Chefs from Today's Special

Today’s Special just got a little bit more special!

Phaidon has teamed up with S.Pellegrino and Fine Dining Lovers to introduce a whole new audience to a whole new class of chefs

Our new book, Today’s Special, profiles the people who are going to change the way we eat out in the coming years. In this book, 20 culinary masters select 100 of the most exciting rising-star chefs from around the world.

Of course, booking a table at their restaurants, or indeed any other, is a difficult thing to do right now. That’s why we’ve teamed up with S.Pellegrino, the Italian natural mineral water brand, and Fine Dining Lovers, the gastronomy site, to introduce these new chefs to a new audience, and celebrate the book, while staying safe.

 

Pages from Today's Special
Pages from Today's Special

 

You can read about the full list of chefs at this exclusive page over on Fine Dining Lovers right now.  Like what you see? Well, fortunately, there’s more. S.Pellegrino and Phaidon will host two virtual events featuring leading culinary voices.

Hugh Acheson, world-renowned chef, food writer, and restaurateur, will be in-conversation with two chefs he nominated in Today's Special, Mei Lin (Nightshade, Los Angeles), and Flynn McGarry (Gem, New York). The event will be moderated by Fine Dining Lovers Editor-in-Chief, Ryan King. The second event will pair Manoella "Manu" Buffara (Manu, Curitiba, Brazil) and Diana Dávila (Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago) with a special soon-to-be-announced guest. Both events will be free and open to the public, and we'll be announcing full details soon.

S.Pellegrino and Phaidon are also proud to present 'Today's Special At Home,' a timely program that reflects the ways restaurants have reimagined, evolved, and inspired over the last year. Four restaurants across the country will offer limited edition 'Today's Special At Home' boxes featuring dishes from and inspired by the book. Customers will enjoy an elevated dine-at-home experience accompanied by a copy of Today's Special and a S.Pellegrino Limited Edition Diamond Bottle.

 

Manoella Buffara
Manoella Buffara

 

Each of the participating restaurants will offer something a little different. At Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis, Chef Gavin Kaysen will celebrate his mentor and nominator, Daniel Boulud with a menu that marries the beauty of French cuisine with the bounty of Midwest products.

At Staplehouse in Atlanta, Chef Ryan Smith will offer a selection from his award-winning multicourse tasting menu, as featured in Today's Special.

At Archipelago in Seattle, Chef Aaron Verzosa's 'Today's Special At Home Balikbayan Box' will allow customers to unpack food, stories, and the Pacific Northwest Filipino American Experience.

At Grand Café in Minneapolis, Chef Jamie Malone will capture her restaurant's blend of Belle Epoque romance with her own brand of upper Midwestern pluck.

All in all, it’s a great way to get to know new gastronomic talent, during this difficult time. “The publication of Today’s Special is a celebration of an endlessly dynamic industry that has, most recently, shown courage and solidarity in the face of great challenges,” says Emily Takoudes, Executive Commissioning Editor at Phaidon. “With it I hope we lift up both the people in the industry and their fans, as we join in paying tribute to the young creators who remain eminently influential in their generation’s future.”

 

Diana Dávila
Diana Dávila

 

The featured chefs certainly agree. “Having a mentor who I have looked up to and relied on for years has been one of the most powerful experiences in my life and my career,” says Gavin Kaysen. “To then see my mentor, Daniel Boulud choose me for this book is both an honor and proof that work, drive and grit make you the best that you want to be. He saw something in me that I never saw, he believed in me at times when I didn’t believe in myself, and he made me a better chef and human, I owe him and I will do that by carrying his torch forward and mentor the next generation.”

Chef Aaron Verzosa At Archipelago in Seattle is equally excited about the boxes. His restaurant encourages readers to “continue the story from the pages of your book to the warmth of your home—unpack food, stories, and the Pacific Northwest Filipino American experience from your ‘Today’s Special Balikbayan Box.’​”

 

Today's Special
Today's Special

 

Find out more about those boxes over on Fine Dining Lovers, and find out more about the book here.