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James Beard Award winner Tony Mantuano is an influential culinary force, a chef who has been on the ground floor of defining true Italian cuisine in the United States. In addition to his role as chef-partner at Spiaggia, Mantuano is the chef-partner at River Roast, situated on the Chicago River; Bar Toma, an Italian neighborhood pizzeria and bar; Terzo Piano, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; and he is the owner of Mangia Trattoria, a classic Italian restaurant in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mantuano is a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Midwest and the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eating Award, which honors achievement in the food and restaurant industry.Outside of the kitchen, Mantuano is often recognized for his participation on Season Two of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. His other projects include cookbook collaborations with Cathy Mantuano, a wine expert and former manager of Spiaggia. The husband and wife team authored “The Spiaggia Cookbook” and “Wine Bar Food.”Tony's Restaurants:Mangia Trattoria (Kenosha, WI)Spiaggia (Chicago, IL)Cafe Spiaggia (Chicago, IL)Terzo Piano (Chicago, IL)Bar Toma (Chicago, IL)River Roast (Chicago, IL)Portobello Italian Restaurant (Lake Buena Vista, FL)Tony's Books:Wine Bar Food (2008)The Spiaggia Cookbook (2004)

Stuart attended of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York, where he graduated with top honors. He then began his cooking career in the 1990's working for Chef John Hogan in Chicago at the acclaimed Savarin restaurant. Nicole's pastry and baking skills were first nurtured at the Red Hen Bakery in Chicago under Chef Nancy Carey.In the spring of 2000, Stuart and Nicole were hired to be the Executive Chef and Pastry Chef at the legendary Tapawingo in Ellsworth, Michigan. In 2003, Stuart was named one of Food & Wine Magazine's "10 Best New Chefs" of America for his technique and commitment to using the best local ingredients. In 2004, Stuart and Nicole were recruited by Restaurateur Drew Nieporent and Master Sommelier Larry Stone to take over the kitchen at the famed San Francisco restaurant Rubicon. In 2011, Stuart and Nicole opened the award-winning State Bird Provisions, which has introduced a new way of thinking about dinner and service. Aside from earning legions more fans, they have received the following recognition and accolades: Food & Wine Magazine's Best Chef All-Stars 2013; James Beard Award: Best New Restaurant 2013; awarded one Michelin star in 2013.Nicole Krasinski & Stuart Brioza's Restaurant:State Bird Provisions (San Francisco, CA)

Spend a day cooking with Emma Bengtsson, executive chef at Aquavit in New York, and you’ll discover that there’s way more to Swedish cuisine than those iconic meatballs (even though hers are some of the best we’ve ever tasted). But you can still trace nearly everything Bengtsson makes today to the lessons she first learned as an apprentice to the most authentic Scandinavian chef she knew: her grandmother.“I cook food that I love to eat,” she says. “It’s food that comes from where I’m from. It’s what I grew up eating.”Today, however, she’s far removed from her childhood in the small Swedish fishing town of Falkenberg: Bengtsson lives in New York City, where she stands at the helm of Aquavit, for which she’s earned two Michelin stars. “Obviously it’s a little more complicated,” she says of the upscale fare served at her elegant Manhattan establishment, “but the flavor is still there.”Before arriving in New York, Bengtsson spent 9 years as a pastry chef in Stockholm’s busiest and most lauded kitchens (which is probably why her caramelized almond tart and chocolate cake are so stunning). Her talent eventually caught the eye of Aquavit’s former executive chef, Håkan Swahn, who recruited her for the pastry position. She took the restaurant by storm, reinventing the menu with her dazzling desserts and instituting a new bread program. However, when she was offered the executive chef job, she was hesitant: “It wasn’t necessarily, at that point, something that I felt like I could handle,” she admits. “But the more I got familiar with it, and thanks to my amazing people in the kitchen who pushed me and encouraged me on, it got easier.”Perhaps it's not surprising that Bengtsson has fearlessly forged a unique path in the fine-dining world, since even her hobbies are varied and surprising. In her spare time, she’s an avid practitioner of bachata, a dance form originating in the Dominican Republic; she participates in international summits and competitions. Plus, as the daughter of two parents who were in the military, Bengtsson also likes to practice her marksmanship at firing ranges.Fortunately for us, Bengtsson found time between the dancing and shooting to share some of her favorite Scandinavian classics with us. Whether it's silky cabbage stuffed with luscious beef and pork, a delicate casserole of potatoes and gravlax, or a heavenly caramelized almond toscatårta, these dishes are a sampling of clean, elegant Swedish cuisine at its most delectable.Emma's Restaurant:Aquavit (New York, NY)