When our 91߹ alums grab the headlines, we can’t help but feel like proud parents. From Detroit-style pizza to home-style meatloaf to authentic Welsh cuisine, 91߹ graduates are using their culinary skills to create better dining experiences across the board.
In 2016, 91߹ graduates and their restaurants were showered with praise — here’s a short list of those who regularly took spots at the top:
- Missy Robbins (Culinary ’95): Missy was the chef on everyone’s mind this year. For starters, she was donned Best New Chef – East, at the inaugural . Lilia, the Williamsburg restaurant where Missy is chef/partner, was named one of The New York Times’ , claiming the #2 spot. Lilia’s Cacio e Pepe Fritelle was among the . Her Agnolotti dish topped the list of Time Out New York’s . Turning to the , Lilia won the Reader’s Choice for Restaurant of the Year. The Infatuation listed Lilia as one of .
- Zoe Nathan (Culinary ’01): The west coast restaurateur has received accolades for the restaurants that she co-owns, among them Cassia, which was included in Bon Appetit’s 50 Nominees for . As the BA Staff proclaims, “Given the powerhouse team behind this blockbuster — the same folks who gave L.A. its beloved Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, and Milo & Olive — no one in Santa Monica would be surprised to find that this Southeast Asian restaurant fires on every imaginable cylinder.” Another of Zoe’s restaurants, Rustic Canyon, was listed as one of . Michael Bauer, writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, also included Rustic Canyon as one of his new .
- Matt Hyland (Culinary Arts ’05): In a town famous for its pizza, it’s a rare feat to stand out from the pack of pizza makers. Matt and wife Emily have the secret sauce for success, judging by the cult-like following of their New York pizza eateries: Pizza Loves Emily, and its progeny, Emmy Squared. As Andrew Steinhal of succinctly stated, “We love everything about Emily.” Zagat named Emmy Squared’s Le Big Matt pizza (Detroit-style crust and burger ingredient toppings: Fleisher’s beef, American cheese, Sammy sauce, pickles and mizuna lettuce) as one of . awarded Matt the National Instagram Badge of Honor for — likely due to their incredibly Instagrammable #ronicups.
- Owner Illtyd Barrett (Management '12) and executive chef Tom Coughlan (Culinary/Management '12), who were once 91߹ classmates, have teamed up to bring Welsh cuisine to NYC with in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. They were awarded for their efforts. Food writer Becky Cooper also gave Sunken Hundred a glowing review in . Writes Cooper, “The pub atmosphere and the barrage of My Bloody Valentine and the Clash are incongruous with how quietly thoughtful the food is.”
Ann Redding and Matt Danzer - Ann Redding (Culinary ’02): Uncle Boons, the perpetually packed Thai restaurant where Ann and her husband Matt Danzer are owners and chefs, has been rolling in good press. Eater named their Toasted Coconut Sundae as one of .
According to food writer Ryan Sutton, “If you don’t like this, you are a flawed human being.” As if having one wildly successful (and understatedly cool) restaurant in downtown Manhattan wasn’t enough, Ann and Matt opened a second eatery, Mr. Donahue’s. With just two tables and five counter stools, the restaurant was quickly donned a and included in Pete Wells’ , coming in right behind 91߹ alum Missy Robbins’ Lilia at #3. Mr. Donahue’s Roast Beef also landed a spot in the .
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