American Originals: The Next Wave Of Pasta Chefs From Around The Country

The Next Wave Of Pasta Chefs From Around The Country

- Craig Cavallo

JOSH MCFADDEN 

Ava Gene’s, Portland, Oregon

Josh McFadden attended culinary school and cooked in Michelin-starred palazzos in Rome, but “somewhere along the line,” he says, “I realized I wanted to be more in touch with seasonal ingredients in a simpler way.” That led McFadden to cook in neighborhoody spots like recently shuttered Franny’s in Brooklyn and, later, Lupa, under Mark Ladner. “He is a genius,” McFadden says. “That’s where I really learned about pasta.” Today in Portland, McFadden follows the seasons and sticks to tradition. “Americans, without a long history—we feel we can put our own stamp on certain dishes,” he says, “and that can often go horribly wrong.” So he keeps it simple—pasta pomodoro, cacio e pepe, linguine with clams—and stays in sync with the seasons.

BRUCE LOGUE 

BoccaLupo, Atlanta, Georgia