Grilled: 2009 Taste of the Nation

Caramelized onion-pear jam in an Italian almond tart with tea-smoked cheese and salt pralines | Pure Food and Wine

Roseland Ballroom hosted the 21st Taste of the Nation, an annual event flashing the culinary (and schmoozing and drinking) skills of NYC chefs while supporting the fight against childhood hunger. Share our Strength's web site offers more details, and an auction. We caught up with several chefs, grilling them the only way we know: by having them pull random questions out of a saucepan. And, no, they couldn't take a pass when we asked them about the big topic of the day—Frank Bruni's departure from the New York Times. And if Zagat still matters. And if critics should be given their own stars. Laurent Tourondel has some ideas on that. Interviews include Floyd Cardoz, Nikki Cascone, Jim Meehan, Laurent Tourondel, Franklin Becker and Marc Murphy