A native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Dave Racicot, 28, has come full circle. He started his career at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, as chef de partie for the former Golden Trout restaurant. After a stint in Las Vegas where he worked with top chefs while serving as chef de partie at Picasso and Le Cirque, he returned to the resort as chef de cuisine at Aqueous. Known as an adventurous perfectionist, the self-taught Racicot is committed to quality ingredients from American—especially local—producers, as well as to the new horizons of science in preparing his “Forward Thinking American” cuisine. Diners taking “The Tour,” his 12-course chef’s tasting menu, can expect bold flavors and cutting-edge cuisine, such as tender sous-vide-cooked rib-eye, liquid ravioli, and dry caramel. Dave can’t explain why he started cooking, but it certainly runs in the family; his 25-year-old brother Ryan is the chef at Trilogy in Pittsburgh.