Where Would We Be Without Mentors?

For the past eight years at Plate, the September/October issue always meant unveiling our Chefs to Watch. We’d spend the previous year eating our way around the country, or tapping our freelancers far and wide to help scout up-and-coming chefs who were leaving their mark on the dining scene. Narrowing down the list was the hardest part, but once we did, those profiles were always the most inspiring for me to write. After a...