
Here’s how the Best Chefs America press materials explains the process:
"Chefs were first nominated by fellow chefs, culinary professionals and food enthusiasts across the country. Then, from March 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 analysts conducted over 5,000 confidential telephone interviews. The interviews consisted of a series of proprietary questions, and software was used to aggregate the data. Chefs earning the highest scores among their peers in their region were included in the guide."
In the next few days, we’ll have more information for you on the process and on the team behind the project and the book. We will also post the full list of 196 New Jersey honorees.
Meanwhile, here (in no particular order) are some other names restaurant-goers will recognize…
Humberto Campos Jr – Lorena’s, Maplewood
Cosimo Cassano – Girasole, Atlantic City
Kevin Kelly – Steve & Cookies, Margate
Alex Capasso – Blackbird, Collingswood
Luke Palladino – Luke Palladino, Northfield
Matt McPherson – Matt’s Red Rooster, Flemington
Andrew Araneo – Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, Keyport
Darryl Feeney – Red, Red Bank
Steve Christianson – St. Eve’s, Ho-Ho-Kus
Ronny Cohen – White Manna Hamburgers, Hackensack
Thomas Ciszak – Chakra, Paramus
Chris Siversen – Maritime Parc, Jersey City
James Laird – Serenade, Chatham
Alex Gorant, Axia Taverna, Tenafly
Bruce Lefebvre – Frog and the Peach, New Brunswick
Mitchell Altholz – The Manor/Highlawn Pavilion, West Orange
Michael Weisshaupt – Restaurant Latour, Hamburg
Juan Andres – Costanera, Montclair
Christopher Albrecht – Eno Terra, Princeton
Andrew DiCataldo – Patria, Rahway
Bill Hendra – Huntley Taverne, Summit
Peter Turso – Ursino, Union
Anthony Micari – The Ebbitt Room, Cape May
Best Chefs America: New Jersey | |||
First | Last | Restaurant | City |
Stephen | Schwartzinger | Mattar's Bistr | Allamuchy To |
Guiseppe | Biancalana | Café 2825 | Atlantic City |
Cosimo | Cassano | Girasole | Atlantic City |
Frank | Dougherty | Dock's Oyster | Atlantic City |
Jeff | Gotta | Carmine's | Atlantic City |
Nery | Hernandez | Buddakan | Atlantic City |
Geoff | Johnson | Roman Grill | Linwood |
Kevin | Kelly | Steve & Cooki | Margate |
Fernando | Masci | Il Mulino New | Atlantic City |
Rosalba | Morici | Girasole | Atlantic City |
Luke | Palladino | Luke Palladino | Northfield |
Carmen | Rone | Tomatoes | Margate |
Chris | Scarduzio | Mia | Atlantic City |
Sergio | Soto | Gallagher's St | Atlantic City |
Joseph | Tucker | Catch | Longport |
Joe | Brown | Melange Café | Haddonfield |
Francisco | Cabrera | El Sitio | Collingswood |
Alex | Capasso | Blackbird Dini | Collingswood |
Manish | Chopra | Cross Culture | Haddonfield |
Mario | DiVentura | Filomena Lak | Deptford |
Vincent | Fanari | Dream Cuisin | Cherry Hill |
Samuel | Giumarello | Giumarello’s | Haddon Town |
Daniel | Hover | Ritz Seafood | Voorhees |
Masaharu | Ito | Fuji | Haddonfield |
Fred | Kellermann | Elements Café | Haddon Heigh |
Justin | Kunkel | Kunkel's Seaf | Haddon Heigh |
Franco | Lombardo | Sapori | Collingswood |
Pasquale | Masters | Pasta Pomod | Voorhees |
Matthew | McElmoyl | Oliver a bistro | Bordentown |
Robert | Minniti | Bacio Catering | Moorestown |
Nunzio | Patruno | Nunzio Ristor | Collingswood |
John | Pilarz | Anthony's Cre | Haddon Heigh |
Marianne | Powell | A Little Café | Camden |
Joshua | Reeves | Barnsboro Inn | Sewell |
Chris | Sammons | Zinc Café | Medford |
Robin | Winzinger | Robin's Nest | Mount Holly |
Anthony | Bucco | The Ryland In | Whitehouse S |
Chris | Connors | Anton's at the | Lambertville |
Brian | Held | Brian's | Lambertville |
Christopher | Hirsheimer | Canal House | Lambertville |
Matt | McPherson | Matt's Red Ro | Flemington |
Mark | Miller | Hamilton's Gr | Lambertville |
DeAnna | Paterra | DeAnna's Res | Lambertville |
Yoshi | Arisu | Englishtown | |
Andrew | Araneo | Drew's Baysh | Keyport |
Giovanni | Atzori | Undici | Rumson |
Chris | Brandl | Brandl. | Belmar |
Ron | Caudill | Raven and th | Fair Haven |
Joseph | Cetrulo | Stella Marina | Asbury Park |
Ian | Cooper | Manasquan | |
Terry | Eleftheriou | Shipwreck Gri | Brielle |
Chris | Estelle | Asbury Park | |
Darryl | Feeney | red | Red Bank |
Dominique | Filoni | Avenue | Long Branch |
Scott | Giordano | Whispers | Spring Lake |
Nicholas | Harary | Restaurant Ni | Red Bank |
Matthew | Higgins | La Cipollina Ri | Freehold |
Taka | Hirai | Taka | Asbury Park |
Paul | Holzheimer | Porta | Asbury Park |
Brian | Imbriale | The Wine Bar | Atlantic Highl |
Bobby | Johnson | Clementine's | Avon-by-the- |
Brian | Katz | 10th Ave Burr | Belmar |
Michael | Krikorian | Copper Canyo | Atlantic Highl |
Steffan | Manno | Giamano's Ris | Bradley Beach |
Ulisses | Nova | Metropolitan | Freehold |
John | Panebianco | Brando's Citi | Asbury Park |
Casey | Pesce | d'jeet? | Shrewsbury |
Joe | Pisacreta | Il Giardinello | Asbury Park |
Alex | Rogers | The Inlet Café | Highlands |
Joe | Romanowski | Bay Ave Tratt | Highlands |
Marilyn | Schlossbach | Langosta Lou | Asbury Park |
Nicholas | Wilkins | Restaurant Ni | Red Bank |
Shuenn | Yang | Yumi | Sea Bright |
Eric | Yegelwel | Nicchio | Belmar |
Matthew | Zappoli | Tre Amici | Long Branch |
Peter | Angelakos | Bacari Grill | Washington T |
Gaspard | Caloz | Madeleine's P | Northvale |
Steve | Christianson | St. Eve's | Ho-Ho-Kus |
Thomas | Ciszak | Chakra | Paramus |
Ronny | Cohen | White Manna | Hackensack |
Alex | Daku | Le Jardin | Edgewater |
Hans | Egg | The Saddle Ri | Saddle River |
Matthew | Gavzie | MK Valencia | Ridgefield Par |
George | Georgiades | Varka Estiator | Ramsey |
Gino | Gjevukaj | Dimora | Norwood |
Alex | Gorant | AXIA Taverna | Tenafly |
John | Halligan | The Park Stea | Park Ridge |
Kevin | Kohler | Café Panache | Ramsey |
Craig | Levy | RoCCA | Glen Rock |
Peter | Loria | Café Matisse | Rutherford |
John | Marsano | The Brick Hou | Wyckoff |
Fred | Mortati | A Mano Pizza | Ridgewood |
Christine | Nunn | Picnic, The Re | Fair Lawn |
Carlo | Orlando | A Mano Pizza | Ridgewood |
Kevin | Portscher | Village Green | Ridgewood |
William | Roane | McCormick & | Hackensack |
Andrew | Rodriguez | Ho-Ho-Kus Inn | Ho-Ho-Kus |
Seth | Warshaw | Etc. Steakhou | Teaneck |
Adam | Weiss | Esty Street | Park Ridge |
Denis | Whitton | Harvest Bistro | Closter |
Bryan | Gregg | Jersey City | |
Mattias | Gustafsson | Madame Clau | Jersey City |
Archie | Mejia | Sabor Latin Bi | North Bergen |
Rodney | Petersen | Amanda's | Hoboken |
Anthony | Pino | Bin 14 | Hoboken |
Adriana | Politis | GP's | Guttenberg |
Maricel | Presilla | Cucharamama | Hoboken |
Chris | Siversen | Maritime Parc | Jersey City |
Bill | Spitz | Bistro La Sour | Jersey City |
Ken | Trickilo | Liberty House | Jersey City |
Wally | Weaver | 3 Forty Grill | Hoboken |
Michael | Chu | Ming II | Morristown |
David | Drake | Alice's Restau | Lake Hopatco |
Antonio | Grande | Il Capriccio | Whippany |
Natale | Grande | Il Capriccio | Whippany |
James | Laird | Restaurant Se | Chatham |
Brooks | Nicklas | Rosemary and | Riverdale |
Jeffrey | Orel | Rod's Steak & | Morristown |
Ralph | Perrotti | LuNello's Mo | Montville |
Matthew | Pierone | The Gourmet | Parsippany |
David | Prusin | David Todd's | Morristown |
John | Schaefer | Tabor Road T | Morris Plains |
Manop | Sutipayakul | Origin | Morristown |
Kevin | Takafuji | Blue Morel | Morristown |
Fredy | Umanzor | Tim Schafer's | Morristown |
J.R. | Belt | Stage Left | New Brunswic |
Andrea | DiMeglio | Luca's Ristora | North Brunsw |
Brian | Karluk | Steakhouse 8 | New Brunswic |
Bruce | Lefebvre | The Frog and | New Brunswic |
Justin | Quint | Clydz | New Brunswic |
Ira | Siegel | Just | Old Bridge To |
Alex | Stotler | Due Mari | New Brunswic |
Joe | Albergo | Rose Mediter | Caldwell |
Mitchell | Altholz | The Manor | West Orange |
Zod | Arifai | Blu | Montclair |
Claude | Browne | Basilico | Millburn |
Humberto | Campos Jr. | Restaurant Lo | Maplewood |
Michael | Carrino | Pig & Prince | Montclair |
Ryan | Depersio | Fascino | Montclair |
Ariane | Duarte | CulinAriane | Montclair |
Tre | Ghoshal | Adara | Montclair |
Alexandre | Gomes | Mompou Tap | Newark |
Lance | Knowling | Indigo Kitchen | Montclair |
Francesco | Palmieri | The Orange S | Bloomfield |
Juan Andres | Placencia | Costanera Res | Montclair |
Anthony | Pucciarello | Cielo | Fairfield |
Dan | Richer | Arturo's Oster | Maplewood |
Adam | Rose | Nico Kitchen | Newark |
Louis | Seger | Lu Nello | Cedar Grove |
Charles | Tutino | Verjus Restau | Maplewood |
Heinrich K. | Aichem | Black Forest I | Stanhope |
Andre | de Waal | Andre's | Newton |
Michael | Weisshaupt | Restaurant La | Hamburg |
Jose | Aviles | Paterson | |
Carlo | Carbonaro | Bottagra | Hawthorne |
Jose | Velez | Toscania Tratt | Little Falls |
Kristopher | Greene | Atlantic Bar & | Seaside Park |
Mike | Jurusz | 709 | Point Pleasant |
Artie | Keenan | Bay Head Yac | Bay Head |
Christopher | Albrecht | Eno Terra | Kingston |
Tim | Amoroso | Witherspoon | Princeton |
Scott | Anderson | elements | Princeton |
Frank | Caponi | Medittera | Princeton |
Chris | Graciano | Witherspoon | Princeton |
Mario | Mangone | Chambers Wa | Lawrenceville |
Will | Mooney | The Brothers | Hopewell |
Manuel | Perez | The Peacock I | Princeton |
Salvatore | Scarlata | Vidalia | Lawrenceville |
Craig | Shelton | Aeon Hospital | Princeton |
Bobby | Trigg | The Ferry Hou | Princeton |
Edgar | Urias | Blue Point Gri | Princeton |
Jim | Weaver | Tre Piani | Princeton |
Justin | Braun | Rocky Hill | |
Bill | Dorrler | Osteria Morin | Bernardsville |
Mark | Farro | Uproot Resta | Warren |
David | Felton | Ninety Acres | Peapack |
Corey | Heyer | The Bernard's | Bernardsville |
Melissa | Hill | twofiftytwo | Bedminster |
Scott | Howlett | Sublime | Peapack |
Kevin | Knevals | Osteria Morin | Bernardsville |
Allan | Russo | Sette | Bernardsville |
Filippo | Russo | Da Filippo's Ri | Somerville |
John | Tocci | Water & Wine | Watchung |
Kara | Decker | A Toute Heur | Cranford |
Andrew | DiCataldo | Patria | Rahway |
Bill | Hendra | Huntley Taver | Summit |
Bruce | Johnson | Roots Steakh | Summit |
Joseph | Mastrella | Luciano's Rist | Rahway |
C.J. | Reycraft Jr. | Chez Catherin | Westfield |
Frank | Rizzo | The Italian Pa | Cranford |
Ed | Stone | Baltusrol Golf | Springfield |
Peter | Turso | Ursino | Union |
George | Vastardis | Limani Seafoo | Westfield |
Carl | Messick | Peter Shields I | Cape May |
Anthony | Micari | The Ebbitt Ro | Cape May |
Claude | Pottier | Claude's Rest | North Wildwo |