Restaurants Chefs Best New Chefs A Selective Guide to America's Super Chefs Besides talent, creativity and ambition, these stars share one more distinction: they're all former F&W best new chefs (and we spotted them way back when!). Here are their current home bases. Consider this the only restaurant guide you'll ever need. By Kate Sekules Updated on March 28, 2016 ARIZONA PARADISE VALLEY Elements Charles Wiley | 1994 Wiley complements stunning Paradise Valley views with lively and unpretentious dishes like artichoke and roasted garlic casserole and sake-cured salmon (5700 E. McDonald Rd.; 480-607-2300). PHOENIX Christopher's Fermier Brasserie Christopher Gross | 1989 A veteran of Paris, London and L.A. kitchens, Gross offers wood-oven roasting and 100 wines by the glass (2584 E. Camelback Rd.; 602- 522-2344). SCOTTSDALE Mosaic Deborah Knight | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (10600 E. Jomax Rd.; 480-563-9600). Restaurant Hapa James McDevitt | 1999 "Pan-Asian contemporary" describes McDevitt's spare, appealing food, such as crisped sweetbreads with tamarind glaze (6204 N. Scottsdale Rd.; 480-998-8220). Roaring Fork Robert McGrath | 1988 Beef tenderloin "shellacked" with coffee-molasses is one of the playful dishes at McGrath's ranchlike home base (4800 N. Scottsdale Rd.; 480-947-0795). CALIFORNIA BERKELEY Café Rouge Marsha McBride | 1997 McBride favors hormone-free meats dry-aged or cured on site, plus Mediterranean grazing plates (1782 Fourth St.; 510-525-1440). Chez Panisse Kelsie Kerr | 1997 Kerr displays her talents as co-chef (with Christopher Lee) at Alice Waters' ur-California-cuisine mecca (1517 Shattuck Ave.; 510-548-5525). BEVERLY HILLS Matsuhisa Nobu Matsuhisa | 1989 This is the amazingly modest first restaurant from the Japanese-fusion maestro the world knows as Nobu (129 N. La Cienega Blvd.; 310-659-9639). Polo Lounge at Beverly Hills Hotel Katsuo Sugiura | 1989 "Suki" Sugiura's revival of the glittering Rat Pack–era hangout puts an Asian edge on American standards (9641 Sunset Blvd.; 310-276-2251). Spago Beverly Hills Lee Hefter | 1998 Foie gras, sashimi, goulash--Hefter masters all at Wolfgang Puck's star-studded joint (176 N. Cañon Dr.; 310-385-0880). LA JOLLA George's at the Cove Trey Foshee | 1998 Foshee serves superior seafood at this oceanside spot (1250 Prospect St.; 858-454-4244). LOS ANGELES Campanile Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton | 1990 Peel's food continues to exemplify California's clean cuisine, here crowned by pastry chef Silverton's big, bold finishes (624 S. La Brea Ave.; 323-938-1447). Jar Suzanne Tracht | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (8225 Beverly Blvd.; 323-655-6566). Lucques Suzanne Goin | 1999 In an adorable brick carriage house on a busy L.A. strip, Goin serves creative Cal-bistro dishes (8474 Melrose Ave.; 323-655-6277). NEWPORT BEACH Aubergine Tim Goodell | 2000 A former florist's cottage houses Goodell's ever-evolving French-with-a-twist (508 29th St.; 949-723-4150). PASADENA Celestino Celestino Drago | 1993 Drago serves dressed-up Italian peasant food: bresaola with grapefruit, squid-ink risotto, pumpkin tortelloni (141 S. Lake Ave.; 626-795-4006). SAN FRANCISCO Boulevard Nancy Oakes | 1993 Big braises, grilled meats and wood-oven roasts are Oakes' megapopular signature dishes at this Belle Epoque institution (1 Mission St.; 415-543-6084). Delfina Craig Stoll | 2001 In a Mission District space full of dark wood, Stoll tweaks farmers' market produce into fuss-free Italian dishes (3621 18th St.; 415-552-4055). Fifth Floor Laurent Gras | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (12 Fourth St.; 415-348-1555). Fleur de Lys Hubert Keller | 1988 Keller learned from such masters as Bocuse, Lenôtre and Vergé, and his pedigree is evident in his brilliant command of classical French cuisine (777 Sutter St.; 415-673-7779). 42 Degrees Jim Moffat | 1996 The latitude--and attitude--of Provence is the inspiration behind Moffat's supper and jazz club (235 16th St.; 415-777-5558). Fringale Gerald Hirigoyen | 1994 Hirigoyen's pleasing Basque bistro offers pork tenderloin confit on the edge of the Tenderloin (570 Fourth St.; 415-543-0573). Gary Danko Gary Danko | 1989 Danko serves his signature French-American marvels in an unlikely location: Fisherman's Wharf (800 N. Point St.; 415-749-2060). Home Lance Dean Velasquez | 1996 Meat loaf Tuesday, cioppino Saturday, roast chicken every day: Velasquez dishes out homey cuisine in a glam room (2100 Market St.; 415-503-0333). Jardinière Traci Des Jardins | 1995 A brick, steel and black marble dining room makes a dramatic setting for Des Jardins' fresh Cal-French food (300 Grove St.; 415-861-5555). Masa's Ron Siegel | 1999 Siegel's sublime French-Japanese livens up a venerable, and newly modernized, parlor room (648 Bush St.; 415-989-7154). Mecca Mike Fennelly | 1993 A huge "industrial luxe" dining room serves as the stage for Fennelly's Asian-spiked American cuisine (2029 Market St.; 415-621-7000). Merenda Keith Luce | 1997 Luce takes most of his culinary cues from France at this intimate, red-walled restaurant (1809 Union St.; 415-346-7373). Restaurant Elisabeth Daniel Daniel Patterson | 1997 Patterson presents genteel French food with eclectic touches in an equally elegant room (550 Washington St.; 415-397-6129). Rose Pistola Reed Hearon | 1994 Northern Italian seafood con brio keeps Hearon's North Beach place going strong--and large, and loud (532 Columbus Ave.; 415-399-0499). JiRaffe Raphael Lunetta | 1997 In this bi-level, glass-fronted restaurant, Lunetta sends out fresh, inventive French dishes (502 Santa Monica Blvd.; 310-917-6671). Melisse Restaurant Josiah Citrin | 1997 A stark space decorated with light brocades is Citrin's backdrop for sparkling mod-French food (1104 Wilshire Blvd.; 310-395-0881). ST. HELENA Terra Lissa Doumani & Hiro Sone | 1991 The husband-and-wife chef team have run their stone-walled Napa classic, serving globally inflected French and Italian food, for 14 years (1345 Railroad Ave.; 707-963-8931). WOODSIDE Village Pub Mark Sullivan | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (2967 Woodside Rd.; 650-851-9888). YOUNTVILLE The French Laundry Thomas Keller | 1988 A supreme innovator, Napa superstar Keller still astonishes after eight years (6640 Washington St.; 707-944-2380). COLORADO ASPEN Renaissance Charles Dale | 1995 In this cozy space, Dale whips up creative dishes like coffee-seared ahi tuna with yam polenta and mole sauce (304 E. Hopkins Ave.; 888-311-2433). CONNECTICUT RIVERSIDE Aux Délices Debra Ponzek | 1989 Country French takeout, a catering service and a tiny clutch of tables form Ponzek's Greenwich-area domain (1075 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-698-1066). FLORIDA CORAL GABLES Pascal's on Ponce Pascal Oudin | 1995 Oudin's small, sweet slice of Paris doles out contemporary French comfort food, like his beloved lobster bisque (2611 Ponce De Leon Blvd.; 305-444-2024). DELRAY BEACH 32 East Nick Morfogen | 1996 Morfogen writes the menu daily, offering Mediterranean-American hybrids like hanger steak on roast-garlic polenta (32 E. Atlantic Ave.; 561-276-7868). FT. LAUDERDALE Mark's Las Olas Mark Militello | 1990 Militello prepares vivacious Floridian inventions in a vast open-kitchen space with a grand terrace (1032 E. Las Olas Blvd.; 954-463-1000). MIAMI Baleen Robin Haas | 1994 Imaginative seafood is Haas' style; try the Asian bouillabaisse in hot-and-sour broth (4 Grove Isle Dr.; 305-857-5007). Chef Allen's Allen Susser | 1991 Famed Caribbean-Latin-Euro fusionist Susser is still forging new paths after 16 years (19088 N.E. 29th Ave.; 305-935-2900). Rumi Larkin Selman | 1993 Selman is part of the Med-Caribbean cuisine team at this South Beach hot spot (330 Lincoln Rd.; 305-672-4353). Wish E. Michael Reidt | 2001 Reidt showcases his Brazilian-French food in jazzy, colorful, Todd Oldham–designed rooms (801 Collins Ave.; 305-674-9474). PALM BEACH The Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hubert Des Marais | 1993 Attention-getting dishes like guava-braised short ribs mark Des Marais' signature style at this upscale property (2800 S. Ocean Blvd.; 561-533-3750). GEORGIA ATHENS Five & Ten Hugh Acheson | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (1653 S. Lumpkin St.; 706-546-7300). ATLANTA Bacchanalia Anne Quatrano & Clifford Harrison | 1995 In a 1920s meatpacking plant with midtown skyline views, the chef duo turn out honest new-American food (1198 Howell Mill Rd.; 404-365-0410). BUCKHEAD Soto Japanese Restaurant Sotohiro Kosugi | 1997 Locals line up for Kosugi's creative sushi and sashimi, which may contain, say, truffle vinegar (3330 Piedmont Rd.; 404-233-2005). ILLINOIS CHICAGO Blackbird Paul Kahan | 1999 Kahan does showy but soulful Euro-American food in a minimalist white bo--te (619 W. Randolph St.; 312-715-0708). Everest Jean Joho | 1989 A swanky room at mountaintop altitude makes a perfect match for Joho's haute, luxe French dishes (440 La Salle St.; 312-663-8920). Frontera Grill and Topolobampo Rick Bayless | 1988 Adjacent places, one fancy and one plain, serve Mexican-food expert Bayless' beautiful regional cuisine (445 N. Clark St.; 312-661-1434). Kevin Kevin Shikami | 1991 A relaxed, brick-walled space displays Shikami's refreshing Japanese-American hybrid cuisine, which goes easy on butter and cream (9 W. Hubbard St.; 312-595-0055). NoMI Sandro Gamba | 2001 Gamba cooks Asian-spiked French in a gorgeous, wood-rich room (800 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-239-4030). Tru Rick Tramonto & Gale Gand | 1994 A spacious white-on-white dining room sets off Tramonto's winsome presentations--such as caviar on a glass staircase--and Gand's divine sweets (676 N. St. Clair St.; 312-202-0001). CHICAGO SUBURBS Elaine Ted Cizma | 2000 Three compact rooms in a house that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century are the setting for Cizma's robust new-American dishes (10 W. Jackson St., Naperville; 630-548-3100). Gabriel's Gabriel Viti | 1991 Viti's luxurious Italian-French food walks the line between traditional and inventive (310 Green Bay Rd., Highwood; 847-433-0031). Le Français Don Yamauchi | 1993 Yamauchi's creative cooking works a wide variety of international ingredients into French dishes, marking a splendid new era for a storied institution (269 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling; 847-541-7470). Trio Grant Achatz | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston; 847-733-8746). LOUISIANA NEW ORLEANS Bayona Susan Spicer | 1989 For a dozen years, Spicer has interpreted cuisines from around the world in this color-blocked French Quarter cottage (430 Dauphine St.; 504-525-4455). Brigtsen's Frank Brigtsen | 1988 Brigtsen continues where his mentor, Paul Prudhomme, left off: Acadian classics, no pretensions (723 Dante St.; 504-861-7610). Gamay Bistro & Bar Greg Sonnier | 1994 Sonnier produces lusty Cajun-Creole dishes in this cool, calming room (320 Decatur St.; 504-299-8800). Lilette John Harris | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (3637 Magazine St.; 504-895-1636). Peristyle Anne Kearney | 1998 Kearney turns out bold, fresh, Louisiana-tinged French food in a homey, welcoming space (1041 Dumaine St.; 504-593-9535). Restaurant August John Besh | 1999 Trend-conscious Euro with Creole touches makes Besh the chef with buzz (301 Tchoupitoulas St.; 504-299-9777). MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Hamersley's Bistro Gordon Hamersley | 1988 Wooden beams and banquettes provide a mellow environment for Hamersley's vibrant comfort-food creations (553 Tremont St.; 617-423-2700). Mantra Thomas John | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (52 Temple Pl.; 617-542-8111). No. 9 Park Barbara Lynch | 1996 Nostalgic, '40s-era decor frames Lynch's lovable country dishes from Italy and the south of France (9 Park St.; 617-742-9991). Radius Michael Schlow | 1996 Schlow presents his high-style French food in a spacious dining room painted in an earthy palette of olive green and burgundy (8 High St.; 617-426-1234). CAMBRIDGE Centro Rene Michelena | 1998 Prepare to wait for a seat at this wee trattoria, where Michelena's genuine cucina rustica draws eager crowds--and reservations are only accepted for a limited number of tables (720 Massachusetts Ave.; 617-868-2405). Metro Amanda Lydon | 2000 In an enormous, retro-style brasserie complete with a zinc bar, Lydon serves classics like coq au vin and steak frites (1815 Massachusetts Ave.; 617-354-3727). Rialto Jody Adams | 1993 Adams' serious yet merry Spanish-Provençal-Tuscan cooking is complemented by sensual surroundings (Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St.; 617-661-5050). Salts Steve Rosen | 1999 Honey-seared salmon or lobster pie may show up on Rosen's no-fuss menu in this sunshine-yellow room (798 Main St.; 617-876-8444). CHARLESTOWN Olives Todd English | 1990 English's two signature chains, Figs and Olives, have grown so rapidly it's clear that his upscale pan-Euro food has a big following. This was his first branch (10 City Sq.; 617-242-1999). WEST NEWTON Lumière Michael Leviton | 2000 Leviton's clear flavors and faultless French technique are enhanced by simple decor and diffused light (1293 Washington St.; 617-244-9199). MICHIGAN FARMINGTON HILLS Tribute Takashi Yagihashi | 2000 A muraled room is a theatrical stage for Yagihashi's Japanese-French food (31425 Orchard Lake Rd.; 248-848-9393). MINNESOTA BLOOMINGTON Napa Valley Grille Tim Anderson | 1991 Anderson works miracles with Cal-cuisine staples like heirloom vegetables and wild game, inside the world's biggest mall (220 W. Market, Mall of America; 952-858-9934). STILLWATER La Belle Vie Tim McKee | 1997 Victorian decor meets a contemporary French menu from McKee, who's fond of his wood-fired oven (312 S. Main St.; 651-430-3545). NEVADA LAS VEGAS Nectar John Schenk | 1995 Schenk plates mammoth portions of raw-bar delicacies and mouthwatering dishes, like fried green tomatoes, in this jolly blue lounge (Bellagio hotel, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; 702-693-7223). Renoir Alessandro Stratta | 1994 Modern-French whiz Stratta competes with four Renoirs and wins, thanks to his immense flavors (Mirage hotel, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; 702-791-7442). NEW MEXICO SANTA FE Fuego Kevin Graham | 1991 In a rustic dining room at a posh Santa Fe resort, Graham serves sophisticated, regionally inspired cuisine against a flamenco-guitar backdrop (La Posada Resort & Spa, 330 E. Palace Ave.; 505-954-9678). TAOS Joseph's Table Joseph Wrede | 2000 Wrede conjures spirited flavors from all-local ingredients in a fresco-decorated space. Due to move later this year (4167 Paseo del Pueblo Sur; 505-751-4512). NEW YORK NEW YORK CITY Annisa Anita Lo | 2001 Lo scours the globe--Asia, the Middle East, Morocco--for inspiration and gets breathtaking results (13 Barrow St.; 212-741-6699). Blue Hill Michael Anthony & Dan Barber | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (75 Washington Pl.; 212-539-1776). Bouley David Bouley | 1989 A master of modernized classical French, Bouley recently reopened this Tribeca destination, expanding the dining room into the former bakery space next door (120 W. Broadway; 212-964-2525). Café Boulud Andrew Carmellini | 2000 Carmellini offers vigorous, refined French cuisine at a restaurant owned by his mentor, Daniel Boulud (20 E. 76th St.; 212-772-2600). Cello Laurent Tourondel | 1998 Tourondel's exquisitely subtle seafood delicacies are presented in a patrician parlor (53 E. 77th St.; 212-517-1200). Commune Matthew Kenney | 1994 Kenney applies North African flavor combinations to New York contemporary dishes in this high-energy setting (12 E. 22nd St.; 212-777-2600). Daniel Daniel Boulud | 1988 Boulud is Gotham's preeminent master of French cuisine, and this plush, ornate salon provides a fitting frame for his decadent dishes (60 E. 65th St.; 212-288-0033). Gramercy Tavern Tom Colicchio | 1991 Colicchio's virtuosity with rustic American, French and Italian food makes this one of New York City's treasured territories (42 E. 20th St.; 212-477-0777). Ouest Tom Valenti | 1990 In an elegant bistro, Valenti thrills the Upper West Side (and the celebrities who live there) with hearty, impeccable dishes (2315 Broadway; 212-580-8700). Picholine Terrance Brennan | 1995 Brennan refreshes the French canon and serves the ultimate cheese board, in a romantic space near Lincoln Center (35 W. 64th St.; 212 724 8585). Union Pacific Rocco DiSpirito | 1999 Culinary pinup DiSpirito displays his passion for experimentation in a soaring room with a Zen ambience (111 E. 22nd St.; 212-995-8500). Union Square Cafe Dan Silverman | 1997 & Michael Romano | 1991 Silverman and Romano's generous Euro-American food, served in gallery-like rooms, keeps this 16-year-old restaurant at the top of New Yorkers' list (21 E. 16th St.; 212-243-4020). Veritas Scott Bryan | 1996 Bryan offers up his signature braises, roasts and grills in an urban-chic setting with stellar wines (43 E. 20th St.; 212-353-3700). NORTH CAROLINA DURHAM Magnolia Grill Ben Barker | 1993 Barker draws constant crowds with his imaginative Southern-inspired bistro food and relaxed, wood-floored space (1002 Ninth St.; 919-286-3609). OHIO CLEVELAND Lola Michael Symon | 1998 A somewhat sci-fi dining room displays Symon's exuberant multi-culti cooking (900 Literary Rd.; 216-771-5652). PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA Avenue B Francesco Martorella | 1990 At this pretheater favorite with a daily-changing menu, Martorella's attention to detail is evident in dishes like a napoleon of roasted red peppers and a veal rib chop Milanese (260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-0705). Jack's Firehouse Jack McDavid | 1991 McDavid's "haute country" cuisine--pea and hog jowl soup, for instance--livens up a nineteenth-century fire station (2130 Fairmount Ave.; 215-232-9000). ¡Pasión! Guillermo Pernot | 1998 Pernot does fanciful, bountiful Nuevo Latino at this one-stop churrascaria and seviche bar (211 S. 15th St.; 215-875-9895). Red Chopstix Bruce Lim | 1990 Lim's Euro-Asian menu marries the best of both continents, as in his venison scaloppine with baby bok choy (1511 Locust St.; 215-546-0600). Susanna Foo Susanna Foo | 1989 It's Chinese food, but not as we know it. Nobody can tinker with a wonton like Foo can (1512 Walnut St.; 215-545-2666). Vetri Marc Vetri | 1999 Exquisite balance is Vetri's hallmark at his 10-table labor of love…for Italy (1312 Spruce St.; 215-732-3478). RHODE ISLAND PROVIDENCE Al Forno Johanne Killeen & George Germon | 1988 The essential destination for paper-thin pizzas. Killeen and Germon's kingdom has grown, but it hasn't spread too thin (577 S. Main St.; 401-273-9767). Empire Loren Falsone & Eric Moshier | 2000 Falsone and Moshier's daily menus celebrate southern Italy in a renovated 1912 mock-Renaissance car showroom (123 Empire St.; 401-621-7911). TENNESSEE MEMPHIS Chez Philippe José Gutierrez | 1990 Amid faux Louis XIV splendor, Gutierrez merges the American South with southern France (Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Ave.; 901-529-4188). TEXAS HOUSTON Américas Michael Cordua | 1994 An energetic, perpetually packed dining room decorated with Inca motifs makes a striking background for Nicaraguan Cordua's fascinating Latin ideas--quail tacos! (1800 Post Oak Blvd.; 713-961-1492). Boulevard Bistrot Monica Pope | 1996 Crowds flock to this laid-back bistro to sample Pope's Moroccan–Middle Eastern flourishes (4319 Montrose Blvd.; 713-524-6922). SAN ANTONIO Biga Bruce Auden | 1988 Auden does big American food with a distinctive Mex-Asian accent in this Texan hacienda (203 S. St. Marys St.; 210-225-0722). VIRGINIA McLEAN Maestro Fabio Trabocchi | 2002 See America's Best New Chefs 2002 (Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd.; 703-821-1515). RICHMOND Acacia Dale Reitzer | 1999 Reitzer elevates his cosmopolitan dishes with sprightly sauces--orange-cumin, lime-ginger--in a casual terra-cotta-floored place named after his big dog (3325 W. Cary St.; 804-354-6060). WASHINGTON SEATTLE Brasa Tamara Murphy | 1994 Murphy's innovative cuisine can best be described as the Northwest meets Iberia (2107 Third Ave.; 206-728-4220). Earth & Ocean Johnathan Sundstrom | 2001 Sundstrom isn't afraid to serve ultratrendy dishes like wild boar ravioli at his headquarters inside the W Hotel, where he attracts an enthusiastic following (1112 Fourth Ave.; 206-264-6060). 727 Pine Danielle Custer | 1998 Round-the-world culinary influences, cheeky ideas (such as a three-course steak menu) and ingenious combinations distinguish Custer's cooking at this glam destination (727 Pine St.; 206-774-6400). WASHINGTON, D.C. Galileo da Roberto Donna Roberto Donna | 1990 A one-man industry, Piedmont-born Donna plies Washingtonians with delicious Northern Italian dishes done every which way (1110 21st St. NW; 202-293-7191). Palena Frank Ruta | 2001 Former White House chef Ruta, who cooked for both Republican and Democratic presidents, dresses up Italian peasant food for Beltway connoisseurs (3529 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-537-9250). --Research by Jessica Blatt Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit