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San Francisco Boasts of Influence of Chefs You Have Never Heard Of

Not that Alice Waters wasn't influential, but...
Not that Alice Waters wasn’t influential, but… Photo: Getty Images

The San Francisco Chronicle, under the mistaken impression that the San Francisco Bay Area, rather than New York, is the epicenter of gastronomy, is profiling the twenty of the area’s great tastemakers. “Many national dining trends have their roots here, and it’s where dedicated food lovers and chefs from around the country come to play and get inspired,” asserts the Chronicle. “But the Bay Area’s visionary chefs are more than great cooks; they are people who have made Northern California an epicurean epicenter.” The first half of the list, which came out today, includes Alice Waters, Tony Gulisano, Paula LeDuc, Thomas Keller, Cindy Pawlcyn, Craig Stoll, Emily Luchetti, Charles Phan, Jeremy Fox, and Gerald Hirigoyen. Now, the fact that you’ve likely heard of only two of these chefs doesn’t discredit the list; many San Franciscans probably don’t know Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mario Batali, or Tom Colicchio. Everything is relative. But between the Chronicle’s list and even the most cursory gathering-up of our stars, it reassures us, yet again, of New York’s absolute primacy in all things restaurant-related. If you had to make a list of the ten most influential New York chefs, who would they be?

The Bay Area’s Visionary Chefs [San Francisco Chronicle via Serious Eats]

San Francisco Boasts of Influence of Chefs You Have Never Heard Of