The Chronicle Announces Its 2012 Rising Star Chefs

It being year 20 for The Chronicle's Rising Star chef brigade and all, the 2012 announcement opens up with a hearty back pat, calling out the most successful Rising Stars from years past. Did you know Michael Mina, Douglas Keane, Corey Lee, and Melissa Perello were all plucked for the feature at an early age? Just like last year, Bauer notes that all of his chef recruits are united by a common thread: passion for cooking.

And the winners are: El Paseo chef Preston Clark, Teague Moriarty and new dad Matt McNamara of Sons & Daughters, Brett Cooper of Outerlands, Joey "the look" Elenterio of Michelin-starred chef factory Chez TJ, and Craig Stoll protege Anthony Strong of Locanda.

All of the chefs are 30-years-old or younger, qualifying them for the Rising Star nod. Interestingly, Preston Clark was also called out for this year's James Beard Awards Rising Star Chef of the Year category. Now take a moment to absorb the fun Chron shot of all the chefs, appropriately posed in front of the Transamerica pyramid, and give these guys a round of applause. We can think of a few young, talented whippersnappers out there who may have been overlooked. Anyone come to mind? Your thoughts in the comments.

· Finding talented chefs for 20 years [ISSF]
· All Rising Stars Coverage [~ ESF ~]

[Photo: Chron/Russel Yip]