this summer’s FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen.
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Chef Grant Achatz
 Excelling at the Culinary Institute of America, Achatz graduated and ascended the culinary ladder at several prestigious restaurants, including the acclaimed French Laundry in the Napa Valley. Working closely with Thomas Keller, Achatz thrived in this highly creative and dedicated environment, and after two years became sous chef to Keller. After four years at the French Laundry, Achatz chose to broaden his knowledge and worked as an assistant winemaker at La Jota Vineyards. In 2001, he accepted the Executive Chef position at the four-star Trio (Evanston, IL.).
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Chef Jose Andres
 José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator best known for bringing both traditional and avant-garde Spanish fare to America.
José is chef/owner of THINKfoodGROUP, the creative team responsible for some of Washington’s favorite dining concepts: Café Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel and José’s critically-acclaimed minibar by josé andrés. His popular Washington DC restaurant Jaleo is one of the first critically and commercially successful tapas restaurants, setting the standard for other Spanish restaurants for the next 15 years.
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Chef David Chang
 Chef David Chang is the owner and executive chef of the Momofuku restaurants in New York.
He was born and raised in Arlington, VA and attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Following graduation, Dave attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City, during which he began his culinary career at Jean-George Vongerichten's Mercer Kitchen (NYC). Eventually, Dave landed a spot as part of Chef Tom Colicchio's opening staff at Craft (NYC). In 2003, Dave moved to Japan, where he studied at various kaseki, izakaya and ramen restaurants.
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Chef Cindy Hutson
 Cindy Hutson is a self-taught chef who developed a passion for cooking at the age of
nine. Inspired and amused by the “Original” television culinary genius of the “Galloping Gourmet” and “Chef Tell”, she would emulate their creations on Saturday afternoons.
In her teen years she was exposed to Italian and Portuguese cuisine through her best friends father, a successful restauranteur from New Jersey. After leaving New Jersey
to head for the sunny skies of Miami, she honed her skills as a sport fishing captain and mate on a 36 foot Bertram Yacht. It was over those years of fishing, she procured
a touch for handling and preparing many ocean delicacies.
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Chef Michael Schwartz
 Chef Michael Schwartz (45), the man behind Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, the Miami Design District dining sensation, has enjoyed both critical and popular acclaim throughout his distinguished career. A 2009 nominee for the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, his latest venture has proved no different. Open since March 2007, the unpretentious bistro hits all the right notes – with happy diners as well as the culinary media.
New York Times’ dining critic Frank Bruni included Chef Schwartz’s restaurant on 2008 compilation of the 10 best new restaurants in the United States, rating him fourth; while Food & Wine includes Michael’s Genuine on the magazine’s 2008 Go List and recently lauded the chef with a ten page spread in the December 2008 issue. Conde Nast Traveler has also anointed the restaurant to its 2008 Hot List and Metropolitan Home magazine’s April 2008 issue features a lush six page spread on Michael’s Genuine that describes the chef as “the real deal” and pegs his cuisine as “seductive and elegant.”
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Chef Paula DiSilva
 A native of Brazil, Paula DaSilva has been in the states since she was seven. While living in Boston, Paula got her first taste of the kitchen at the age of 10 when her parents opened a small family style Brazilian Restaurant. After 3 years in that restaurant, her family decided to move to South Florida and open two larger restaurants. Over the next five years, Paula assisted her parents in all aspect of operating the restaurant.
In between, attending High School classes and playing in the basketball team, she was always at the restaurant. Most of her time was spent in the kitchen cooking, prepping the meats for the “rodizio” and ordering. Upon graduating, Paula attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. She graduated in 1998 with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts.
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Chef Dean James Max
 “My love of food comes from living in Florence, Italy, my technique from working with French chefs and my understanding of what freshness is all about from growing up on a farm in Virginia.”
You would never have had to meet Chef Dean to feel his passion, sincerity, and respect for what you are about to eat, regardless of the course. I would equate his cooking to the enthusiasm of a child, the wisdom of a professor, and the talent of an artist rolled up in one.
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Chef Alex Grunert
 Alex Grunert joined the Blue Hill family in the spring of 2008. Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, he began his career at the prestigious Hotel Inter-Continental restaurant, Vier Jahreszeiten in 1989. During his nine years there, he rose to the position of Demi Chef Patissier. In 1998, he accepted a position of Chef de Partie of the Chocolate department for the world-renowned Viennese pastry shop, Oberlaa Konditorei. At Oberlaa, Alex received invaluable training under the master Pastry Chef, Karl Schuhmacher. His experience at Oberlaa is readily apparent in the high level of finesse and artistry that characterize Alex’s style.
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