Katy Sparks '86

Katy Parks says she intends to be a "granddame of cuisine" someday. She’s already well on her way. Sparks, who has critics drooling, in addition to being listed one of the Best New Chefs of 1998 by Food & Wine magazine, was named one of "America’s hottest young chefs" by Wine Spectator.  
 
Brought up on a farm in Vermont by a professor father who dabbled in cows and chickens, and a mother known for her parties, Sparks cultivated her techniques at J&W when offered a full scholarship. After a short stint in Seattle, sparks returned to the East to wow foodies in Manhattan at Barry Wines’ Quilted Giraffe, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and later Bolo.
 
She’s said to let her imagination run wild and her cooking has been called "quirky," "very bold and very successful" and "free wheeling, globally influenced contemporary American." New Yorker magazine says she treats game "as though its’ been seduced rather than shot." Either way that puts her in charge — just the way she likes it. "Now that I am executive chef, I have more control over my schedule, and I have no intention of dropping out, no matter how tough it gets," Spark says.