Mentorship Over Clicks as Celebrity Chefs Spotlight Rising Talent in NYC

"Earlier this summer, the James Beard Foundation's Platform space at Pier 57 hosted something you don't often see in New York: Celebrity chefs Carla Hall, Andrew Zimmern, and Aarón Sánchez cooking shoulder-to-shoulder with three little-known cooks plucked from a field of nearly 92,000 applicants across the country. The event marked the live showcase of Favorite Chef, a national competition that has raised more than $12 million for the Beard Foundation since 2023."

"The premise is unusual: Contestants don't need culinary school credentials or big social media followings to compete: just a video submission convincing enough to break through an algorithm and get noticed. From there, it was up to the public to vote online - one vote per day was free, but most votes were bought in bundles, with proceeds going directly to the Beard Foundation."

"The event carried a different kind of weight: mentorship, not restaurant pressure. Charleston-based Derek Astorino, crowned the 2025 Favorite Chef winner, was awarded $25,000 and a feature in Taste of Home, but his biggest thrill may have been cooking alongside Hall. Critics' picks Christian Padilla, Shawnny Roman, and Camille Napolitano McDowell each had their own turn at the stoves with the three celebrity chefs, their airfare to and from New York included as part of the prize."

Carla Hall, Andrew Zimmern, and Aarón Sánchez cooked alongside three lesser-known cooks selected from nearly 92,000 applicants for Favorite Chef, a national competition that raised more than $12 million for the James Beard Foundation since 2023. Contestants advanced via video submissions without requiring culinary credentials or large social followings. Public voting—one free vote per day plus paid bundles—funded much of the competition. Each celebrity chef selected a finalist who was flown to New York to cook at Pier 57. Charleston-based Derek Astorino won $25,000 and a Taste of Home feature. The competition prioritized mentorship and cultural authenticity over restaurant pressure.

Read at Eater NY