Born and raised in New Jersey, Bill Telepan grew up in a family where they shared hearty meals that they sometimes made with vegetables from their garden.

Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Bill schooled at some of the world’s top kitchens. He apprenticed with the legendary Alain Chapel at his Three Michelin Star restaurant outside Lyons in France. Under Chapel, he honed his culinary skills, and learned the importance of retaining the integrity of fresh ingredients.

On his return to New York in the early 90’s, Bill worked with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque and Gilbert Le Coze at Le Bernardin. Subsequently, he was hired by Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar & Grill, where he was executive sous chef for four years. He moved on to become the executive chef at Ansonia. In 1998 Telepan joined JUdson Grill, earning Three Stars from The New York Times. He remained at JUdson until 2004. That same year in November, his cookbook, Inspired by Ingredients was published by Simon & Schuster. In 2005 Bill opened Telepan Restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, celebrating seasonal, fresh and local ingredients.