A grandmother’s apple pie. Salvadoran turkey sandwiches. Meals built around whatever was ripe on a family farm in India. Ask the chefs competing in this year’s S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy U.S. Regional Final what shaped their cooking, and the answers take you well beyond a restaurant kitchen.
This November, 10 of them will bring that experience to New York, each hoping to earn a place at the 2027 Grand Finale in Milan. For the first time, the public can join them at the U.S. Regional Final.
There are two ways to attend: watch the competition at the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen on November 9, or join the gala and awards dinner in Chelsea on November 10. Both are complimentary, with tickets available on Resy beginning October 22 at noon Eastern. Places are limited, and each event requires a separate reservation, with a maximum of two tickets per booking.
10 chefs. 10 signature dishes. One opportunity to represent the U.S.
November 9: Watch the Competition
Cooking for a dining room is one thing. Presenting a dish to a jury that includes E.J. Lagasse, Fariyal Abdullahi, Isabel Coss, Jon Yao, and Ryan Ratino is another.
At the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, the 10 competitors will put their signature dishes before that panel. The competition, open to chefs aged 30 and under at registration, assesses technical skill, creativity, and personal belief. The judges will consider both how well a dish is executed and what the chef is trying to express through it.
The event begins at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 9, at One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton Street. Guests can watch the competition, with light snacks and beverages provided. This is a general-admission experience; it does not include a seated meal or a tasting of the competition dishes.
Grab Your Tickets to the Competition on Resy
November 10: Join the Gala and Awards Dinner
By the following evening, the cooking will be done. One question remains: who’s going to Milan?
The competitors, mentor chefs, and jury will gather for a seated gala dinner featuring chefs Aisha Ibrahim and Garrett Brower, a previous U.S. regional winner. Guests will join the celebration and hear the announcement of the chef who will represent the United States at the Grand Finale, competing against winners from 14 other regions.
Dinner and the awards ceremony begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, at 150 West 17th Street in Chelsea.
Get Your Tickets to the Gala and Awards Dinner on Resy
Get to Know the Chefs
Need someone to root for? Learn about all 10 U.S. regional finalists through their food memories, restaurant ambitions, and comfort-food loyalties. Click each name to read their answers.
- Grace Cacciato
- Marcus Osorio
- Adolfo Pucci
- Evan Neumann
- Juwon Lee
- Amit Kumar
- Nickolas Abbott
- Lucy Field
- Nicolas Lopez
- Natasha Daniels
For more on the judging panel, awards, and global competition, read our guide to the U.S. Regional Final.
