L'Ecole, France

Tom Colicchio

Chef/Owner Craft Restaurants & 'wichcraft

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio serves as host of Continental International Restaurant Week's Signature Dish Contest. Colicchio, born in Elizabeth, NJ, spent his childhood immersed in food, cooking with his mother and grandmother. It was his father, however, who suggested that he make a career of it. Colicchio taught himself to cook with the help of Jacques Pépin's legendary illustrated manuals on French cooking, La Technique and La Méthode. At the age of 17, he made his kitchen debut in his native town of Elizabeth at Evelyn's Seafood Restaurant.

Colicchio then cooked at prominent New York restaurants such as the Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian. During his tenure as executive chef of Mondrian, Food & Wine magazine selected him as one of the top 10 "Best New Chefs" in the United States, and the New York Times awarded the restaurant three stars.

In July 1994, Colicchio, along with partner Danny Meyer, opened Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan's Gramercy Park neighborhood. In 1996, Ruth Reichl of the New York Times awarded Gramercy Tavern three stars, noting that Colicchio was "cooking with extraordinary confidence, creating dishes characterized by bold flavors and unusual harmonies." Tom's cooking at Gramercy Tavern earned consistent recognition - after three nominations for The James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef-New York" Award, he won it in 2000.

One year later and one block south of Gramercy Tavern, Tom opened Craft. Soon after, in July 2001, William Grimes of The New York Times awarded Craft with three stars, deeming the restaurant "a vision of food heaven."

In 2006, Tom applied his years of experience to cable television as the head judge on Bravo's hit reality cooking series "Top Chef." The Emmy-nominated show premieres its fifth season in fall 2008.

In October 2008, Tom opened Tom: Tuesday Dinner. The restaurant, open every other Tuesday, is the embodiment of Tom's earliest ideals: a signature place that defines him, small enough that he can cook straight from the hip, with his hands on each and every plate.