The latest class of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs has just been announced and Cleveland’s Vinnie Cimino is on the list. Only 10 chefs from across the nation are honored with such a distinction each year, a list of talent that the magazine’s editors describe as, “the most dynamic and promising up-and-coming chefs in the country.”
Cimino joins a very small Cleveland club that includes Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, both of whom made the cover of that annual roundup of national talent.
“For 37 years, Food & Wine editors have traveled the country in search of America’s most exciting emerging culinary talents. From Philadelphia to Phoenix and beyond, a new generation of chefs is redefining American dining by transforming personal histories into deeply expressive dishes. The result is food that’s inventive yet nostalgic, that honors the past while looking to the future. This year’s class reflects a clear shift: Chefs are putting their histories at the center of the plate.”
Cordelia (2058 East 4th St., 216-230-2355), which opened three years ago on East 4th Street, has been on the receiving end of countless honors and accolades. Along with co-owner Andrew Watts, Cimino has propelled Midwest cookery and hospitality into the national spotlight. The chef’s food, rooted in family and tradition, continues to resonate with both homegrown diners and visitors.
In 2024, Cimino was a James Beard Award Finalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category. This year, he was named as a James Beard semifinalist.
About Cimino’s cooking, the editors of Food & Wine stated, “Cordelia is Cimino’s heart on his sleeve, an unabashed homage to Cleveland, the Midwest, and the people who make the region so special. When he talks about the restaurant, Cimino centers the conversation on the community.”
In response to all the recent recognition, Cimino said, “After 17-plus years of grinding—the road was never straight, the nights were always long—I am grateful for every damn bit of it. Cooking is a team sport, and I would be nothing without my incredible team at Cordelia. You inspire and push me to be a better chef, leader, and human every single day. Most importantly, the biggest thanks goes to my wife and kids—my biggest supporters through the ups and downs and my reason for everything. I’m humbled and grateful to represent Cleveland & Akron and to keep pushing our community forward.”
Cimino and Watts will soon expand their portfolio when they open a second restaurant in the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City. That restaurant is expected to open later this fall.
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