Stuart Brioza

California-born Stuart Brioza went to culinary school in upstate New York before taking his first chef position at 25 years old at Michigan’s Tapawingo. A true farm-to-table experience, that’s where he became a 2003 F&W Best New Chef. The rest is history — together with wife and pastry chef Nicole Krasinski, they returned to San Francisco and opened their groundbreaking restaurant State Bird Provisions in 2011. Two more restaurants, plus some Michelin stars and James Beard Awards later, their Atomic Workshop group is still known for its hyperlocal sensibilities, from creative small plates to an obsession with little fish.