Chef With Local Roots Competing in Online Contest Chef With Local Roots Competing in Online Contest

3/15/13 - An executive chef with local roots is competing in an online contest that highlights emerging talent in the culinary world. Executive Chef James Rigato of The Root Restaurant & Bar in White Lake is a Great Lakes Region nominee for Food & Wine Magazine’s The People’s Best New Chef award. Rigato is a Howell High School graduate and the only chef from Michigan to be nominated in the Great Lakes region. Rigato tells WHMI all of the nominees in the contest are great chefs and it’s an honor to be included with such talent but he’s even more excited about the fact that Michigan is getting representation on a national food stage. He says The Root utilizes Michigan’s many resources but also emphasizes the importance of buying local. Looking to the future, Rigato says they have their sights set on Howell for a new restaurant and tells WHMI there are many aspects of the area that would support such an endeavor. The public can vote online for their favorite Great Lakes chef through Monday. The national winner will be the top vote-getter among the 10 regional finalists. A link to the voting site can be found below. (JM)