Who

Bill Telepan is the chef and owner of the restaurant Telepan on the Upper West Side.

Backstory

The CIA grad started his career as an apprentice to legendary chef Alain Chapel at his three-Michelin-star restaurant in Lyon, before returning to New York in the early 1990s to work under Daniel Boulud and Gilbert Le Coze of Le Bernardin. After serving under chef Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar & Grill for a spell, in 1998 he left to take over the kitchen at JUdson Grill, impressing foodies with a three-star review from the Times' Ruth Reichl after just four months on the job. Telepan opened his eponymous seasonalism-obsessed New American spot on West 69th Street in late 2005. Unfortunately, he's had difficulty replicating his success: Telepan earned a two-star review from the Times' Frank Bruni in early 2006. (Bruni cited a "lack of energy" and concluded, "Telepan won't turn heads, certainly not in its present attire") although the 2007 Zagat Guide was more complimentary, naming the restaurant the city's Best Newcomer.

In person

Unlike some of his peers, Telepan keeps a low profile; he's not the sort of chef you're going to see pitching a line of soup spoons on QVC. "He looks more like a straight-A chemistry student than a three-star chef," remarked the Observer.

Drama

In April 2007, the Telepan came under fire after several waiters alleged that managers had been (illegally) helping themselves to the waiters' tips.

In print

Telepan's Inspired By Ingredients was published in late 2004.

Personal

Telepan and his wife, Beverly, have a daughter named Leah and live on West 86th Street.