Credited with making Lowcountry cooking a celebrated genre and household name, Louis Osteen is a South Carolina original himself. The creator of Louis's at Pawleys and the Fish Camp Bar, and author of Louis Osteen's Charleston Cuisine: Recipes From a Low Country Chef, Osteen has blazed a path in American indigenous cooking that began with a passion for Southern cooking in 1975. He began as an apprentice with Chef Francois Delcros, the premier chef of Atlanta at that time.

Today, Osteen is the winner of the highly prestigious James Beard Foundation’s Best American Chef: Southeast 2004 and was named James Beard “American Express Best Chef Southeast” 2004. Back in 1990, Osteen was just starting to heed his destiny when he decided to move to Pawleys Island with wife Marlene, and open the Pawleys Island Inn. The move would set the stage for igniting an appreciation for Lowcountry cuisine which was in step with a movement for appreciating grassroots cooking. Immediately, rave reviews flowed in as Osteen dazzled visitors with his interpretations of honest recipes showcasing fresh seafood and local ingredients.

After a decade, Osteen took his craft to a larger audience at the Omni Hotel at Charleston Place, where the Charleston Grill gained considerable acclaim after being named by Esquire magazine as one of the country's "Top 25 New Restaurants." Nearly a decade later, the restaurant made the move to Charleston ’s historic district, and Osteen continued his work as a luminary of Charleston cooking.

But this chef, affectionately coined "the spiritual general of... the new Charleston chefs" by Bryan Miller of the New York Times, yearned to return to scenic Pawleys Island, and in 2001 made a move as brave and refreshing as his cuisine—he returned to fulfill a dream of recreating his former restaurant in a place where Lowcountry magic was in the air.

Clearly, Osteen can boast a list of distinctions that few chefs can. From being the “Distinguished Visiting Chef” chair at Johnson & Wales University, to serving on the board of directors of DiRoNa, he is committed to every aspect of his art. And his expertise has led him to entertain Presidents and members of royalty including the Prince of Wales during a visit to Charleston in 1990, and a 1994 training of the staff of a naval aircraft carrier entertaining then President Clinton and other heads of State during the 50th Commemorative Ceremony of the Normandy Landing.

Osteen’s abiding love for the magic of Lowcountry cooking has been nothing short of infectious. His recipes have been featured in numerous publications including in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator, Southern Living, GQ, Food & Wine, the New York Times, and Town & Country. His television appearances include CBS This Morning, TV Food Network's Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, and the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of America. With accolades such as the “Distinguished Restaurant of North America” Award and Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, Osteen’s legacy is sure to continue for decades to come.

www.louisatpawleys.com

In his role as Executive Chef, James Reaux oversees the entire culinary operation for Boca Raton Resort & Club. This includes the kitchens of Boca's 19 dining and entertainment outlets and private dining (room service), as well as banquet service for the Resort's 144,000 square feet of event space.

Chef Reaux joined the Resort & Club in 1995 after serving at a number of luxury, sea-side resorts including the Century Plaza Hotel and Towers in Los Angeles, California, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii and the Westin Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. At each property, he honed his talents and further advanced his love for utilizing the sea's riches to his advantage. Earning popular food critics' approval, he was noted not only in Los Angeles, but around the world for his unique technique of blending flavors from coast to coast. Since arriving in Boca, he has incorporated variations of Florida's " New World " cuisine to his own, creating a signature style of Coastal Cuisine.

Chef Reaux has developed his signature cuisine as a melange of regional and cultural styles with an American contemporary flair and accents of a European palate. He emphasizes seafood, characterized by unusual savory combinations and skillful cooking. Without question, Chef Reaux is noncommittal to one culture for the basis of his dishes.

During his 20-year career as a renowned chef, Chef Reaux has received numerous accolades including seven gold medals for his diverse food preparation and presentation from the American Culinary Federation; several appearances at the James Beard House; and a gold medal from the Japan Cooks Association. He has received widespread media coverage including an appearance on NBC's "Today" Show.

www.bocaresort.com

Fulvio Siccardi was born in Torino, Italy in 1969. In 1988, his road to culinary acclaim began when he started working in the kitchen of Michelin-starred restaurant Cascina Nuovo in Isola d’Asti.

Over the years Chef Siccardi honed his skills, working in several different venues in Italy and Switzerland, including a second three-year stay at Cascina Nuovo. In 2000 he became Chef del ristorante at Le Clivie in Piobessi d’Alba. Under his tutelage, the restaurant soon earned a Michelin star.

In August 2004, Chef Siccardi and his wife began a new venture when they opened their own restaurant, Ristorante Conti Roero, in Monticello d’Alba. Chef Siccardi has used the opportunity to concentrate on using the extraordinary food and wine products of Italy’s Roero region. While his food is both traditional and creative, always trying new approaches, it never forgets the gastronomical heritage of the Roero.

As Executive Chef and Partner at Sienna, selected by Esquire magazine as one of the “Top 20 Restaurants of the Year” in 2004, Chef Ken Vedrinski lives his passion for producing illustrious cuisine, and ensuring every guest’s satisfaction. Set in Daniel Island’s friendly small-town atmosphere, just five miles from downtown Charleston, Sienna is an expression of Chef Vedrinski’s enormous accomplishments in fine dining, and the heart and soul of contemporary Italian cuisine. Chef Vedrinski’s quest to provide the ultimate dining experience is inspired by his own memories of family meals filled with the essence of Old World Italian cuisine.

At Sienna, Chef Vedrinski delights in creating a menu which changes daily, brimming with freshly made specialties reflecting Italy’s celebrated regions. After earning a degree in Restaurant Management from Columbus College, he trained underneath some of the world’s most talented chefs including an apprenticeship under master chef Hartmut Handkeat at the Athletic Club in Columbus. Chef Vedrinski was later awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.

Among Chef Vedrinski’s many accomplishments are helping to lead the opulent Woodland’s Resort and Inn’s Dining Room to a coveted AAA Five Diamond Award and South Carolina’s only Mobil Five-Star rating (one of only 14 in the United States). In 2002, the restaurant received the only perfect food score in North America by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler. Chef Vedrinski’s high-end dining experience also encompasses Sous Chef positions at Chicago’s Five Diamond, Five Star Four Seasons Hotel and at Atlanta’s Swissotel—both hotels’ restaurants were named among the Best New Restaurants in the United States by Esquire magazine under his leadership.

Today at Sienna, diners are rewarded with exquisite cuisine that is a culmination of Chef Vedrinski’s years of experience. The mood is stylish and energetic, and diners might receive a Southern welcome from the Chef himself as he makes a tour through the dining room, always imparting a personalized touch.

www.siennadining.com

Since bursting onto the national culinary scene at Miami Beach’s Astor Place in 1995, Johnny Vinczencz has remained one of South Florida’s most acclaimed and easily identifiable chefs. His robustly flavored dishes filled with multi-layered spices reflect his bold personality and accomplishments which include a sleek new Fort Lauderdale restaurant dubbed Johnny V. The teenager who began his cooking career at the age of 15 at the Ohio Sheraton kitchen has grown into a critically acclaimed chef whose restaurant has garnered four-star reviews in both of South Florida’s daily papers, The Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel, and national notice in such prestigious publications as Elle, Travel + Leisure, Chef, and Restaurant Business..

Vinczencz fell in love with South Florida’s culinary diversity when he relocated to the area and caught the eye of successful South Florida restaurateur Dennis Max. Vinczencz was part of a renowned stable of chefs that blazed new culinary trails in South Florida and he was soon named executive sous chef at two celebrated restaurants, Maxaluna and Max’s Grill. Sensing his star quality, Max anointed him as executive chef at the trendy Astor Place in Miami Beach, which became one of the region’s most acclaimed restaurants in the late 1990’s.

It was there that Vinczencz gained national acclaim for his Caribbean-influenced New Floridian Cuisine, and acquired the nickname “Caribbean Cowboy” by virtue of his vibrant, sophisticated personal and culinary style. He was called “a chef to keep your eye on” by Esquire food writer John Mariani and garnered coverage in Gourmet, Bon Appetit and on The Food Network’s hit show, Live at Five. Here at the Astor, Vinczencz also assembled a culinary team that would follow him through most of his career, consisting of sous chef Dwayne Adams and pastry chef Malka Espinel.

When he became executive chef at the De la Tierra restaurant in Delray Beach several years later, the remarkable eatery was chosen by the Sun-Sentinel as the “Best New Restaurant” in Palm Beach County. Soon after, Vinczencz launched a sister location at the El Monte Sagrado Resort in Taos, New Mexico, which garnered a five-star review, the highest possible, in the New Mexican, Santa Fe’s daily newspaper.

In 2003, Chef Vinczenz created a place to bring all of his culinary talents home: the 200-seat Johnny V on Fort Lauderdale’s fashionable Las Olas Boulevard. Here, the man who married barbeque and boniato has created a menu of his greatest hits, such as his wild mushroom “shortstack” and big shrimp “martini” as well as an array of new delights. Guest can also sample innovative game dishes such as a red chile venison chop with black venison sausage and a lobster/buffalo loin “surf n’ turf.” “It surprises people to see it offered,” Vinczencz says of the dishes. “But they sell well because diners are more educated and experimental than ever. They’re curious about exotic ingredients and willing to experiment—a situation which is great for chefs and diners alike.”