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Presenting: The 2009 Philly Cooks! Yearbook Superlatives
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Presenting: The 2009 Philly Cooks! Yearbook Superlatives
Philadelphia Magazine's annual Philly Cooks! event kicks off tonight, Feb. 23, and runs through Feb. 27. The chef-centric event features two ways to dine: chef's tasting menus for two, $75; or chef's table dinners for groups that benefit the Ronald McDonald House charities. Full details are available at Philly Mag's Philly Cooks! site.
While tasting menus and charities are nice, better still is judging chefs based solely on the fun Featured Faces of Philly Cooks index. You can click through the headshots of local chefs, accompanied by their answers to four thrilling questions. Based on this trivial amount of information, Meal Ticket awarded some yearbook-style rankings to the comeliest, coolest and most comical chefs in town. All photos are from Philly Mag's site. So KIT, 'cuz UR2Nice2B4gotten. Remember the grease fire in Home Ec? xoxo
 | MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: Arthur Cavaliere, exec at Parc. Anyone ever been to Pastis? It's like the most successful Manhattan restaurant, ever. Stephen Starr ran off a copy and wisely installed it on the most desirable corner in Philly. With the view of Rittenhouse before you and a basket of Parc's fresh-baked bread on the table, life is good. This one should thrive, even during the looming hard times. |
 | CLASS CLOWN: Restaurateur George Anni is spreading his Spruce St. influence with the soon-to-be opened VargaBar, but Valanni is where it all began. Executive chef R. Evan Turney has helmed the kitchen of Mercato as well as Valanni — and you gotta have a sense of humor to kick it in the Gayborhood. |
 | MOST POPULAR: Mackenzie Hilton has the name and the look of the most popular girl in school. She plays nice with the pasta and nouveau Italian fare of Mercato, and everyone stops by her table to pay homage and bask in her glowing-skin glory. |
 | BEST-DRESSED: Gus Pashalis of Estia is one of the few chefs clad in ready-to-wear rather than kitchen whites in his publicity headshot. From the looks of his strategically gel-mussed hair to the perfect dimple in his glamorously wide tie, we're thinking this is the guy who's been reading the Style section since he hit puberty. |
More of our totally superficial yearbook picks after the jump.
 | BEST HAIR: Darlene Boline Moseng, A La Maison. If this chef is as deft with ingredients as she is with the styler-dryer, dinner should be good. |
 | MOST LIKELY TO END UP ON A REALITY SHOW: With the demi-sleeve of tats and the ironic gleam in the eye, Justin Min Chak of Meredith's American Bistro could be Philadelphia's answer to Spike for next season's Top Chef. |
 | BIGGEST JOCK: Thomas Tirendi of The Glenmorgan. That powerful stance looks like captain of the football team to me. I bet he gets whole sides of beef and breaks them down with a saw like he's cutting butter. |
 | BIGGEST HOTTIE: Marc Plessis was born in France and spent time cooking in Miami's South Beach, so he's well-schooled in compliments, kissing and bikini appreciation. If that's not enough, scope that soul-searching gaze! The girls probably eat oysters right out of his palm at XIX (Nineteen). |
 | BIGGEST SWEETHEART: Brooke Higgins even has sugar in the name of her job: chef at Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse. From her unpretentious denim chef coat, red bandanna and appealing grin, we bet this chef is as comforting to her staff as her ribs are to our appetites. |
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