Govind Armstrong

 

Specialty: New American cuisine

       In a gutsy move that would influence his career for years to come, Govind Armstrong convinced Wolfgang Puck to give him a job at Spago, his flagship restaurant. It was only 1982. Armstrong was 13 years old, and it was his first job.
       
      Spago, the eatery that launched a thousand imitators, was perhaps the birthplace of Californian cuisine, and Puck’s lessons weren’t forgotten by young Armstrong. Even today, chef Armstrong’s cooking bears the hallmarks of high-quality seasonal ingredients.
       
      After Spago, Armstrong worked his way through some of the country’s best restaurants, including the famed City Restaurant, Nancy Silverton’s Campanile, Joachim Splichal’s Pinot Hollywood, and Postrio, another Wolfgang Puck establishment. In between these stints, the young chef traveled Europe, learning from the best, including Juan Mari Arzak at his eponymous Arzak in Spain.
      
       Shortly after returning to the United States, Armstrong opened a restaurant in Beverly Hills with friend Ben Ford. Chadwick, named for the leading pioneer in organic farming, championed green growing principles: Dishes included produce grown from its own garden.
     
      Table 8, Armstrong’s next restaurant, was opened in 2003 after the closing of the short-lived Chadwick. Keeping the same organic and seasonal principles, Table 8 also incorporates small plates, allowing Armstrong to fully showcase his California cuisine.

      With a smaller selection focused on quality, Table 8’s well-honed menu puts the spotlight on straightforward flavors. This high standard is reflected in the cocktail menu as well, where seasonal favorites include a pomegranate martini. In 2006, Armstrong opened a second Table 8 location in Miami.

       Building on the success of Table 8, Chef Armstrong released his first cookbook in 2007, Small Bites, Big Nights.
His latest venture has reinvented the Los Angeles Table 8 location into a new eatery, 8oz Burger Bar, giving burgers a haute-cuisine makeover in a casual atmosphere.


Fun fact:   
         Armstrong owns and rides a vintage BMW motorcycle.

Floyd Cardoz

Specialty: New Indian cuisine

      

        The New York restaurant scene would be a vastly different place if Floyd Cardoz had continued studying biochemistry rather than switching to catering school. While the switch may have shocked family and friends at the time, the culinary world is all the better for it.

           

          Raised in India, the chef had originally set his sights on becoming a doctor or marine biologist. Cardoz underwent culinary training in both India and Switzerland, resulting in a blend of traditions, techniques, and flavors that would influence his cuisine for years to come.

       

          Landing in New York City, Cardoz was hired at Lespinasse, where he met his mentor, chef Gray Kunz. The two chefs shared a similar approach and philosophy, and during Cardoz’s five years within those hallowed kitchens, Kunz encouraged him to experiment with the Indian spices of his youth.

         In 1998, Cardoz left Lespinasse to open Tabla with famed restaurateur Danny Meyer. As both executive chef and partner in the new restaurant, the bar was set high. The soft-spoken chef delivered and then some, creating a menu that’s as outspoken and flavorful as he is modest.

His new Indian cuisine made a splash with its debut, quickly earning a three-star review from the New York Times. The accolades continue to come: In 2003, Bon Appetit named Cardoz a “True Innovator” in the Annual Restaurant Edition of the publication.

           Representing the full spectrum of Indian flavor and spices, Tabla goes through $10,000 worth of spices a month, mostly using coriander, cumin, and black peppercorns. Protective of flavor, Cardoz made sure Tabla’s kitchens would include a spice room, separate from the heat of the kitchen, where spices are kept in sealed containers.

On top of his work at Tabla, Cardoz released his first cookbook in 2006, One Spice, Two Spice, and in 2008, launched a ready-made line of meals for FreshDirect.

Fun fact: 

          Cardoz has a weakness for Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche ice cream — it’s one of his top junk-food picks.