Not to be confused with the annual Meals on Wheels benefit that's also called the Star Chefs & Vintners Gala, the restaurant industry trade publication StarChefs.com also swings through San Francisco every few years to honor who it considers the local rising stars in the food and beverage industry. And with the honors comes a typically fun gala event, this year being held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom, in which many trending local restaurants, chefs, and bar stars take part and offer up tasty nibbles and concoctions.
StarChefs typically highlights just a couple of cities each year in this way, making their way through all the notable food cities around the country in three- or four-year cycles they last came to SF with this event in 2013. Interestingly, unlike honors like the James Beard Awards and other magazine lists, StarChefs often highlights rising behind-the-scenes chefs who are not executive chefs, but chefs de cuisine who are making their mark in restaurants that aren't necessarily brand new, or led entirely by them this year those include Brandon Rice at Rich Table, and Ian Palazzola at Mourad.
Next Tuesday, June 21, the gala will honor the work of the following local rising stars, in various categories:
Chefs
David Barzelay | Lazy Bear
Carrie and Rupert Blease | Lord Stanley
Val Cantu | Californios
Yoni Levy | Outerlands
Ian Palazzola | Mourad
Ryan Pollnow | Aatxe
Brandon Rice | Rich Table
Hotel Chef
Luke Knox | Burritt Room + Tavern at the Mystic Hotel
Community Chef
Evan Allumbaugh | flour + water
Pastry Chefs
Maya Erickson | Lazy Bear
Edward Martinez | Cadence
Mikiko Yui | State Bird Provisions
Corporate Pastry Chef
Lisa Vega | Dandelion Chocolate
Artisans
Kinani Ahmed | Sextant Coffee Roasters
Josey Baker | Josey Baker Bread
John Blevins | Clove & Hoof
Salvatore Cracco | Trou Normand
Jay Goodwin | The Rare Barrel
Bartenders
Brian Felley and Mo Hodges | Benjamin Cooper
Alicia Walton | The Sea Star
Sommeliers
David Castleberry | RN74
Tara Patrick | Mourad
Restaurateurs
Ryan Cole, Jason Halverson, Cyrick Hia, Jason Kirmse, and Tai Ricci | Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group
Concept
Charles Bililies | Souvla
Guest Chefs
Helene Kennan | Guckenheimer Enterprises
Victor Scargle | Executive Chef of the Culinary Institute of America at Copia
David Hollands | San Francisco Marriott Marquis
Justin Koenig | Dirty Habit
Tickets are $100 apiece and still available here, and include 18 chef-prepared dishes with 18 beverage pairings, as well as four signature cocktails. If that's not enough $175 VIP tickets include a private reception featuring Northern Divine Caviar as well as Champagne.
