The Root Restaurant & Bar executive chef James Rigato is nominated for FOOD & WINE’s The People’s Best New Chef®: Great Lakes competition!

The Root Restaurant & Bar executive chef James Rigato is nominated for FOOD & WINE’s The People’s Best New Chef®: Great Lakes competition!

Voting is now open for The People’s Best New Chef® 2013 competition March 11 through March 18

WHITE LAKE, Mich. (March 11, 2013) --- The Root Restaurant & Bar owner Ed Mamou and his culinary team are excited to announce executive chef James Rigato as a Great Lakes region nominee for FOOD & WINE’s The People’s Best New Chef® competition! The award, an extension of the FOOD & WINE Best New Chefs program, honors talented up-and-coming innovators who have run their own kitchens for five years or fewer. Chef Rigato is the only Michigan chef nominated of the 10 chefs in the Great Lakes region and one of 100 nominees across America. Beginning Monday, March 11 through Monday, March 18, restaurant patrons will determine The People’s Best New Chef® finalists and national winner via online voting at http://www.foodandwine.com/peoples-best-new-chef/great-lakes. The results will be announced on Tuesday, March 19.

“It’s such an honor to be a nominee and to have the opportunity to represent Michigan in the competition,” said chef Rigato. “This is truly a testament to our dedicated staff and patrons, and I’m proud to be part of our region’s growing food scene.”

Executive chef James Rigato is a Michigan native and a graduate of Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich. His cooking philosophy stems from a lifelong love of food and awareness of the diverse agricultural area where he grew up. Throughout his professional career, chef Rigato has worked in the kitchens of Morels, Shiraz, Rugby Grille at The Townsend Hotel and Bacco Ristorante in the metro Detroit area. He opened The Root Restaurant & Bar with proprietor Ed Mamou at age 26 where he features seasonal, sustainable cuisine with a menu that honors the artisans and farmers behind it.

About FOOD & WINE

FOOD & WINE is the modern, stylish, trend-spotting, talent-seeking epicurean brand. Created by American Express Publishing, the luxury lifestyle authority, FOOD & WINE includes a monthly magazine with a circulation of 925,000; digital editions on the iPad, Kindle Fire, and Nook Color; a books division; and a website, foodandwine.com, with updates on Twitter (@fandw) and Facebook reaching over 500,000 followers and fans.

The Root Restaurant & Bar is located at 340 Town Center Blvd. and is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant features hand-made, from scratch, chef-driven cuisine with a commitment to seasonality and sustainable sourcing. For reservations or for more information, call 248-698-2400, visit www.TheRootRestaurant.com or follow on Facebook.