U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™
Drew Garms, Executive Chef
The Everglades Club
Palm Beach, Florida

The U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ award recognizes an outstanding culinarian who works and cooks in a full-service dining facility. This person has demonstrated the highest standard of culinary skills, advanced the cuisine of America and given back to the profession through the development of students and apprentices. This year, competitors had 60 minutes to create, cook and display four plates that best utilize the main ingredients of oysters, quail and hanger steak.
Meet The President
Chef John A. Carlino, CEC, CDM, FMP
ChefCorp
Corporate Commissary, ServSafe Instruction, Cider Doughnuts

Chef Carlino’s foodservice experience as a restaurateur and educator includes over 30 years of working in Hospitality. He is a graduate of Sacred Heart University & The Culinary Institute of America.
He owned & operated three successful restaurants: Winslow’s, in Westport, Ciao Café & Two Step’s Downtown Grille, in Danbury, Connecticut, before moving to South Florida to teach.
Chef's role as Chairman of Culinary Education and Associate Dean of Florida Culinary Institute, provided additional opportunities to teach in Nicaragua, as an educational consultant for the University of Mobile, and conducting a massive ServSafe Certifcation program for the entire island of Aruba! He has trained Yacht Captains in Tortola, BVI, and was selected to the culinary team for a US Congressional event, Taste America, in Washington, D.C. hosted by House Speaker, Newt Gingrich.
Chef Carlino has achieved “Certified Executive Chef” and “Certified Culinary Educator” by the American Culinary Federation. He is certified as a “Foodservice Management Professional” by the National Restaurant Association and most recently earned his Certification as a "Dietary Manager" by the CBDM. He has been awarded 1999 ACF Palm Beach, Chef of the Year, 1998 / 2004 Culinarian of the Year of our chapter. He serves on local Board of Directors for the National Restaurant Association, WPB Homeless Coalition, and Slow Foods, USA. He is also contributing editor of a powerful book titled: “Healing Gourmet, Eat to Fight Cancer”.