Food New England Personalities

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Lydia Shire (FNE Holiday Feast, 1998)

Lydia Shire began her training at London's Cordon Bleu Cooking School, and went on to work at great restaurants in LA and Boston. Ms. Shire is now widely acknowledged as one of the greatest chefs in America. She has countless awards and honors to her credit. She is also a very successful businessperson. Lydia owns the acclaimed restaurants Biba and Pignoli, both in Boston's chic Public Garden area. Lydia and her family live in a spectacularly renovated farmhouse west of Boston. The interior and exterior reflect Lydia's passion for art, travel, design, and the world's great cultures.

Chris Schlesinger (FNE Barbecue Party)

Chris Schlesinger, a Virginia native, is Executive Chef and owner of The East coast Grille and co-author, with John Willoughby, of five cookbooks, including, Thrill of the Grill and License to Grill , which have made Chefs out of the most basic barbecue dads. Chris has pioneered new techniques at his restaurants, which are renowned for seafood, barbecues, grilled meats, jerk-rubbed poultry, and tropical flavors. He has won countless awards, including the James Beard Association's "Best Chef of the Northeast" in 1996.

Chef Jacky Robert (FNE Spring Celebration)

Originally from Normandy, France, Jacky trained in Paris, Munich and Geneva before receiving awards, honors and critical acclaim across America. Mr. Robert has been the Executive Chef at Maison Robert (owned by his Uncle Lucien Robert) since January, 1996. Since that time, the restaurant has garnered rave reviews for his innovative cuisine, which is heavily influenced by Asian techniques.

As a Maitre Cuisinier de France, Jacky is one of only 200 chefs in the world officially qualified to uphold French culinary traditions. Jacky began his professional cooking apprenticeship at age 15 in Granville, Normandy.

His postings have included The Dome of the Four Seasons and Le Cordon Bleu in Florida, Ernie's in San Francisco, and Chef/Owner at Amelio's, also in the City by the bay. He has consulted at the Metropole Hotel in Hong Kong, taught at California Culinary Academy, shared a podium with M.F.K. Fisher, James Beard and Cyril Magnin, starred in The Great Chefs of San Francisco series on PBS, performed with Martin Yan and cooked at President Reagan's inauguration. Jacky has been featured in Gourmet, Bon Apetit, Wine and Food, New York Times, Esquire, Le Monde, and others. Suffice it to say that we are pleased to have Jacky as a guest Chef on Food New England.

Chef Anthony Ambrose (FNE Romantic Dinner)

Tony Ambrose is one of the finest Chefs in New England. Originally from New York, Tony's background includes training in Brittany, France, and working at Boston's premiere dining establishments, including Jaspers, Rarities, Julien and Seasons. Ambrosia, the restaurant he created with his wife and business partner, Doreen, has won Gourmet Magazine's Annual Reader's Poll (November, 1997); Esquire Magazine's "One of America's top New Restaurants" (1994), Three Stars from the Boston Globe; and the 1996 Zagat Survey's "Best Lunch Spot in Boston". Tony's daring, creative, fusion cuisine is always imaginative, sometimes provocative, visually stunning, and delicious.