stories:
Feature
The CHOW 13
Our first annual awards, presenting a baker’s dozen of provocateurs, trendsetters, and rabble-rousers
By Lessley AndersonFor our first annual awards, CHOW.com salutes 13 people who made us what we are today.
- Christina Tosi
- Bryant Terry
- Sam Calagione
- Roy Choi
- Deborah Madison
- Ryan Farr
- Richard Blakeley
and Jessica Amason - Josh Viertel
- Sandor Katz
- Duane Sorenson
- Novella Carpenter
- Matt Timms
And by “we,” we mean everybody in our contemporary culinary world. And by “today,” we mean right now, 2009. The world is a different place than it was last year, and these people made it that way. Why are we actually considering a chicken in our tiny backyard? Why are we following lunch carts on Twitter? Why is the beer aisle stocked with names that sound like insults?
Because a few people decided to do things differently. And their new ideas were so good that we followed. Together, their work is a snapshot of the culinary zeitgeist of 2009.
CHOW.com gives credit where credit is due: to 13 people who have changed the way we eat and drink, and talk and think about food.
I'm not getting this pick. Micro beer is 25 years old, and the 'special ingredients' story is way overdone. This guy is just slightly more interesting and his beers are just slightly better.
Great job on 10 of 13 picks. But picking Deb Madison in Chow 2009 is like giving Scorcese that Oscar a couple years back...the timing is wrong, just give the Lifetime Achievement Award instead. And really guys, you've picked a beer guy and a gourmet coffee guy...in 2009? NOTHING has really changed/no innovation in coffee or beer since 1988...just a few new personalities who hit the market more right, that's all.
Just because people have been doing coffee bars since 1988 doesn't mean they've been doing them right.
::cough::Starbucks::cough::
And no, people weren't doing anything close to what Caligione, Cilurzo, Arthur, Allagash, et al are doing now 20+ years ago. Wait a sec, how many of those guys from back then are still at it? Surprisingly few.
By your reasoning, no one should get superlatives for any of this slow food, locavorism nonsense because really, no one's done anything new with that, oh, since the beginning of human civilization.
Props to the "head shot" illustrator. They too deserve credit....heck, why not credit them!
HillJ -- we love our illustrators, there are four of them and we're so proud of the work that they did. They are Nathan Fox, Yuko Shimizu, Frank Stockton, and Eamo. Their credit lines are underneath each image.
@davina-thank you pointing me in the right direction and highlighting each illustrator in the comments box. They all rock!
I have to disagree-What Sam Calagione is doing for beer has brought the craft beer movement to a whole new level. Just one example is Dogfish Head's ancient ale series, or "liquid time capsules." They recreate and reinterpret ancient brewed beverages based on chemical analysis of pottery shards from archeological finds. You may think that this idea is purely novel, but the ales are intricate, unconventional, and most of all delicious! Beer is the new wine, and Sam Calagione proves it.
I am so deeply over Slow Food USA. Was cool in 2000, definitely does not merit attention now. 300 picnics is the stuff of revolution? Big time boring, just like Slow Food has been for...um....the past decade? Novella deserves the shout out, awesome.
But, it's the first time you guys are doing this so I am sure it will get better!