I was doing some planning yesterday on some upcoming events with my friends at Vibrant Rioja. We’ve got some fun things planned that I’ll be sharing with you soon, but I wanted to tell you about one right away because I need some suggestions from you.

With the awards season for movies in full swing, everyone seems focused on who the best actors are and which director should get the Academy Award. In almost every case, those who are in the running for the top awards were once supporting actors or assistant directors.

It’s the same in the culinary world. We’re always focused on the Top Chef or the chef de cuisine in charge. But most of them, too, started out in supporting roles, usually in the position known as sous-chef, or second in command. These are the star chefs of tomorrow.

So we’re planning an event that will showcase the up and coming talents of the area’s sous-chefs, letting them shine for an evening. It will be a unique opportunity to taste some of the creations of the executive chefs of the future, sort of like attending a Broadway show and seeing the understudy in the lead role before she becomes a headliner.

So here’s where I need your help. I’ve got a few people in mind already, some sous-chefs I’ve been watching for a while. But I want to hear about some others I don’t know about. Chefs, fellow line cooks, culinary insiders, fans: let’s hear your nominations for men and women currently working as sous-chefs to participate in our big sous-chef event. I’m also open to a great name for the evening. Right now we’re using the working title, “Sous-Chefs on Top,” but we can do better than that.

Please leave your recommendations in the comments below (please don’t leave your comments on Facebook or Twitter — it’s better if they’re all in one place). Thanks for your help, and be watching for more details in the coming months.

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