Dan Barber

Dan Barber (born 1969) is a chef and co-owner of Blue Hill in Manhattan and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York. He is a 1992 graduate of Tufts University, where he received a B. A. in English, and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. He is married to Aria Sloss, a short story writer, novelist and former food writer. He is the author of The Third Plate.

In 2002, Barber was named one of the Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine. He has received several James Beard Foundation awards, including the 2006 award for Best Chef: New York City and the 2009 award for Outstanding Chef. The James Beard Foundation also named him the top chef in America in 2009. Also in 2009, he was named one of the world’s most influential people in Time Magazine's annual Time 100.

Barber has written on many food and agricultural policies, which have appeared in the New York Times, Gourmet, The Nation, Saveur, and Food & Wine. His writings pertain to creating a consciousness about the effects of everyday food choices and food sustainability. Barber's efforts to forward the local cuisine movement are brought to the table at his flagship restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns, where seasonal produce grown and raised on-site is grilled over wood fuel from the nearby forests.

In February 2010, Barber gave a talk at the TED Conference where he outlined his discovery of extensively farmed fish at Veta La Palma. He spoke about how ecological and sustainable farm systems produce the best tasting food.