Johnny Iuzzini, the executive pastry chef of Jean Georges and Nougatine, earned his stellar reputation with desserts that are always creative, superbly executed, and, most importantly, delicious. He joined Jean Georges, which boasts four New York Times stars and three Michelin stars — the highest rating for each — in May 2002, coming from Restaurant Daniel, where he was the first American executive pastry chef.

It’s no secret among aspiring restaurant professionals that the restaurants within Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) are great places to share their talents with guests, enjoy food and wine, learn and grow. Much like at ICE, USHG demonstrates its commitment to teaching through robust internal education programs on topics ranging from cheese, to craft beer, spirits, and of course, wine.

Ivy Stark and ICE Alum Missy Robbins are at the helm of New York's most popular restaurants: Dos Caminos and A Voce, respectively. Their jam-packed careers have taken them across the country--and world--where they've earned countless accolades for their talents.

Swiss Chef Gray Kunz instantly seduced Americans when he moved to New York in 1989, with his decidedly modern flavors, inspired by his youth in Singapore and Switzerland, five years with famed Michelin-starred chef Freddy Girardet, and time as an executive chef in Hong Kong.

Grant Achatz incontestably is one of the top chefs in the country today. His progressive cooking style extends to providing diners with a unique experience that includes every aspect of the meal, from their surroundings to the food itself. In just three years, his Chicago restaurant, Alinea, has found a place among the most sought-after dining destinations in the world.

Gail Simmons, an ICE alumna, is the special projects director at Food & Wine, a judge on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, and the host of the upcoming Top Chef Just Desserts. As part of her role for Food & Wine, she acts as a spokesperson for the magazine to the media and represents it around the country at different events.

Chef Daniel Humm is the executive chef of Eleven Madison Park, which earned four stars from the New York Times in August 2009. He arrived at the restaurant in 2006, after spending three years as executive chef of Campton Place in San Francisco, where he garnered four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle and was one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2005.

Daniel Boulud is the award-winning chef-owner of Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, DBGB Kitchen & Bar, Bar Boulud, Bar Pléiades, Boulud Sud, and Épicerie Boulud in New York, as well as five other restaurants in Palm Beach, Miami, London, Beijing, and Singapore, and one slated to open in early 2012 in Montreal. Chef Boulud was born and raised in Lyon, France, arrived in the US in 1981, and opened Daniel in 1993, after six years as executive chef of Le Cirque.

Dana Cowin has been Food & Wine's editor in chief since 1995. She also oversees Food & Wine Books, which include Best of the Best, the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook, and Food & Wine Magazine's Annual Cocktail Book. She sits on the board of directors of City Harvest, where she launched the annual Skip Lunch Fight Hunger campaign.

As chef and co-owner of Blue Hill in New York City and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in nearby Westchester County, Dan Barber has become one of the most visible advocates for sustainable cooking and eating in the US — as well as one of the country's most admired chefs, thanks to the unforgettable dishes he creates with locally grown foods.