Drew Araneo, Drew’s Bayshore Bistro
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques might be Jersey all the way, but the food at his destination in Keyport speaks with a decided N’Awlins accent. The very personal ways this local hero reinterprets Southern classics with Garden State ingredients have been drawing diners for almost two decades.
Fredy Umanzor, Chef Fredy’s Table
The newest inductee to TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques has spent 40 years in Morris County pro kitchens. Today, as chef-mentor and devoted community member, he’s the proud co-owner of his own restaurant in the competitive county seat.
Danilo Ayala, End of Elm
The newest inductee to TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques brings the flavors of his native El Salvador to his menu at this hotspot in Morristown as well as the hard-working energy he learned at the side of his pro-cook mother.
Bradley Rodriguez, Spring Lake Seafood
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques takes deep dives into the world of fishes and translates each into dishes that reflect their source, their freshness and their distinctive and inherent flavor.
Ken Mansfield, Strada
The newest addition to TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques is tending to Italian classics in Atlantic Highlands, where he dials in on the details of making fresh pasta and pizzas from his sourdough starter. What causes his selector, David Viana, to return again and again? Consistency of craft.
David Viana, Lita
The newest inductee into TPW’s elite chef-picks-chef society of top toques in the Garden State first garnered acclaim from diners and his peers for his innovative and technically precise plates. Powered today by a commitment to consistency and person-to-person connections, David Viana is far from finished when it comes to innovating. At his newest restaurant, Lita in Aberdeen, he’s serving up riffs on family recipes as well as a fresh perspective on hospitality.
Alec Gioseffi, Ironbound
Not many chefs can say they’ve helped to build their restaurant from the literal ground up. But the newest member of TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques has done just that, using his synergistic approach to food, farming and community to tie it all together at Ironbound Farm and Ciderhouse in Hunterdon County.
Eddie Aguilar, The Stirling Hotel
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques has mastered work-life balance all the while expressing his far-ranging experiences and talents on every plate. As his fan and selector notes, he’s “never lost his flair.”
Luis Blasini-Sinchi, 7 Doors Down Ramen Co.
His life and cross-cultural experiences are expressed on the plates the newest member of TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques serves forth at his destination restaurant in Bloomfield. It’s a Luis Blasini-Sinchi moment and it’s destined to endure.
Joe Beninato, The Frog and the Peach
Once upon a time, he did his homework after school at the bar of the legendary restaurant in New Brunswick while his pastry-chef Mom put the finishing touches on the desserts that would be served that night. Today, Joe Beninato is the newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chefs society of top toques, and driving that very same kitchen.
AJ Capella, Summit House
Unabashedly in love with the Garden State’s abundant and diverse ingredients, the newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques isn’t shy about speaking out on behalf of New Jersey’s glorious foods.
Tom Valenti, Jockey Hollow Bar + Kitchen
Long a resident of Sussex County but more recently head of the kitchen at this mecca in Morristown, the newest inductee into TPW's chef-picks-chef society of top toques made humble foods haute and, in turn, influenced new generations of both chefs and diners.