Best of Boston
2016 Best Chef, General Excellence
Tiffani Faison, Tiger Mama and Sweet Cheeks
From left: Karen Akunowicz, Katie Gilarde, Todd Maul, Meghan Thompson, and Tiffani Faison. / Photograph by Jason Grow, styling by Laura Dillon/Team
Despite stints under legends Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse and three tours of duty on Top Chef, it feels like Tiffani Faison is just getting started. A culinary chameleon who’s excelled at sushi (O Ya), Italian (Rocca Kitchen & Bar), and even Texas-style barbecue, Faison recently unveiled her most electrifying venture to date: Tiger Mama, a verdant wellspring of Southeast Asian cuisine. And that’s not all for 2016, as come fall, the chef will introduce her latest Fenway project—a luxe cocktail bar modeled after Ernest Hemingway’s old hangout, Minetta Tavern.