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Home , Andrew Zimmern, Benu, Bobby Flay, Daniel Boulud, David Chang, Eric Ripert

HISTORY 32 Years

1983 Founders Gary Plumley of the Grape and Grain in Aspen and Bob and Ruth Kevan of Chez Grandmere in Snowmass Village launch the Aspen/Snowmass International Wine Classic in June. Hosted by the Aspen Resort Association and Snowmass Resort Association and sponsored by American Express, the inaugural Classic attracts more than 300 people and is held in Aspen and Snowmass Village.

1986 Food & Wine Magazine becomes title sponsor of the Aspen/Snowmass International Wine Classic.

1987 Name is changed to Aspen/Snowmass Food & Wine Classic. Program is expanded to include food exhibitors, food authorities as speakers and cooking demonstrations by master chefs, in addition to wine tastings and seminars. More than 1,000 people attend the Classic.

Annual concurrent trade program for restaurateurs is introduced, along with annual “Dining Out with the Winemaker Program.”

“Great Chefs Dinner” features chefs of Beverly Hills’ Spago Restaurant, Jimmy Schmidt of the Rattlesnake Club in , Michael Pieton of Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach and Gordon Naccarato of Gordon’s in Aspen.

1988 Program features wine experts Robert Finigan, Rory Callahan, Joshua Wesson, John Frederick Walker, Elin McCoy, Eunice Fried and Kevin Zraly, as well as master chefs Alex Patout, Bradley Ogden, Dean Fearing, Jasper White, Gordon and Rebecca Naccarato and Jim Dodge. Nearly 1,500 people attend the Classic.

Food & Wine Magazine introduces “America’s Best New Chefs” award.

1989 Program features wine experts Coleman Andrews, Robert Finigan, Alexis Bespaloff, Rory Callahan, Joshua Wesson, David Rosengarten, John Frederick Walker, Elin McCoy, Barbara Ensrud, Eunice Fried and Kevin Zraly, as well as master chefs Bradley Ogden, Jimmy Schmidt, Hubert Keller, Robert Del Grande, Gordon and Rebecca Naccarato and Jim Dodge. Nearly 2,000 people attend Classic.

American Express presents the third annual concurrent trade program for restaurateurs.

1990 is featured speaker at what is now the most renowned event of its kind. Other chefs on program include Jim Dodge, Hubert Keller, Joyce Goldstein, Robert Del Grande, Robert McGrath, and David Liederman. Wine experts include John Frederick Walker, Elin

McCoy, Dan Berger, Bill St. John. Alexis Bespaloff, Rory Callahan, Coleman Andrews, Barbara Ensrud, Joshua Wesson and David Rosengarten. More than 2,500 attend the Classic.

1991 Celebrity chefs on program include Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Patricia Wells, Marion Cunningham, Mark Miller, Bruce Cost and Penelope Casas. Wine authorities include Robert Parker, Jr., John Frederick Walker, Elin McCoy, Bill St. John, Alexis Bespaloff, Rory Callahan, Barbara Ensrud, Joshua Wesson and David Rosengarten. More than 2,500 people attend.

1992 Name is changed to Aspen Food & Wine Classic as event outgrows facilities in Snowmass Village and moves solely to Aspen for its tenth anniversary celebration.

Celebrity speakers on the consumer program include Patricia Wells, Robert Parker, Jr., , Giuliano Bugialli, Barbara Tropp, , Paula Wolfert, John Frederick Walker, Dan Berger, Bill St. John, David Rosengarten and Kevin Zraly. More than 3,000 people attend.

Food & Wine Magazine’s “Top 25 Restaurants in America” awards are announced at a luncheon sponsored by Champagne Mumm.

Recipients of the first Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNa) are honored at the Classic.

1993 The 11th Annual Aspen Food & Wine Classic celebrates an expanded all-star cast of more than 25 culinary masters and wine experts including Julia Child, , Patricia Wells, Robert Parker, Jr., Jacques Pépin, Marion Cunningham, Barbara Troop, Elin McCoy, John Frederick Walker, Victor Hazan, Rory Callahan and Joshua Wesson, to name a few. The event draws a 3,000-plus crowd of food and wine lovers and restaurateurs.

1994 The 12th Aspen Food & Wine Classic features cuisine and wine from nearly 30 food and wine experts, led by Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Victor Hazan, Jacques Pépin, Patricia Wells, Marion Cunningham, Frank Prial and Alan Richman. Other participating food and wine authorities include Barbara Tropp, Stephen Pyles, , Rory Callahan, Barbara Ensrud, James Galileo, , John Frederieck Walker and Joshua Wesson, among others.

Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in America award honors Rick Tramonto and of Trio, Evanston, III, Greg Sonnier of Gabrielle, New Orleans; Robbin Haas, Colony Bistro in Miami; Michael Cordua of Churrascos in Houston; Allesandro Stratta, Marey Elaine’s in Scottsdale; Charles Wiley, The Boulders Resort, Carefree, Ariz.; Gerald Hirogoyen, Fringale, ; Reed Hearon of Lulu in San Francisco; Tamara Murphy, Champagne, ; and Matthew Kenney of Matthew’s in City. Event draws more than 4,000 people.

1995 Having earned the reputation as the “granddaddy of them all” by , the 13th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Class at Aspen continues to attract an all-star cast from around the world. Included are the renowned masters—Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Marcella & Victor Hazan, Patricia Wells and Frank Prial—as well as other culinary leaders, including Gerald Hirigoyen, Barbara Troop, Zarela Martinez, Don Yamauchi and Penelope Casas, all of whom provide unique insights and cooking tips about ethnic cuisine and cooking styles. Event attracts record attendance of 5,000.

Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best Chefs in America” awards, presented by Baileys Original Irish Cream, are given to nine rising stars including Terrance Brennan of Picholine, ; Charles Dale of Renaissance, Aspen; Traci Des Jardins of Rubicon, San Francisco; Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano of Bacchanalia, ; the late John Neal of Peristyle, New Orleans; Pascal Oudin of The Grand Café, Miami; John Schenk of Monkey Bar, New York City; and Hallman Woods of Le Rosier, New Iberia, LA.

1996 Now reputed to be the largest epicurean event of its kind in the country, the event attracted a capacity of 5,000 participants and was aired live on . Featuring a seminar or wine tasting for everyone, every minute of the day, the 14th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen showcased 20 master chefs and 80 seminars on cooking, wine and industry trade programs. In addition, the Classic debuts its first-ever International Pavilion, including culinary and wine representatives from around the world including Portugal, Canada, and Ireland.

Ten recipients are announced and honored as Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best Chefs in America” and include: Scott Byran of Luma, New York City; Gilles Epie of L’Orangerie, ; Maria Helm of PlumpJack Café, San Francisco; Matthew Lake of New Heights Restaurant, Washington, DC; Barbara Lynch of Galleria Italiana, ; Jim Moffat of 42º, San Francisco; Nick Morfogen of Ajax Tavern, Aspen; Monica Pope of Boulvard Bistro, Houston; Michael School of Café Louis, Boston; and Lance Dean Velasquez of 1848 House, Marietta, GA.

1997 The 15th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen culminates in a panel discussion with Jacques Pépin and Julia Child, with culinary authorities posing questions for the master chefs to answer. makes his first appearance at the Classic, joining other food and wine experts such as Marcella & Victor Hazan, Allen Susser, Robert M. Parket Jr., Joshua Wesson and the “Too Hot Tamales.” To help Food & Wine commemorate the 10th year of the Best New award, more than 50 of the former recipients are reunited at the Classic. devotes prominent coverage to the event. The number of participants hits maximum capacity, with more than 5,000 people in attendance.

Ten recipients are honored as Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs in America” and include: George W. Brown, Jr. of Seventeen in , TX; Josiah Citrin and Raphael Lunetta of JiRaffe in Santa Monica, CA; Tony Clark of Tony Clark’s in , PA; John Cochran of Rupperts in Washington, DC; Kelsie Kerr and Marsha McBride of Café Rouge in Berkeley, CA; Sotohiro Kosugi of Soto Japanese Restaurant in Atlanta, GA; Keith Luce of Spruce in , IL; Tim McKee of D’Amico Cucina in , MN; Daniel Patterson of Babette’s in Sonoma, CA; Dan Silverman of Alison on Dominick in New York, NY.

1998 Good Morning America is on hand once again, gaining live coverage of the 16th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen. The Classic Cook-Off is introduced and becomes an instant hit featuring a cooking contest between Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pépin and Susan Feniger. Other members of the all-star cast include Patricia Wells, Frank Prial, Joshua Wesson. Charlie Palmer, Mary Ewing Mulligan, and Andrea Immer. The number of participants is capped with more than 5,000 people in attendance (although demand remains higher).

Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in America for 1998: Oliver Altherr of Hoku’s in Honolulu, HI; Rene Michelena of La Bettola in Boston, MA; Danielle Custer of Laurels in Dallas, TX; Guillermo Pernot of Vega Grill in Philadelphia, PA; Trey Foshee of The Tree Room in Sundance, UT; Katy Sparks of Quilty’s in New York, NY; Lee Hefter of Spago Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, CA; of Lola Bistro in , OH; Anne Kearnet of Peristyle in New Orleans, LA; Laurent Tourondel of the soon to open Cello in new York, NY.

1999 A complete redesign of the tents takes place for the 17th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen, adding square footage and making room for more international participants such as New Zealand. More than 40 of the world’s foremost authorities on food and wine are on hand to make this one of the strongest epicurean line-ups ever to assemble. The culinary superstars include , Jacques Pépin, Patricia Wells, Bobby Flay, Jacques Torrés, , Dean Fearing, Too Hot Tamales, Danny Meyer, Joshua Wesson and Andrea Immer. The TV devotes a one-hour special to the event, while CNN airs a half-hour segment on its Travel Now show. The number of participants continues at maximum capacity, with more than 5,000 people in attendance.

Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in America for 1999: of Artesia in New Orleans, LA; Rocco DiSpirito of Union Pacific in New York, NY; Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles, CA; Paul Kahan of Blackbird in Chicago, IL; James Mazzio of 15° in Boulder, CO; James McDevitt of Hapa in Scottsdale, AZ; dale Reitzer of Acacia in Richmond, VA; Steve Rosen of Salts in Cambridge, MA; Ron Siegel of Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco, CA; Marc Vetri of Vetri in Philadelphia, PA.

2000 Now in its 18th year, the Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen boasts over 5,000 patrons. This year’s highlights included Emeril Lagasse broadcasting live on ABC’s Good Morning America and star chef making his first appearance at the Classic. With over 30 of the world’s foremost cooking and wine authorities, 80 cooking demonstrations, and 1,000 wines, the Classic is once again deemed the best culinary event in the country. For the first time in the history of the Classic, Mexico was represented.

Food & Wine Magazine’s 10 Best New Chefs in America include: Andrew Carmellini, Café Boulud, New York; Ted Cizma, , Chicago; Andrea Curto, Wish, Miami Beach; Loren Falsone, Empire, Providence, RI; Eric Moshier, Empire, Providence, RI; Tom Goodell, Aubergine, Newport Beach, Michael Leviton, Lumière, West Newton, MA; Amanda Lydon, Truc, Boston; Jospeh Wrede, Joseph’s Table, Taos; and Takashi Yagihashi, Tribute, Farmington Hills, MI.

Media coverage this year was stellar, including comprehensive coverage in U.S. News & World Report and Wine Enthusiast.

2001 Jacques Pépin receives the National Father’s Day Committee’s “Father of the Year “ Award and prepares a Father’s Day feast with his daughter Claudine at the 19th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen. Again, over 5,000 people sample nearly 1,000 wines from 300 vintners, attend over 80 cooking demonstrations, and rub elbows with the best-known chefs in the country.

The Classic’s 10 Best New Chefs of 2001 include: Kelly Courtney, Mod, Chicago; Wylie DuFresne, 71 Clinton Fresh Food, New York; Randy Lewis, Indigo, New Orleans; Anita Lo, Annisa, New York; Michael Reidt, Bomboa, Boston; Craig Stroll, Delfina, San Francisco; John Sundstrom, Earth & Ocean, Seattle; Sandro Gamba, NoMi, Chicago; and Will Packwood, Emilia’s, Austin, TX.

For the first time, consumer attendees can attend a trade seminar on making the most of a restaurant experience. Media coverage included Parade Magazine and USA Today. Additionally, EXTRA!, the Style Network, and CNN’s “Live This Morning” covered the Classic.

2002 Trumpeting unparalleled success over the past two decades, this year marked the 20th anniversary celebration of the Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen. The star chef line-up boasted Wolfgang Puck, who was enjoying his first year at the Classic, , , Thomas Keller, , Charlie Trotter, and Mario Batali. Food Network host Gordon Elliott dubbed the Classic “a media circus.” Over 110 press attended and nearly 200 stories resulted.

The country’s 10 Best New Chefs in America were once again honored: Grant Ascatz, Trio, Chicago; Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, Athens, GA; Michael Anthony, Blue Hill, New York; Dan Barber, Blue Hill, New York; Laurent Gras, Fifth Floor, San Francisco; John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans; Thomas John, Mantra, Boston; Deborah Knight, Mosaic, Scottsdale; Mark Sullivan, Village Pub, Woodside, CA; Fabio Trabocchi, Maestro, McLean, VA; and Suzanne Tracht, Jar, Los Angeles.

2003 The 21st Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen sells out faster this year than any year before it. Celebrities came out in full force: Kevin Costner, John O’Hurley, and Law and Order’s all showed off their talents during the Classic Cook-Off.

The Classic’s 10 Best New Chefs of 2003 include Bryan Moscatello, Denver, CO, Stuart Brioza, Tapawingo, Ellsworth, MI; David J. Bull, Driskill Grill, Austin, TX; Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale; Cornelius Gallagher, Oceana, New York; Gabriel Kreuther, Atelier at the Ritz Carlton, New York; David Meyers, Sona, Los Angeles; Angel Palacios, La Broche, Miami; Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago; and Scott Tycer, Aries Restaurant, Houston.

Media coverage includes USA Today, Wall St. Journal, Miami Herald and with over 100 members of the media in attendance.

2004 The 22nd annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen shines with a star-studded roster of chefs, including Patricia Quintana, , and . This year marked the 15th anniversary of the American Express Restaurant Trade Program with a first-time session titled Independents and Chains: A Meeting of the Minds. Participants included Niki Leondakia of Kimpton Group and Chris Sullivan of Outback Steakhouse. Another high note was the Classic Cook-Off which featured of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Once again, the Classic sold out early, with more than 5,000 in attendance.

Food & Wine’s 2004 Best New Chefs were Graham Elliot Bowles The Jackson House Inn & Restaurant, Woodstock, VT, Scott Conant, L’Impero, New York, NY, Scott Dolich, Park Kitchen, Portland, OR, Rob Evans, Hugo’s, Portland, ME, Dominique Filoni, Savona, Gulph Mills, PA, Eric Michel Klein, Maple Drive, Los Angeles, CA, Marc Orfaly, Pigalle, Boston, MA, Melissa Perello, Charles Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA, Bradford Thompson, Mary Elaine’s at The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ, and Mat Wolf, Gautreau’s, New Orleans, LA.

2005 Flay, Pepin, Batali, Lagasee, Zraly, Immer, Wesson. In its 23rd year, the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen continues to be a gathering place for the biggest names in the business (not to mention international celebrities and VIPS, such as Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls and Queen Noor of Jordan. Notable numbers include over 300 vintners and winemakers pouring wines in the Grand Tasting Tents, a record-breaking 16 sponsors, and a sell-out crowd of 5,000 attendees.

Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs 2005 include Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin, TX, Seth Bixby Daugherty, Cosmos, Minneapolis, MN, Christophe Emé, Ortolan, Los Angeles, CA, Shea Gallante, Cru, New York, NY, Colby Garrelts, bluestem, Kansas City, MO, Maria Hines, Earth & Ocean, Seattle, WA, Daniel Humm, Campton Place Restaurant, San Francisco, CA, Lachlan Mackinnon- Patterson, Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO, Tony Maws, Craigie Street Bistrot, Cambridge, MA, and Eric Ziebold, CityZen, Washington, D.C.

2006 It’s a year of firsts for the 24th Annual Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen: The first time Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse appeared together at the event; the first time a cocktail seminar (The Perfect Cocktail Party with Tony Abou-Ganim) was offered; and the first time the Classic Cookoff included one of Bravo’s (). Master chefs including Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse and Daniel Boulud, and rising new talents like , , Jose Andres and Suzanne Goin, drew celebrities including Jamie Lynn Sigler and Judith Light, as well as an enthusiastic crowd of 5,000 attendees.

Food &Wine Best New Chefs are Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA, Jonathan Benno, , New York, NY, Michael Carlson, Schwa, Chicago, IL, , , New York, NY, Mary Dumont, The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH, Douglas Keane, Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA, Christopher Lee, Striped Bass, Philadelphia, PA, Pino Maffeo,

Restaurant L, Boston, MA, Jason Wilson, Crush, Seattle, WA, and Stewart Woodman, Five, Minneapolis, MN.

2007 The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen celebrates its 25th year. The magazine launches its Grow for Good charitable initiative to celebrate the honor and adopts major efforts to “green” the event. In celebration of the Classic’s 25th Anniversary, F&W has pledged to raise $1 million for its Grow for Good in support of Farm to Table, a national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encourage sustainable agriculture. Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, and Giada De Laurentiis are just a few of the chefs sharing their kitchen secrets with 5,000 attendees.

Food & Wine Best New Chefs are: April Bloomfield, Spotted Pig, New York, NY, Gabriel Bremer, Salts, Cambridge, MA, Steve Corry, Five Fifty-Five, Portland, ME, Matthew Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle, WA, Gavin Kaysen, El Bizcocho, San Diego, CA, Johnny Morris, Komi, Washington, DC, Sean O’Briend, Myth, San Francisco, CA, Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR, Ian Schnoebelen, Iris, New Orleans, LA, Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs, IL.

2008 The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen boasts over 95 demos and seminars. David Chang, Bobby Flay, Michelle Bernstein, Ming Tsai are just a few of the bold names wowing audiences with their tips. Wine lovers also got great advice, delicious sips, and tips on wine from experts including Danny Meyer, Alder Yarrow, Josh Wesson, and F&W’s very own Ray Isle.

2008 marks the 20th Anniversary of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs. Best New Chefs recognizes ten rising culinary stars. The 2008 Best New Chefs are: Jim Burke, James, Philadelphia, PA, Gerard Craft, Niche, St. Louis, MO, Tim Cushman, O Ya, Boston, MA, Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA, Koren Grieveson, Avec, Chicago, IL, Michael Psilakis, Kefi, New York, NY, Ethan Stowell, Union, Seattle, WA, Giuseppe Tentori, Boka, Chicago, IL, Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, VT, Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans, LA.

2009 The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen continues to bring foodies and celebrity chefs together. The Classic continues to open the dialogue between and their fans. The Classic featured over 80 seminars and demos where food and wine experts shared their secrets, tips, and passion. Editor in Chief Dana Cowin also marked her 15th Annivesary with a toast on PlumTV. In a switch, the signature Sunday event, the Classic Cook-off, changed to the Classic Quickfire featuring Jacques Pepin, Ming Tsai, Top Chef New York winner Hosea Rosenberg, and Top Chef Chicago winner . Top Chef judges and presided over the judges’ table, alongside Editor in Chief Dana Cowin. The top bidder at a live auction, benefiting KitchenAid’s Cook For The Cure, filled the fourth seat at judges’ table.

2009 Best New Chefs are: Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco, CA, Bryan Caswell, Reef, Houston, TX, Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook, Animal, Los Angeles, CA, Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, Memphis, TN, Mark Fuller, Spring Hill, Seattle, WA, Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta, GA, Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA, Paul Liebrandt, Corton, New York, NY, Naomi, Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, OR

2010 The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen offers day passes for the first time, providing guests the opportunity to attend two Grand Tastings in a single day and tickets are sold to the 2010 F&W Best New Chefs Dinner.

2010 F&W Best New Chefs are: , Kogi BBQ truck, Los Angeles, CA, Matt Lightner, Castagna, Portland, OR, Clayton Miller, Trummer's on Main, Clifton, VA, Missy Robbins, A Voce, NY, NY, Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland, OH, Alex Seidel, Fruition, Denver, CO, Mike Sheerin, Blackbird, Chicago, IL, John Shields, Town House, Chilhowie, VA, Jason Stratton, Spinasse, Seattle, WA, James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA

2011 Culinary icons continue to gather for over 80 cooking and wine seminars at the 29th annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Jacques Pepin, Andrew Zimmern are just a few of the bold-faced names to participate while the F&W Classic again unveils the latest emerging trends from the culinary world. , , and Mario Lopez all come on location.

2011 F&W Best New Chefs are: Bowman Brown & Viet Pham, Forage, Salt Lake City, UT, Jason Franey, Canlis, Seattle, WA, Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine and Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, Austin, TX, Stephanie Izard, Girl & The Goat, Chicago, IL, James Lewis, Bettola, Birmingham, AL, George Mendes Aldea, NY, NY, Carlo Mirarchi, Roberta’s, Brooklyn, NY, Joshua Skenes, , San Francisco, CA, Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus, St. Louis, MO, Ricardo Zarate, Mo-Chica, Los Angeles, CA

2012 The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen reaches its milestone 30th year and introduces ten new features including the first-ever live music concert by Elvis Costello & The Blue Beguilers and food by Mario Batali, Jose Andres and Michel Nischan, a charity 5k race with Bobby Flay, a late night dessert party with Gail Simmons and Johnny Iuzzini and a hands-on knife skills seminar presented by Sur La Table. 2012 F&W Best New Chefs moves to the Grand Tasting Pavilion throughout the entire weekend, giving all attendees a chance to discover the emerging culinary talent. Tickets sell-out in April.

F&W Best New Chefs are: Erik Anderson & Josh Habiger The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN Mario Carbone & Rich Torrisi, Torrisi Italian Specialties, New York, NY, Danny Grant ,RIA, Chicago, IL, Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen, New York, NY, Corey Lee, , San Francisco, CA, Jenn Louis, Lincoln Restaurant, Portland, OR, Cormac Mahoney, Madison Park Conservatory, Seattle, WA, Bryant Ng, The Spice Table, Los Angeles, CA, Karen Nicolas, Equinox, Washington, DC, Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA

2013 FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen sells out at the end of March, earliest since 2008. 2013 talent line-up includes: Mario Batali, José Andrés, Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, Tim Love, Jacques Pépin, Ming Tsai, Hugh Acheson and Andrew Zimmern. A new conversation series, Classic Conversations, lead by Editor Dana Cowin, is added to the program. Actress Allison Janney joins Andrew Zimmern as his sous chef in the Classic Cook-off against .

FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen celebrated the 25th anniversary of FOOD & WINE Best New Chefs with a special dinner at the top of the mountain featuring Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, John Besh, and David Chang. In addition, the charity 5K race returns, along with the Last Bite late night dessert party.

2013 FOOD & WINE Best New Chefs cook in the Grand Tasting Pavilion, including: Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food, New York; Justin Cogley of Aubergine, Carmel, CA; Jose Enrique of Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR; Matthew Gaudet of West Bridge, Boston, MA; Jamie Malone of Sea Change, Minneapolis, MN; Chris Shepherd of Underbelly, Houston, TX; Alex Stupak of Empellón Cocina, New York; Andy Ticer & Michael Hudman of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN; Jason Vincent of Nightwood, Chicago, IL; and Ink, Los Angeles, CA .

2014 FOOD & WINE Classic sells out at record pace, selling out at the end of February.

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