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Forbes
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
After A Golden Age Of Influential Chefs In the 1980s And 1990s, Celebrity Chefs In The Past Twenty Years Have Added Little
Portrait of French chef Andre Soltner as he sits at a table in his restaurant, Lutece (249 East 50th ... More Street), New York, New York, 1984. (Photo by) Two weeks ago dozens of illustrious chefs attended a luncheon to pay homage to André Soltner, who died at the age of 93 in January, as an icon of their profession as owner of the New York French restaurant Lutèce. The show of so many colleagues for Soltner was out of respect for a man who never wavered from setting high standards for cuisine and for himself over more than three decades in the kitchen. Soltner was one of those chefs who in the 1980s and 1990s helped American gastronomy garner world-wide recognition that spurred chefs everywhere to break from stultifying molds and to explore regional foods once felt too common to be served in an upscale restaurant. Le célèbre chef cuisinier Paul Bocuse pose, le 24 janvier 2007 pendant le salon Sirha à Chassieu, à ... More l'occasion du concours le Bocuse d'Or, la "plus grande arène gastronomique du monde", qui fête cette année ses 20 ans. Plat de résistance du Salon international de la restauration, de l'hôtellerie et de l'alimentation (Sirha), ce concours de gastronomie, souvent considéré comme le plus prestigieux dans le monde, oppose pendant deux jours 24 équipes au total, de tous les continents. Leur mission: préparer un plat de poisson et un de viande en 5H30... sans se laisser déstabiliser par le millier de spectateurs. AFP PHOTO JEFF PACHOUD (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images) The recognition of chefs as true cultural influencers began in the 1970 when a handful of French cuisiniers like Paul Bocuse, Roger Vergé and Michel Guèrard made news with an exciting style of haute cuisine respectful but not bound to archaic culinary traditions. The U.S. media glorified them as chefs willing to step into the limelight rather than stay in the shadows, which, in turn, led to chefs in America to showcase new ideas that would radically––though tastefully––transform the way we eat, championed by a young cadre of Californians like Alice Waters in Berkeley and Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles to challenge the idea that chefs rely on frozen and processed foods instead of searching out the very best seasonal provender available, even to paying farmers to grow it. Alice Waters, a Montessori teacher, pioneered California Cuisine in the 1980s. Puck, who wore a baseball cap in the kitchen, created an enticing new, lighter style of casual California dining, including 'gourmet pizzas,' for a Hollywood crowd that made his restaurant Spago celebrated and glamorous. In Boston Jasper White fostered New New England cuisine, based on abundant seafood and vegetables, while in New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme put highly spiced Cajun food into a national spotlight. In Chicago Rick Bayless of Topolobampo elevated Mexican fare to a true cuisine, while Dean Fearing did the same for Texas cooking at his namesake restaurant in Dallas. Nobu Matsuhisa, first in Beverly Hills, then New York and internationally, set a style of sushi wholly new and put Japanese elegant and sexy. These chefs had enormous impact on American gastronomy and inspired another generation that included Marcus Samuelsson, Mario Batali, Ming Tsai, Bobby Flay and many more. (See my not-at-all comprehensive list of others below.) Wolfgang Puck during Wolfgang Puck Anniversary Celebration at Wolfgang Puck Express in Atlanta, ... More Georgia, United States. (Photo by R. Diamond/WireImage) Meanwhile French chefs working in America came to be considered transformative for their exquisite menus, like Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington DC, Michel Richard and Joachim Splichal in Los Angeles and Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York. An American named Thomas Keller set the bar ever higher with his highly inventive, multi-course California dinners at The French Laundry in Yountville. With the onset of magazines like Bon Appetit and Food & Wine and TV food shows, chefs suddenly became stars, some making Time magazine's Most Influential People' of the year list. NAPA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 28: Chef David Chang participates in a culinary demonstration during the 2023 ... More BottleRock Napa Valley festival at Napa Valley Expo on May 28, 2023 in Napa, California. (Photo by) Yet while became stars and the food media fell over themselves to find the next big name, very few chefs of the last 25 years have had much of an impact on American or global gastronomy beyond show biz pizzazz. David Chang, cast as the 'bad boy' of American chefs for his foul language, dismissal of vegetarian food and litigious nature, opened the innovative, seat-of-the-pants cooking at his New York 12-seat restaurant named Momofuku, with backless stools, daily menus and blasting house music in 2008. Given the torrent of media exposure he received––including several TV shows––investors lined up to give him a global empire of restaurants. These days, after closing a slew of his original restaurants, he is mainly partner in a fast food chain called Fuku with 15 branches, and whatever influence he once had on young chefs seems slight. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Guy Fieri poses with fans onstage during the Players Tailgate ... More by Bullseye Event Group on February 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Bullseye Event Group) Certainly Anthony Bourdain had tremendous impact within the industry, but not as a chef, which he left behind after becoming a media star; rather he became a food-focused travel guide on TV, and no one has come along to replace him since his suicide in 2018. So, too, Guy Fieri burst upon the scene with a clown-like act, not as a chef, and he, too, became a chain restaurant entrepreneur. And I doubt anyone who credit Gordon Ramsay with putting any positive spin on his profession. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 20: In this image released on January 21, 2023, Chef Jose ... More Andres captured at their new restaurant Jaleo during the Grand Reveal Weekend of Dubai's new ultra-luxury resort, Atlantis The Royal on January 20, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo byfor Atlantis The Royal) One has only to look at the lists of great and promising chefs given awards by the James Beard Foundation since the 1990s through 2005, in which the 'Rising Star' candidates and winners included young chefs who themselves became highly influential chefs, including Michael Mina, Marcus Samuelsson, Todd English, Douglas Rodriguez, Grant Achatz, Nancy Silverton, José Andres and Bobby Flay who have mentored so many more. But in recent years there have been few chosen by the Foundation's vague criteria a chef 'who set high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals.' For this year's upcoming 2025 awards there are some extremely talented chefs on the list, including Gabriel Kreuther, Suzette Gresham-Tognetti and Jungsik Yin, but none, at least not yet, has had any impact on American gastronomy, even within their respective cities. Most seem chosen merely for geographic and ethnic diversity––Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN; Francis Guzmán, Vianda, San Juan, PR; Sarah Minnick, Lovely's Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR; or Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Durham, NC––but outside those regions is there really reason to believe they will have any impact on other food professionals or American gastronomy overall? Chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay, circa 1999. (Photo by Julian Barton/TV Times/Future ... More Publishing via Getty Images) The Golden Age of great chefs in America was born out of imitation, adaption and innovation by young cooks buoyed by receptive media to get a national, even global, audience. For their efforts American gastronomy has never been better, more diversified or solid, from coast to coast. But these days it seems we want 'stars' who will fare brightly on dramatically crafted Food Network competition shows and be lucky enough to ride the publicity before next season's contestants show up. WASHINGTON, VA - OCT21: Chef Patrick O'Connell prepares to cook for a gala dinner at the The Inn at ... More Little Washington celebrating the 60th anniversary of Relais and Chateaux, with Chef Patrick Bertron of Relais Bernard Loiseau, October 21, 2014. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Here are but a few of those chefs from the 1980s and 1990s who had significant impact on the way cooks cook and Americans dine today: SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 1988: Chef and author Jeremiah Tower poses in his restaurant "Stars" during a ... More 1988 San Francisco, California, photo portrait session. Tower, a flamboyant and outspoken author began his career at the famed "Chez Panisse" restaurant in Berkeley, California. (Photo by) Emeril Lagasse, Susanna Foo, Jody Adams, Lydia Shire, Judy Rogers, Larry Forgione, Jeremiah Tower, Charlie Trotter, Patrick O'Connell, Gary Danko, Georges Perrier, Mark Militello, Norman van Aken, Stephan Pyles, Robert Del Grande, Julian Serrano, Roy Yamaguchi, George Mavrothalassitas, Alan Wong, Joyce Goldstein and many others.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Top Chef Canada' winner Chef Matthew Stowe is 'proud' to see American version celebrate Canadian products
After a triumphant win on Top Chef Canada Season 3, Chef Matthew Stowe, now executive director of culinary at Joey Restaurant Group, returned the franchise as a judge on Top Chef Season 22, which takes place in Canada. Joining host and Top Chef winner Kristen Kish, head judge Tom Colicchio and Canadian judge Gail Simmons, Stowe was among the culinary experts evaluating the pickle Elimination Challenge in the latest episode. The chefs were split into two teams of five to create a pickle menu, going head-to-head with the opposing team for each course. Stowe stressed to Yahoo Canada that it was an "honour" to be asked to judge Top Chef. "Seeing the the American version and what they've done with that show that I've really admired over the years, it was just an honour to be back," he said. "I love being able to see where the level of cooking is at now, because when I was on, it was 11 years ago, so the world of hospitality was a bit different then. So it's exciting to see where cooking is at in North America, see where some of the chefs are drawing inspiration from." In terms of where Stowe thinks this season's competitors stack up against previous seasons, he believes the chefs on the show get more impressive with every season. "I think every year it gets better and better," Stowe said. "I think that the level of cooking in North America has come a long way over the last 20 years, when you look at the history of the show, both in Canada and in the U.S." "I think that the beauty of where we're at now with it, when you have a history as rich as it is, you really get ... chefs that understand what it takes to win. Because really, there's a blueprint out there now of what it takes. The background of the chefs that have won, how, where they've worked, style of food that they do, you can kind of estimate in your own mind where you would rank." In terms of Stowe's mindset to evaluating the dishes on Season 22, it all comes down to understanding the challenge. "Oftentimes it's all about celebrating that ingredient or that technique, or whatever that theme of the challenge is," Stowe said. "Celebrating and putting it in the forefront, and understanding how to spin it, how to tell a great story, and obviously rely on your foundation cooking to get you there." Stowe added that he believes this season, so far, has been a great showcase of the ingredients Ontario has to offer, and he highlighted that he's "super proud" of the products produced in Canada. "I remember one of the first times that I was kind of beaming with pride, I was working in New York at a restaurant called Lutèce, very well regarded French restaurant, halfway across the world, as an 18-year-old cook, and I saw Saskatchewan chanterelles come in the door," he shared. "And there's a big product of Canada sticker on this plastic crate." "We had this French chef de cuisine at the time ... and even he was like, these are the best chanterelles you can find anywhere in the world, at this time. ... You're kind of homesick. You're away from home. I had been away for almost three years at the time, and seeing some of these products come through the door is just a huge testament to who we are as a country, that some of the top restaurants are using products grown within our borders. And you can help but get inspired by that." While everyone watches Top Chef with their own ideas of how things work, Stowe identified a few elements that are actually critically important Firstly, from the standpoint of the competitor, battling the mental game is key. "I'll never forget, when we landed in Toronto to film my season, they literally took everything away. Take your wallet away, your passport, any identification. You're there to cook, and that's it, ... and you're completely cut off from the outside world," Stowe said. "I could call home once a week and it was kind of monitored so that you weren't ... trying to get ideas from the person back home you were talking to." "We would drive around from location to location, and we weren't allowed to listen to the radio. ... No TV, you're totally isolated from the world, which I didn't really expect. But it was such an amazing opportunity, because you really are just laser focused on your food and representing yourself well, and taking each challenge as it comes, as seriously as you can." As a judge, Stowe highlighted that, in addition to it coming down to how each dish lands on the table, each judge's preferences and food history comes into play. "Everyone's there for different reasons. Everyone has a different food memory out there, ... everyone's had their favourite version of X, and how that translates when you're eating food and you're judging it, I think is really interesting," Stowe said. But ultimately, Stowe recognized that being a Top Chef Canada winner has been a "big stepping stone" in his career, leading to national campaigns and invitations to showcase Canadian food exports to the rest of the world. And now constructing impressive menus for Joey restaurants, opening their 35th location in San Jose. Stowe added that the diversity of the Joey menu is something he's particularly proud of constructing. "We have this globally inspired menu that appeals to everyone, and the beauty from a chef standpoint is that I'm not backed into a corner as far as this type of food," Stowe said. "I could be touching different parts of the world with how I'm developing food, and that keeps it really exciting." But as Top Chef continues to see a strong following from loyal fans, Stowe's seen a shift in food consumption patterns as well. "I think that food media and TV specifically, ... getting high level cooking into people's households, it just raises the standards overall," he said. "So when people go out to eat, they expect a very high level of execution, whether they're eating in one of our restaurants at Joey or they're eating in a restaurant run by a Top Chef winner." "When you look across North America, ... 30 years ago, where chefs had the upper hand is, you could source better products than home cooks could. So when they came to the restaurant, they already were going to have an amazing experience that they couldn't necessarily have at home. Whereas now that gap has been certainly shortened, where you can get great products at home. Now you can go to farmers markets ... on weekends when products are in season." He added that home cooks can also really easily look up a recipe for anything their stomach desires, an even order ingredients online. "Of course, you still need a certain level of skill and aptitude and foundation, but at the end of the day, being able to be a good home cook is much easier than it was 30 years ago, 35 years ago, even 20 years ago," Stowe said. "Restaurants, I think, are forced to really look at what they're doing, what we're offering, and the total experience and seeing how we can get better and better every day. Because it's competitive. It's highly competitive amongst restaurants, but also, you are competing against home cooks that have great access to food products, great access to recipes, and you're competing for them to come into your restaurant and choosing you, versus making things at home."
