New Chef Ambassadors Combine Culinary Excellence With Wisconsin Cheese

Six notable chefs from around the nation are bringing their distinctive regional styles to the Wisconsin Cheese Chef Ambassador program, an initiative of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), that connects Wisconsin Cheese and the state's legendary cheesemakers with some of the best chefs in the country. More than 20 distinguished chefs are members of the expanding ambassador team, now in its fifth year.

The new ambassadors will spend the year cooking with Wisconsin Cheese to develop innovative menu applications, some of which will be featured in their restaurants, as well as "spreading the word" about Wisconsin's specialty and artisan cheesemakers to their peers and patrons through a variety of activities.

The new ambassadors are:

* Jamie Bissonnette, KO Prime, Boston
Bissonnette has introduced Bostonians to his modern take on steakhouse cuisine at KO Prime in Nine Zero Hotel with creative charcuteries, unparalleled entrees and daily desserts. When not in the kitchen, Bissonnette can be found on the rooftop of Nine Zero, which he transformed into a garden.

* John Caputo, BIN 36/A MANO, Chicago
Caputo has always been enthralled with food and wine; both essential to the spirit behind BIN 36 and bin wine caf�. With the recent opening of A MANO, an Italian trattoria, Caputo looks forward to bringing authentic Italian cuisine to Chicago diners.

* Kent Rathbun, Abacus Restaurant, Dallas and Jasper's Restaurant, Plano, The Woodlands, Austin
The menu at Abacus combines Rathbun's signature blend of flavors including influences of Southwestern, Mediterranean, American, Cajun/Creole and the Pacific Rim. Rathbun's second restaurant concept, Jasper's "Gourmet Backyard Cuisine," provides more traditional "home cooked" menu items with a "modern outdoors" theme.

* Matthew Silverman, Vintner Grill, Las Vegas
As Corporate Executive Chef for the Michael Corrigan Restaurant Group, Silverman provides the direction for the company's expanding restaurant line-up. His menu at Vintner Grill features American dishes with Mediterranean influences.

* Nathan Berg, Native Bay Restaurant, Chippewa Falls
At Native Bay, Berg focuses on all things local, offering an ever-changing seasonal menu featuring products from nearly 100 regional suppliers. Berg's culinary style is often described as Midwestern, with an emphasis on organic produce, freshwater fish, grass-fed meats and artisan cheeses.

* Gregg Wangard, Marisol, Shell Beach
Wangard's Wisconsin roots helped him develop an early appreciation for farm-fresh ingredients. At Marisol, Wangard relies heavily on local ingredients and a unique farm-to-table approach to create his Latin-inspired cuisine.

The chef ambassadors began the year with a recent "Wisconsin immersion" in Madison, Wis., that included cheesemaker tours and Wisconsin Cheese tastings. For more information about the Chef Ambassador program or Wisconsin Cheese, visit WisDairy.com/chef. For a list of Wisconsin Cheese Chef Ambassador alumni, Meet Our Chef Ambassadors.