When Michael’s Genuine opened in Miami’s then-nascent Design District, that single word—genuine—became the yardstick for everything the restaurant stood for: “Is that genuine? Does it feel right? Is it authentic? Is it sincere? Is it thoughtful?” Every dish in his restaurants typically starts with one ingredient that triggers a creative process on how to highlight it in the best way possible. It takes restraint, less fussiness, and a really thoughtful…

There are a few things we know for certain about Lisa Donovan: she’s a fierce advocate for women’s rights, she can wax poetic over the nuances of Mexican corn varietals, and she knows how to make a mean buttermilk chess pie. Lisa is one of the top pastry chefs in the South, kneading and baking the night’s best courses at some of Nashvilles hottest restaurants. Lisa also has a deep…

Is there any sweeter sound than the pop of a cork? Kate Payne-Brown would argue no. As winemaker at the award-winning Stoller Family Estate in Oregon’s Dundee Hills—the first winery in the world to receive a LEED Gold certification for sustainability—sparkling and reserve wines are Kate’s forté. As a successful female winemaker in a male-dominated industry and a mom to two young boys. Kate’s also a passionate advocate for creating…

Chef Katsuji Tanabe is "selfish" when it comes to his food, but not because he doesn’t want to share; it's because he'll often hunt down his own hunger to create the perfect dish. “If I crave something, I usually go and do research, and then I put it on my menu. It starts with inspiration, it's like: What am I craving? What haven't I had in a long time?” The…

The trip that changed everything for Andrew? Traveling through France's Rhône Valley with his parents, and falling in love with winemaking as a teenager. He quickly left his UC Berkeley paleontology studies behind to pursue a degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis’ renowned wine program. By his early twenties, he had founded his own eponymous winery in California's Santa Ynez Valley, so similar to the French terroir of…