Bravo's Top Chef is undeniably the biggest food reality cooking show in America today. So how's it working out for stars of the show who aren't on Life After Top Chef? To find out, we tracked down some of the show's biggest stars at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Chefs from seasons past, including everyone from Harold Dieterle to Ed Lee, weigh in on what's next for them, whether life's really changed since Top Chef, and what advice they have for chefs on the upcoming Top Chef: Seattle.
What do Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, and Rick Bayless all share in common, aside from all being culinary legends? They all rose to fame thanks to the accolade of Best New Chef, an award bestowed upon a smattering of chefs each year by Food & Wine magazine. The 2012 winners, who received a showcase at this year's Classic in Aspen, talked to us about what it means to have the honor, and why it's so important. Hear what they have to say, plus find out how the award's changed the lives of chef personalities from Michael Symon to John Besh.
You see it each year as a prize on Top Chef: a showcase at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. But what exactly does that mean? And what separates the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen from everything else on the food festival circuit? To find out, we tapped the brains of Michael Symon, Jacques Torres, John Besh, Ed Lee, and a slew of other star talent. Is it the fresh mountain air? The sheer quantity of culinary celebrity? Keep watching for the answer — and our Aspen trend report, straight off the slopes.
What's it like to be a part of the most respected food festival in America? We headed to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen to give you a glimpse of the action, from a star-studded backyard party to a chat with chef Michael Symon to a peek into the world's smallest speakeasy. Watch the video to take a look at some of our favorite moments from this year's Classic.
Does your bucket list include a food-filled trip to one of America's biggest culinary retreats? If so, then be sure to bookmark the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, which took place this past week in one of America's most breathtaking mountain towns. Weren't able to make it this time around? No worries: we caught many of the weekend's culinary demos, chef seminars, and after-dark soirées, just so we could report back to you. See what you missed out on — hey, maybe you can go next year! — when you click below.
 Best Bites |
 Scene Snapshots |
 Best New Chef Dishes |
 Star Chef Insights |
 Food Trends |
 Chefs' Kitchen Tips |
With its star-chef presence and around-the-clock offerings of food and drink, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen is quite possibly the best place to spot the latest culinary trends. Last year, we eyed plenty of fruity-spicy cocktails, sea urchin, and Spanish croquettes, all of which proved to be huge over the past year. When we looked into this year's Classic crystal ball, what did we see? Find out when you keep reading.
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Grant Achatz and Tom Colicchio both used to work for the great Thomas Keller, so when the three chefs reconvened at the new Chefs Club over this past weekend's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, it was just a gathering of great chefs, but also a reunion of sorts.
The three chefs — Achatz of Chicago hot spot Alinea, Colicchio of Top Chef and Craft fame, and Keller of French Laundry — were at the event for a panel discussion hosted by Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin, where the four discussed everything from the state of the restaurant industry to the future of fine dining to what's next for each of them.
Grant Achatz
To see more thoughts from three great chefs, keep reading.
At the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, cooking demonstrations and wine seminars take place all the way from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, and one might sit down to learn about any cooking topic, from knife skills 101 to a primer on the Northern whites of Italy. This year, I sat in on each of these seminars — led by Andrew Zimmern, Bobby Flay, and Michael Symon, respectively — where I learned at least a few great tips from each star chef, regardless of the discussion at hand.
Source: WireImage
Behold: the three best tips I learned from three of this weekend's biggest celebrity chefs.
From the Grand Tasting to this year's Best New Chefs dishes, there was a lot of food and drink to be consumed at this year's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen — most of it solid, some of it questionable, and a handful of it truly exceptional.
Which bites and sips from the weekend truly left a mark? Find out when you keep reading.
Considering how excited we were to see Andrew Zimmern at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, it's a good thing his cooking demo took place first thing Friday morning. In the Game On! seminar, the Bizarre Foods host (pictured here at Austin Food & Wine) showed the audience how to cook with game like antelope, elk, and venison, but he also prepared a Japanese yakitori-style duck breast over rice. Even more informative than his duck preparation was his discussion of duck fat, which he declared useful in just about everything. Here are a few things we discovered could be made better with duck fat:
We can't wait to try the farmhouse vinaigrette. What do you do with duck fat?
