Jose Garces  has a big Iron Chef America battle coming up Sunday night, but he's already a winner in my book. Our newest Iron Chef hails from Philadelphia—a city I love dearly (I went to college there). Garces opened his first restaurant, Amada, in Old City just a few months before I graduated, but it quickly became one of my favorite spots. His mini-empire has proliferated since, with restaurants all over Philly and one in Chicago.

Just a couple of months ago, he opened up a new gourmet market/cafe called Garces Trading Company, and he's got more ventures in the works. You may have seen him this week on Nightline, talking about Cinco de Mayo and his Latin roots. With all this plus his Next Iron Chef win last fall, I'd say Garces has experienced a pretty successful five years.