Some of the World’s Biggest Names in Food Are Coming to the 2020 Philly Chef Conference

Photo by Neal Santos

Drexel University’s Department of Food & Hospitality has announced the list of participants for 2020’s Philly Chef Conference, and the event is shaping up to be as eventful as it has been in the last few years. Stand-out speakers include Bon Appetit Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport, chef and cookbook author J.J. Johnson, and New York Times food reporter Kim Severson. Check out the full list of participants below.

The event will take place over two days, with a panel discussion and reception (as always with food from great chefs — more on that as the dates get closer) taking place on Sunday, March 1st. On Monday, March 2nd, sessions, panels, and demonstrations will take course over the course of the day. Tickets will be $50 for Sunday and $195 for Monday, and will go on sale January 15th at 10 a.m.

“Our annual Philly Chef’s Conference is the centerpiece of our year-round programming, bringing the best and brightest in the culinary world right to Philadelphia,” says Mike Traud, the Hospitality Management Program Director and conference organizer.

Photo by Neal Santos

The full lineup of events is yet to be announced, but topics will include food science, recipe development, pasta, sustainability, waste management, and more. There will also be a roundtable of nationally recognized reporters discussing news-worthy topics of the moment. The conference is hosted by Drexel University’s Department of Food & Hospitality Management, one of the best culinary management programs in the country.  This will be the conference’s 7th year – last year’s was the biggest event so far.

• Eric Adjepong, chef and co-founder, Pinch and Plate, Washington, D.C.
• Karen Akunowicz, chef-owner, Fox & the Knife, Boston, MA
• Antonio Bachour, chef-owner, Bachour, Miami, FL
• Bo Bech, chef, Restaurant Geist, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Jack Benchakul, Endorffeine Coffee, Los Angeles, CA
• Kevin Boehm, co-founder, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago, IL
• Amy Brandwein, chef-owner, Centrolina and Piccolina, Washington, D.C.
• Katie Button, executive chef and co-owner, Curate and Button Bagels, Asheville, NC
• Tim Carman, food reporter, The Washington Post
• Lincoln Carson, chef-owner, Bon Temps, Los Angeles, CA
• Phil Colicchio, Cushman & Wakefield, Executive Managing Director Speciatly F&B, Entertainment, Hospitality Consulting, Americas Retail services
• Dana Cowin, host of Speaking Broadly podcast, former Editor in Chief of Food & Wine magazine
• Annika de Las Heras, general manager, Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Hillary Dixler Canavan, contributor, EATER national
• Charlotte Druckman, author of Women on Food
• Elizabeth Dunn, food journalist
• Kelly Fields, pastry chef, Willa Jean, New Orleans, LA
• Sam Fitz, co-founder, Anxo Cidery, Washington, DC
• Lauren Fonda, Becca PR, chief brand officer
• Phyllis Grant, author, Everything is Under Control: A Memoir with Recipes
• Jeff Gordinier, food and drink editor, Esquire
• Chelsea Gregoire, owner, Drinkable Genius
• Will Guidara, restaurateur, New York, NY
• Richard Hart, co-founder and owner, Hart Bageri, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Arielle Johnson, food scientist and writer, formerly of Noma
• JJ Johnson, chef and founder of Fieldtrip, Harlem, NY and co-author of Between Harlem & Heaven
• Howie Kahn, contributing editor, Wall Street Journal, Prince Street podcast
• Kat Kinsman, host of The Communal Table podcast
• Amanda Kludt, editor-in-chief, EATER
• Priya Krishna, food writer, New York Times, Bon Appetit
• Enrique Limardo, executive chef and co-owner, Seven Reasons, Washington, D.C.
• Rosemary Liss, Co-founder and owner of Le Comptoir du Vin, Baltimore, MD
• Henrietta Lovell, founder Rare Tea Company and author Adventures in Tea
• David Marcelli, pastry chef, Buca, Toronto, Canada
• Blake McKay, food publicist, Blake
• Brett Martin, food and drink correspondent, GQ
• Klancy Miller, cookbook author, Cooking Solo
• Julia Moskin, food reporter, New York Times
• Anthony Myint, chef and restaurateur, The Perennial, 2019 Basque Culinary World Prize
• Niki Nakazawa, Neta Spirits, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Ahktar Nawab, chef-owner, Hospitality HQ
• David Nayfield, chef, Che Fico, San Francisco, CA
• Anna Polonsky, founder and creative director, Polonsky & Friends
• Adam Rapoport, editor-in-chief, Bon Appetit
• Thomas Raquel, executive pastry chef, Le Bernardin, New York City, NY
• Nikita Richardson, staff writer, Grub Street
• Avery Ruzicka, head baker and partner, Manresa Bread
• Atom Sarkar, MD/PhD, Drexel Neurosciences Institute
• Stephen Satterfield, founder of Whetstone magazine
• Trip Schneck, Cushman & Wakefield, Executive Managing Director Speciatly F&B, Entertainment, Hospitality Consulting, Americas Retail services
• Stefano Secchi, chef, Rezdora, New York City, NY
• Kim Severson, food reporter, New York Times
• Khushbu Shah, restaurant editor, Food & Wine
• Madison Trapkin, founder of GRLSQUASH
• Vaughn Tan, University College of London’s School of Management
• Jason Tesauro, food journalist
• Sarah Tracy, PhD, author, Delicious: A History of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and Umami
• Diep Tran, chef andfood writer
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef-owner, Jean-Georges, many locations and Philadelphia, PA
• Brady Williams, chef, Canlis, Seattle, WA
• Erick Williams, chef, Virtue Restaurant, Chicago, IL
• Korsha Wilson, food journalist
• Claudette Zepeda, James Beard Foundation Semifinalist Best Chef: West