Ben Poremba, the chef-owner of Elaia, Olio and Old Standard Fried Chicken, is one of 10 chefs competing in the Midwest category of Food & Wine magazine's annual People's Best New Chef competition.
The competition, which coincides with the magazine's annual announcement of its own Best New Chefs, lets readers vote for their favorite chefs in each of 10 regions. The chef who receives the most votes across all 10 regions is the People's Best New Chef.
Josh Galliano, now of the Libertine, won the Midwest vote in 2012.
Poremba's competition in the Midwest category includes three chefs from Minneapolis-St. Paul, two each from Madison, Wisc., and Kansas City, Mo., and one each from Milwaukee and Bentonville, Ark.
