Six up-and-coming chefs will be highlighted as Rising Stars at January 2025 festival
https://medium.com/relentlessawareness/winners-of-2025-rising-star-chefs-competition-revealed-for-albany-chefs-food-wine-festival-906627cea03d
ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 4, 2024) — The winners of the Times Union Table Hopping Rising Star Chefs Competition have been revealed for the 2025 Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival: Wine & Dine for the Arts (ACFWF). The six winning chefs will prepare their own dishes and be highlighted at the festival’s two Grand Tastings events on Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.
The Rising Star Chefs competition spotlights the region’s best new chefs in the industry. Dozens of chefs were nominated by the public and thousands of votes were cast to help the judges determine this year’s winners.
“Every year, the competition gets better and better,” said Marcus Q. Pryor, board president of the Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival. “With support from the public, we are proud to recognize the dedication that these skilled chefs bring to the region each day.”
The 2025 Rising Star Chefs are:
- Tim Williams — Sea Smoke Waterfront Grill
- Dylan Longton — Pretty Alright Breakfast Club
- Jacob White — Radici Kitchen & Bar
- Jonas Offenbach — Restaurant Matilda
- Isabella Waldorf — Bimi’s Canteen & Bar
- Javier Villatoro — Coray Kitchen
The competition launched in October on Steve Barnes’ Times Union Table Hopping blog. Judges from the ACFWF Board of Directors conducted tastings at each chefs’ restaurants before conducting a final vote. Thirty percent of each chef’s score was the result of a public vote conducted at AlbanyWineFest.com. Information on the winning chefs can be found on the Albany Wine and Dine website. The Rising Star Chefs competition is sponsored by the Times Union Table Hopping blog.
The 2025 Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival will take place Thursday, Jan. 23 through Saturday, Jan. 25. For full details on the Rising Star Chefs and more information about the three-day festival, visit albanywinefest.com.
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About Albany Wine and Dine for the Arts: Their mission is to provide sustainable funding for the support and preservation of the not-for-profit arts community in Albany, New York, through an annual three-day food and wine-themed festival that markets restaurants, chefs, and their innovative cuisine, educates consumers on healthy, sustainable agriculture, and donates the net income directly to deserving nonprofit arts organizations. albanywinefest.com