Here are this year's competing chefs:
- Jody Adams, Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass.
- Govind Armstrong, 8 oz. Burger Bar, Los Angeles
- Graham Elliot Bowles, Graham Elliot Restaurant, Chicago *
- Jimmy Bradley, The Red Cat, New York City
- David Burke, David Burke Townhouse, New York City
- Wylie Dufresne, wd~50, New York City *
- Susan Feniger, Street, Los Angeles
- Debbie Gold, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.
- Carmen Gonzalez, chef consultant, New York City
- Maria Hines, Tilth, Seattle
- Susur Lee, Madeline's, Toronto, Canada
- Ludo Lefebvre, Ludo Bites, Los Angeles *
- Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago
- Rick Moonen, Rick Moonen's RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas *
- Mark Peel, Campanile, Los Angeles *
- Monica Pope, t'afia, Houston, Texas
- Thierry Rautureau, Rover's, Seattle
- Marcus Samuelsson, The Red Rooster, New York City
- Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.
- Rick Tramonto, Tru, Chicago
- Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy, Seattle
- Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto, New York City *
