Perry Hoffman is F & W's People's Best New Chef in CA

Right on time, the interns over at Food & Wine have tallied up all the popular votes for The People's Best New Chef awards, and the regional winners have been announced. Please meet the winner in the California category, our very own Perry Hoffman, of étoile at Domaine Chandon in Yountville. The magazine qualifies his win with reminders: Hoffman is "the youngest American chef to be awarded a Michelin star, at the age of 25," and he also cooks up a mean Liberty Farms duck breast with mission figs. Also, a fun fact: Hoffman's grandparents were the original owners of The French Laundry—before Thomas Keller (!). Remember Hoffman's victory here does not disqualify him from consideration for the Food & Wine editors' esteemed Best New Chef ranking later this year. Congratulations are also most-definitely in order for Tim Byres of Smoke in Dallas, who out-polled all the other regional winners to win the overall, national People's Best New Chef title.

· All People's Best New Chef Coverage [~ ESF ~]
[Photo: Book Passage]