<RESTAURANTS>

Barbara Lynch, No. 9 Park, the Butcher Shop, and B&G Oysters

In terms of talent, intensity, and vision, Lynch may have no equal in the Boston dining scene. Her No. 9 Park is where New York foodies come to dine when they visit our charming little hamlet. She has won every award in the book, and you haven’t truly lived until you’ve tasted her pasta and gnocchi.

Tony Ambrose, Blackfin Chop House

Riding the first wave of celebrity chef-dom, Tony Ambrose used his talent and drive to become one of the first local chefs to gain national acclaim. His Ambrosia restaurant broke all the rules of creativity in the kitchen, introducing Boston to many Asian flavors that are restaurant staples now, and he also broke new ground in terms of artful plating and food-as-architecture. Now, with his two Blackfin Chop Houses in Boston and Hingham, Ambrose maintains the same devotion to elegant, delicious food, albeit with a more restrained, mature vision.

Jody Adams, Michela Larson, Karen Haskell, and Gary Sullivan, Sapphire Group (Rialto, Noir, and Blu)

The Sapphire Group is a little like the New England Patriots: its members excel in their particular areas of expertise, and they are wholly devoted to doing whatever it takes to help the team win. Chef Jody Adams is the star of the group, as her face can be seen smiling from television screens and cookbook covers nationwide; she is universally respected by her peers for her talent and vision in the kitchen. Sullivan is the operations guy, an on-the-floor charmer who knows the ins and outs of the industry as well as anyone. Michela Larson has a history in this city — her late restaurant, Michela’s, introduced many a Bostonian to the joys of fine eating. She is actively involved in all three establishments, as well as in myriad other Sapphire Group projects. Behind the scenes, Karen Haskell is the final piece of the puzzle.

Holly Heslop and Charlie Christopher, Christopher’s, Toad, Cambridge Common, Lizard Lounge, and West Side Lounge

The funky stretch of Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter Squares should be renamed in honor of this enterprising duo, as their establishments line the street. Their thriving properties, while all having a very "Cambridge" feel, run the gamut from Toad’s scrappy live-music club to West Side Lounge’s sophisticated, relaxed flair. Christopher’s, their flagship restaurant, was a pioneer in its devotion to healthy, natural foods. The Lizard Lounge has become one of Boston’s coolest (literally) underground music clubs. Best of all, Heslop and Christopher are as affable as they are successful.

Ken Oringer, Clio

Yes, Clio is only one restaurant, but . . . wow. Oringer’s meticulous, lavish French-and-Asian-inspired cuisine is one of the true marvels of the Boston restaurant scene. Without exception, his peers immediately recognize Oringer as one of the most creative, talented chefs not just in Boston, but anywhere. Since its opening in 1997, Oringer and Clio have won pretty much every accolade there is to win, including a Best Chef in the Northeast award from the James Beard Foundation in 2001. What else would you expect from a guy who was voted "Most Likely To Succeed" by his graduating class at the Culinary Institute of America?

Matthew Curtis and Chris Lutes, Audubon, Miracle of Science, Middlesex Lounge, and Cambridge One

Curtis and Lutes are the epitome of quiet Players, as they prefer to fly slightly under the radar while they rack up one winning establishment after another. While the duo may not covet the spotlight, rest assured that their industry peers are very aware of the incredible business- and-operations savvy behind Curtis and Lutes’s four establishments, all of which are extraordinary in their own way. While there is nothing concrete in the works, look for continued expansion — and success — in the coming years from these silent killers of Boston nightlife.

Seth Woods, Matthew Burns, and Jeffrey Gates, The Aquitaine Group (Aquitaine, Metropolis, Armani Café, Aquitaine Bis, and Union Bar & Grille)

In the Aquitaine Group, the division of power among the three partners goes something like this: Woods is the executive chef, Burns is the front-of-the-house specialist, and Gates is the operations maestro. It started, in 1995, with Woods and Burns opening Metropolis in the not-yet-so-trendy South End. In 1998, they launched Aquitaine, one of the most loved and successful restaurants in the city. The Aquitaine Group also heads the über-trendy and much-lauded Armani Café on Newbury Street, as well as Aquitaine Bis in Chestnut Hill. And now, with Gates’s on-site management, the Aquitaine group has shaped Union into one of the hottest restaurants in the area.

Paul Roiff, XV Beacon and the Federalist, Mistral, and Teatro

Few players have as much invested in the city of Boston as Paul Roiff. A real-estate magnate, Roiff enjoys the distinction of owning three restaurants where other Players congregate when it’s time to make the deals go down: the Fed, Mistral, and Teatro. His partner at both Mistral and Teatro is the artful chef Jamie Mammano (formerly of Aujourd’hui), a man for whom culinary magic is an everyday occurrence.

Bill Bradley and Jim Cafarelli, Rustic Kitchens (in Hingham, Faneuil Hall, and Cambridge)

If you immediately think "Olive Garden" when you think of Italian chains, hurry yourself over to one of the three local Rustic Kitchen sites for a very pleasant surprise. Bradley, the executive chef and a co-owner in the operation, first came to the attention of the local food world as the opening chef of Bricco, and he hasn’t looked back since. He is known for his way with pasta and for his devotion to hearty and, yes, rustic Italian cooking. Look for more Rustic Kithchens to open in the near future.

Patrick Lee, Temple Bar, Irish Village, Redline, and Grafton Street

Lee is the highest-profile partner in a group that includes Peter Lee, Gerry Sheerin, and Sean Kennedy. Together they control one traditional Irish pub (the Irish Village) and three more-modern-Irish establishments (Temple Bar, Redline, and Grafton Street). These guys obviously know what they’re doing, because their joints are perpetually jammed with a young, hip crowd.

Brian Lesser and Rene Michelena, Saint and Domani

Lesser, a well-respected industry veteran, oversees Saint and Domani, the two kitchens that are home to the internationally renowned culinary magician Rene Michelena. While the two establishments couldn’t be more different — Saint is an upscale nightclub and restaurant that specializes in global small plates; Domani is an authentic Roman trattoria — both share the commonality of professionalism, fun, and great food and service.

Michael Conlon. Eat Drink Laugh Restaurant Group (Paramount, Peking Tom’s, Blarney Stone, West on Centre, and the 21st Amendment)

Watch out for Conlon and his crew, which includes partners Michael Bissanti, Peter McCarthy, and Joe Greene. They control the five Eat Drink Laugh establishments in various partnership configurations, but the thing to know is that they aren’t done yet. If you’ve been to any of their parties, you know that these guys are as devoted to a good time as they are to succeeding in the restaurant business.

Paul Delios, Mezé Estiatorio and Paolo’s Trattoria

Paul Delios is the jovial, talented chef and partner of both Mezé and Paolo’s Trattoria, in Charlestown. Delios is much more than the hardworking local plugger he might be mistaken for: he has a deft touch in the kitchen, and he is a savvy businessman. Paolo’s is the hearty Italian joint, and Mezé is the upscale Greek restaurant that has done so much for introducing the unique complexity of Greek cuisine to local palates. We expect more great things of Delios and his business partner/CEO, Bill Galatis, in the coming years.

Jae Chung, Jae’s (in the Back Bay, Brookline, and the South End)

While the Jae’s empire no longer threatens to take over the world, the new(ish) location on Boylston Street is a sign that Jae Chung is back in the game. Chung’s model of stylish, pan-Asian restaurants — with a focus on sushi and Korean dishes — is an oft-copied one, but no one seems able to execute it as well as the originator.

Joe Quattrochi, Vox Populi

"Joe Q.," as he’s known by many, is one of the good guys in Boston nightlife. But being a good guy doesn’t make you a Player — being a successful businessman and the owner of one of the Back Bay’s perpetually hot establishments, Vox Populi, does. Quattrochi has great connections to the New York restaurant scene, and has always been willing to help charitable causes.

Jacky Robert, Le Petit Bistro Robert

Robert has cooked with the best of them at restaurants such as Maison Robert (founded by his uncle Lucien Robert) and Locke-Ober. Now this talented veteran of the Boston scene has opened a bistro — a real bistro, where there is no pretension and the prices are cheap enough to eat there every day — just outside burgeoning Kenmore Square. Robert’s reputation is such that just the mention of his name inspires Pavlovian salivation in local foodies. He has forgotten more about French cuisine than most American chefs will ever learn.

Ken Himmel, Excelsior, Grill 23, and Harvest

The guy owns one of Boston’s flashiest restaurants, Excelsior; one of its most bustling steak houses, Grill 23; and a Harvard Square institution, Harvest. Himmel is very active in real estate nationwide, and was a co-manager of a little project called the Time Warner Center in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle — a complex that includes restaurants from Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Masa Takayama, and Gray Kunz.

Darryl Settles, Bob the Chef’s, Beantown Jazz Festival, and Beantown Sounds

Darryl Settles is the prototypical man about town. While he is best known as the proprietor of Bob the Chef’s Jazz Café, Settles is also the founder of the incredible Beantown Jazz Festival (which will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year, in partnership with the Berklee School of Music), an event that draws a diverse crowd to the South End to celebrate music, food, and community. Settles also owns Beantown Sounds, a company that books bands (and other entertainment) for corporate and social events. In mid July, look for a new (as yet unnamed) jazz café to open in the BCA complex on Tremont Street, this one in partnership with Pho République owner Jack Bardy. Settles is also involved in real estate, and is one of Boston’s brightest shining stars.

Rita D’Angelo and Marisa Iocco, Bricco, Umbria, and Mare

While some still refer to them as "The Galleria Girls," D’Angelo and Iocco have grown much since the days of Galleria Italiana. D’Angelo is the master of front-of-the-house efficiency, while Iocco is the culinary genius overseeing the kitchens at both Bricco and Umbria. Later this spring, the women will be launching a new North End restaurant, Mare, in partnership with Frank De Pasquale.

Christopher Myers, Esti Parsons, and Michael Schlow, Radius, Great Bay, and Via Matta

To say that Schlow, Myers, and Parsons have the magic touch would be selling them short — it suggests that all they have to do to succeed is show up. The truth is that these are three of the most intelligent, savvy, talented, and dedicated individuals working in the restaurant business. Their success is hard-earned and very well deserved. Schlow, Myers, and Parsons are also not afraid to laugh at themselves, proving once again that humor is a key to sustainability in any business. Boston is lucky to call them its own.

Andy Husbands, Tremont 647, Sister Sorel, and Rouge

Seattle native Husbands is a cookbook author, successful restaurateur, and barbecue champion who, while intense and talented, doesn’t take himself too seriously. His flair for big, bold, and brassy cooking has won him a devoted following in the South End and beyond; Husbands’s devotion to charitable causes, notably Share Our Strength, has earned him admiration throughout the industry.