James Nicas is one of the gems of our business. He has the polish and professionalism, wit and intellect, required for success in hospitality. Nica's food and beverage knowledge has led him to assist in developing hospitality programs in several...

Bryan Miller has restored the luster and admirability of the Time's restaurant critic's column. After Craig Claiborne left the most powerful position in gastronomy, the column languished, first with a series of reporters on the staff who had no...

Alfred Portale is brilliant, skilled, and seriously hard-working -- a chef with exceptional taste (a quality much too rare among the skilled chefs of the time). When he came to the Gotham, a restaurant with no particular identity and a demoralized...

As director of administrative services, Wright is responsible for ensuring the successful placement of graduates from Johnson & Wales College's Foodservice and Hospitality programs. He as been responsible for developing an on-campus recruiting...

John Schwimmer's track record at Bobby McGee's has been exceptional, particularly since March 1984 when he became executive vice president and chief operating officer. He has brought Bobby McGee's to unprecedented levels of sales and profits while...

Dianda grew up in the restaurant business working with his father, Don Dianda, Sr. (Doro's, San Francisco). Although he practiced law for a while after passing the California State Bar in 1981, his love of the hospitality industry led him to...

A journalism graduate from Washington and Lee University, Fred Dame worked in restaurants while an under-graduate to help pay for his education. His interest in the industry increased with exposure. In Monterey and in a number of restaurants, Dame...

Bruce LeFavour is a master of international cuisines. His restaurant has long been considered the finest French restaurant in the Napa Valley. Recently, he has changed the cuisine to Chinese. The quality is as great as before: the dishes are...

Ryan's dedication surpasses the ordinary. Still in his mid-thirties, he has a wealth of work experience, culinary awards and restaurant-related activities to his credit. In 1982, he was a gold medal winner in the International Crab Cooking...

Paul Voto knew, at a young age, that the only thing he ever wanted was to be involved in foodservice. He worked summer jobs in various restaurants throughout high school and learned as much as he could about the business. He attended Culinary...