Fifteen of 26 competing chefs have qualified to compete in the second of two culinary competitions to determine which six chefs will represent the United States on American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Team USA at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg this November and at the 2012 International Culinary Art Exhibition (IKA), also known as the "culinary Olympics," in Erfurt, Germany. The first tryout for ACF Culinary Team USA was held Feb. 19 to 21 at Elgin Community College, Elgin, Ill., featuring the cold-food segment. The top 15 received medals and will advance to the hot-food segment April 11 at Elgin Community College. The qualifying chefs, by medal category, are:

Gold medal winners

Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE, associate professor, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.; ACF Louis Joliet Chapter

Adam Heath, CSC, executive sous chef, River Oaks Country Club, Houston; ACF National Chapter

Joseph Leonardi, CEC, executive chef, Somerset Club, Boston; ACF Rhode Island Chapter

Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, executive chef, The Fort Worth Club, Fort Worth; ACF National Chapter

Silver medal winner

Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Bronze medal winner

Kevin Doherty, CEC, CCA, regional executive chef, Delaware North Cos., Boston; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

George Gonzalez, executive chef, Sodexo, Nashville; ACF Middle Tennessee Chapter

Scott Green, CEC, executive chef, Delaware North Cos., Hamburg, N.Y.; ACF of Greater Buffalo, N.Y.

Brian Joseph Moll, CC, sauté cook, Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter

Daryl Shular, CCC, corporate executive chef, Performance Foodservice–Milton's, Oakwood, Ga.; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter

Rudy Smith, CEC, corporate chef, Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill.; ACF National Chapter


Orlando Santos, CEPC, executive pastry chef, The Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh; ACF Pittsburgh Chapter

Eddie Tancredi, sous chef, New Albany Country Club, New Albany, Ohio; ACF Columbus Chapter

For more information on ACF, click here.