The American Academy of Chefs Logo Chef Good Taste Award

The Chef Good Taste Award is awarded at the annual AAC® Induction Ceremony & Dinner.

Thomas Hannum

2024 - Thomas A. Hannum, CEC, AAC

John Folse

2023 - John Folse, CEC, AAC

Daniel Varano

2022 - Daniel J. Varano, CEC, CCE, AAC

Jean Hull

2021 - Jean W. Hull, CEC, AAC

Robert Milam

2020 - Robert A. Milam, CEC, AAC

Deborah Bando-Duit

2019 - Deborah A. Bando-Duit, CEC®, AAC®

Proprietor/Executive Chef - Bando's, Beaumont, Texas; ACF Texas Chef Association

Jacques Wilson

2018 - Jacques Wilson, CEC®, AAC®

Executive Chef - El Camino Hospital, Salinas, California; ACF Monterey Bay Chapter

Ewart Jones

2017 - Ewart G. Jones, CEC®, AAC®, PhD

Executive Chef - Retired, League City, Texas; ACF Texas Chefs Association

Peter Hodgson

2016 - Peter Hodgson, CEC®, AAC®

Campus Executive Chef, University of Utah Dining Services - Chartwells Dining Services, Salt Lake City, Utah; Chapter Membership Chair, ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.

Jacques Brevery

2015 - Jacques Brevery, CEC®, AAC®, PhD

President/CEO, Old Belgium Gastronomie Consulting; ACF Palm Beach County Chefs Association

Scott Gilbert

2014 - Scott Gilbert, CEC®, AAC®

Director of culinary, Custom Culinary, Inc., Lombard, Illinois; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

John Kukucka

2013 - John Kukucka, AAC®

Executive chef, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, Ontario, Canada; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Paul O'Toole

2012 - Paul J. O’Toole, CEC®, AAC®

Executive chef, Deerfield Gold and Tennis Club, Newark, Delaware; ACF Philadelphia Chapter

J. Kevin Walker

2011 - J. Kevin Walker, CMC®, AAC®

Executive chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter

Friedrich Gitschner

2010 - Friedrich Gitschner, CMC®, AAC®

Chef owner, Gitschner’s Productions, Houston; ACF Professional Chefs Association of Houston

John Bogacki

2009 - John Bogacki, CEC®, CCE®, AAC®

Hans Schadler

2008 - Hans J. Schadler, CEC®, AAC®


2007 (Central Region) - Alex Darvishi, CEC®, AAC®
2007 (Northeast Region) - John Schlaner, CEC®, AAC®
2007 (Southeast Region) - Bernd Mueller, CEC®, AAC®
2007 (Western Region) - Gustav Mauler, AAC®
2006 (Central Region) - Charles Carroll, CEC®, AAC®
2006 (Southeast Region) - Fred Lucardie, CEC®, AAC®
2006 (Northeast Region) - David Banks CEC®, AAC®
2006 (Western Region) - Jay Pastoral, CEC®, AAC®
2005 - Bernard Urban, CEC®, AAC®
2005 - Dale Miller, CMC®, AAC®
2005 - Sal Marino, CEC®, HAAC®
2005 - Gary Prell, CEC®, CCE®, AAC®
2004 - Steve Jilleba, CMC®, CCE®, AAC®
2004 - Jess Barbosa, AAC®
2004 - Elizabeth Mikesell, CEC®, AAC®
2004 - Stephen Afflixio, CCE®, AAC®
2004 - Gazpard Caloz, AAC®
2003 - Darrell Anderson, CEC®, CCE®, AAC®
2003 - John K. Kartje, CEC®, AAC®
2003 - Lutz Lewerenz, CEC®, AAC®
2003 - Mark Wright, CEC®, AAC®
2002 - Van Atkins, CEC® AAC®
2002 - John Kaufmann, CEC®, AAC®
2002 - L. Edwin Brown, HAAC
2002 - John Saundry, CEC®, AAC®
2002 - Pierre Rausch, CEC®, AAC®
2001 - Bernard Urban, CEC®, AAC®
2001 - Thomas Macrina, CEC®, AAC®
2001 - Edward Leonard, CMC®, AAC®
2001 - Bert Cutino, CEC®, AAC®