Tom Valenti is the chef-owner of Ouest and in 2003 opened 'Cesca, his second New York City restaurant. He was named one of the country's "Ten Best Chefs" by Food & Wine magazine and deemed a "national hero" by CNN for establishing Windows of Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides aid to the families of food-service workers killed during the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001 www.windowsofhope.org). To date, the foundation has raised more than $24 million.