Since Gordon Ramsay is lending a helping hand to underrated chefs everywhere, we decided to give some of our favorites a leg up of their own. Here are the top 10 chefs to watch out for in 2010.
1. Nate Appleman
Appleman made a splash in 2006 while working as sous chef (and eventually as co-owner and executive chef) of A16, and shortly thereafter at his own restaurant, SPQR. He's already been honored with several accolades, including a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award as a Rising Star Chef winner, and we're sure he'll continue to keep the momentum going in 2010. After spending six months in an apprenticeship in Italy, the skills the young chef gained across the Atlantic have now become part of his signature; Appleman's creations highlight seasonal and local produce, heritage meats, and incorporate Italian traditions. To sample some of Appleman's cuisine more domestically, check out Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria on the Bowery, which he plans on opening with restauranteur Keith McNally soon.
2. Bryan Caswell
To be honest, we've never thought of Texas and seafood as an obvious match, but Bryan Caswell pairs the two beautifully at Reef, his restaurant located in Houston Texas. Caswell boasts award-winning seafood--and the largest variety in all of Texas. Caswell traveled the world, training under such renowned names as Jose Muneisa of Michelin-rated Via Veneto in Barcelona, Chef Rocco DiSpirito of Union Pacific, and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the Trump International Hotel and Tower flagship. Caswell's future fantasies include an oyster bar that only serves Texas oysters. Sounds intriguing to us--and tasty!
3. Kelly English
Kelly English is all Southern. He's Southern-born, has a Southern wife, and now he has a newly-opened Southern restaurant, Restaurant Iris in Memphis Tennessee. English seems to be the classic overachiever; graduating top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America, he studied abroad in both Spain and France and is now an expert in Cajun and Creole cuisines. Did we mention that newly-opened Restaurant Iris was voted Memphis' "Best New Restaurant," as well as "Best Service" and "Most Romantic Restaurant" by Memphis Magazine readers? This year has set English up nicely for what is sure to be another grand slam year in 2010.
4. Mark Fuller
We like a chef who can nail fancy cuisine and our favorite comfort foods at the same time. Enter, Mark Fuller. Mark is chef and co-owner of Seattle's Spring Hill restaurant, which is the place to get the ultimate spaghetti and meatballs on Mondays. Fuller remarked to Food & Wine Magazine that the tradition has actually become "cultish." Fuller is a Seattle native and tries to showcase that through his food by using local ingredients such as oysters and shrimp in his dishes.
5. Linton Hopkins (right)
Linton Hopkins' culinary profession was not the stuff of childhood dreams. Hopkins originally enrolled at Emory University hoping to become a doctor, but unfortunately (or not so unfortunately), cookbooks caught his eye while he was working in a bookstore. Working and learning at establishments such as Mr. B's Bistro and The Grill Room in New Orleans, Hopkins later traveled to D.C. to work under Jeff Tunks at D.C. Coast. Now at his own place, Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, Georgia, the menu stays true to Hopkins' training and background; classic Southern mixed with formal French cuisine.
6. Christopher Kostow
Christopher Kostow mans the kitchen of Meadowood, located in St. Helena, California. This Napa Valley eatery boasts fine cuisine made up of fresh local products--but don't write off Kostow as a fine-dining-only sort of chef. Kostow told Food & Wine magazine that cereal makes it on his list of favorite foods, and he houses a secret passion to one day open up a classic Jewish deli.
7. Paul Liebrandt
Eleven is the accumulated total of Michelin stars earned by places to which Paul Liebrandt has lent his culinary talents. This Zimbabwe-born chef has cooked and pleased a plethora of people, including Prince Andrew. The surprises keep coming with this one, as his favorite childhood dish was wonton soup, and he still to this day collects Chinese restaurant menus. High points of his career include gigs at Restaurant Marco Pierre White and Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, both located in the UK. Currently, Liebrandt is cooking at Corton in New York City.
8. Michael Voltaggio
The latest winner of Bravo's Top Chef, Mike Voltaggio, showcased his talents to nationwide audiences and then some, proving that he is someone to look out for in 2010. Voltaggio lives and breathes food, and he has never actually ventured outside the industry, nor considered an alternative career path. For viewers of Top Chef, it is no secret that Voltaggio prefers the more modern techniques of molecular gastronomy--and this path has clearly worked well for him. He received a Michelin Star while working as Chef de Cuisine at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in California and of course (in the words of Padma Lakshmi), the title of Top Chef. To try Voltaggio's latest creations, visit him at his new spot, The Dining Room, at the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, California.
9. Naomi Pomeroy
This one-time vegetarian is now head chef at the restaurant Beast in Portland, Oregon where she is known for her steak tartare, foie gras bonbon, and chicken liver moose with candied bacon. Things have definitely changed--for the better. Pomeroy wrote her first recipe at the ripe age of five, and took off from there, religiously reading cookbooks. She got her start in vegetarian catering, but eventually began incorporating meat to satisfy a wider audience.
10. Sam Kass
Once you've cooked for the President, you know you've made it. Congratulations to Sam Kass, newly appointed White House Chef and Food Initiative Coordinator. The Chicago native and longtime personal chef to the Obamas was trained in Vienna, Austria by Christian Domschitz. From there, Kass was a line cook at Avec in Chicago before opening his own business in 2007 called Inevitable Table, a personal chef business. While Kass originally wanted to be a professional baseball player, it is safe to say that he isn't disappointed with how his career choice turned out--working with President Obama can't be all that bad.
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