Age: 37. Why she's rising: Bought four flagship restaurants from Restaurant Development Group to form Chicago's largest woman-owned restaurant organization. Concentrated within a three-block radius, the restaurants (Club Creole, Kinzie Chophouse...

MATTHEW LAKE Chef, New Heights Restaurant, Washington, D.C...

Age: 48. Why she's rising: Triple Creek Ranch was recently named one of the top 10 Small Resorts in the U.S.; was named 1998 Woman of the Year by the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality; was recently named president and c.e.o. of the...

Age: 43. Why is she rising? Since joining Avado in 1985, Waldrep played a significant role in the development of more than 240 Applebee's Restaurants. After Avado sold off Applebee's, Waldrep continued her development efforts for Avado's other...

Age: 37. Why he's rising: Tuttleman opened a Kahunaville nightclub in Wilmington in the early 1990s. He's since developed the concept into a five-unit theme restaurant chain. He's expanding the concept by targeting second-tier restaurant markets...

Age: 34. Why he's rising: Adjey is not a cook, he's an artist whose beautiful food is surpassed only by the sophistication of his flavors. Background: A native of Toronto, Adjey is a CIA graduate who cooked at several high profile Toronto...