Is it a gamble selecting Rising Star chefs? Yeah, a bit. Most of those we select have not fully blossomed, yet they show a world of promise. But if we may toot our own horn, a large majority of those we've identified as Rising Stars over the last 20-plus years have gone on to become full-fledged stars. Just ask Emeril, Bobby and Todd. So, it's with a great deal of pride we introduce you to this year's class of Rising Star Chefs. You may not know their names or faces yet, but you will. They include, from left to right: Akira Back, Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar, the Bellagio, Las Vegas
Mark Forgione, Forge, New York City
Lindsay Autry, The Lazy Goat, Greenville, SC
Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel, Chicago
Jamie Zelko, Bistro Lancaster, Lancaster Hotel, Houston
Barton Seaver, Hook, Washington, DC
Steven Greene, Devereaux's, Greenville, South Carolina
Jonathon Sawyer, Bar Cento, Cleveland, OH
Not pictured: Clay Conley, Azul, Miami; Giuseppe Tentori, Boka, Chicago; Joel Dennis, Blue Water Grill, Chicago; Jamie Lauren, Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, San Francisco