Like ripples radiating out from the point where a stone hits the water, the news about Boston's hottest restaurant, Radius, has spread across the country. Since opening last January, the restaurant has floated to the top of every foodie's "must-try" list. Who's behind the stoves, you ask? Chef/co-owner Michael Schlow, whose creative cooking and clear vision earned Radius a spot on Condé Nast Traveler's 1999 list of the 50 hottest restaurants in the world.

The Brooklyn-born Schlow began his career working for Pino Luongo in New York City, eventually earning chef de cuisine positions at Le Madri and Coco Pazzo. After a job with Mark Strausman at Campagna, he took over the kitchens at Sapore di Mare in the Hamptons. He moved to 75 Main before returning to the city to open Ariel & Michael. A brief turn at the Ryland Inn with Craig Shelton followed, but the coaxing of his friend (and current business partner) Christopher Myers convinced him to move to Boston, where he reopened Café Louis to critical acclaim.

Three years later, Radius was born. Within months, people were hailing it as the best restaurant in town. Both Boston magazine and the Improper Bostonian named Schlow the best chef in the city; The Herald gave the restaurant four stars; The Globe gave it three and a half. Writing in Boston magazine, James Beard Award- winning journalist Corby Kummer said, "Michael Schlow is in a class-defining league. He stands not just to be a big figure on the local landscape, but to raise Boston's national profile." As is our charge here at the Beard Foundation, we'll do what we can to help.