I still can’t believe it’s 2010. Another year passes, but thankfully with January brings a sleuth of top-ten lists to help ease the pain. This time around: newly minted Castagna chef Matt Lightner has been named among the top ten American chefs to watch in 2010 by industry-influencer Restaurant Hospitality. Lightner is not only the solo Portland chef on the list, he’s the only chef from a non-major US dining market, finding himself among New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas peers.

From the article: "He’s only 28, but he’s already studied under some of the best in the business. He’s got big shoes to fill at one of Portland’s most beloved restaurants."

Read the entire piece here.

And read Karen Brooks near-glowing review of Castagna’s radical reallignment.