Scott Conant is the chef-owner of L'Impero, which was honored with a James Beard award for best new restaurant in the country in 2003. In the spring of 2005, Scott opened Alto, which focuses on the cuisine of northern Italy. Named one of the ten best new chefs in the country in 2004 by Food & Wine, Scott cultivated his cooking style in some of Manhattan's finest Italian kitchens, including San Domenico, Il Toscanaccio, and Chianti.