What makes a successful restaurant? Of course, it's a combination of factors, from the food to the location, design and service. But it all starts with one person, a vision—and the drive and determination and see that vision through. The following people have pursued their dreams and built successful culinary companies, each in the city that played a central role in their lives. Some are celebrated chefs, while others are the brains behind the operation, but all are dedicated entrepreneurs who took a chance—and made the most of it. The next time you're in one of these five cities, visit their restaurants. Given their stellar track records, you know you're assured a good meal.

Danny Meyer
New York, New York
www.ushgnyc.com
New York is brimming with well-known restaurateurs—Bobby Flay and Mario Batali come to mind. But perhaps the most lauded is Danny Meyer, who owns several super-successful Manhattan eateries. He opened his first, Union Square Café, in 1985, with executive chef/partnerMichael Romano. It quickly won accolades for its delicious New American cuisine (yellowfin tuna tartare, crispy lemon-pepper duck, roasted organic chicken and the like) and attentive but unpretentious service. Soon to follow were Gramercy Tavern, 11 Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke (an upscale barbecue joint) and Modern in the Museum of Modern Art. Meyer supports the Union Square Greenmarket and is active in charities like Share Our Strength and City Harvest. And even though he has reached the pinnacle of his profession, he is often spotted in his restaurants greeting customers. The next time you stop by to enjoy the wine-braised veal shank at Union Square Café or the baby back ribs at Blue Smoke, be sure to say hello.

Stephen Starr
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
www.starr-restaurant.com
If you haven't visited Philadelphia recently, you are sure to be impressed by the city's dynamic culinary scene—and entrepreneur Stephen Starr is widely credited with starting the boom. His empire includes 12 restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love, starting with the retro cocktail lounge Continental, which opened in 1995 (Starr formerly owned local rock-and-roll clubs). Some of his most successful spots include Alma de Cuba, whose chef is Nuevo Latino star Douglas Rodriguez; Buddakan, with Asian fare and a 10-foot tall Buddha statue; and Morimoto, the nation's only restaurant manned by Iron Chef Masahuru Morimoto. Patrons know that Starr's places have a see-and-be-seen vibe, along with high-concept designs and specialty drinks. His latest ventures are Barclay Prime, a modern steakhouse on Rittenhouse Square; and Striped Bass, with celebrity chef Alfred Portale. Soon New York and Atlantic City will get their own Stephen Starr restaurants, so more of the East Coast can see what all the fuss is about.

Barbara Lynch
Boston, Massachusetts
www.no9park.com
In the past few years, Boston-born Barbara Lynch has become one of Beantown's most talked-about chefs. Lynch honed her skills in distinguished restaurants like Olives, owned by celebrity chef Todd English. In 1998, she opened No. 9 Park, housed in an elegant townhouse in historic Beacon Hill, the ideal showcase for her refined Italian and French cuisine (think prune-filled gnocchi with seared foie gras, yellowfin tuna with Maine crab salad and a pancetta vinaigrette). She further expanded her presence in Boston by opening two restaurants in the up-and-coming South End, B&G Oysters and the Butcher Shop, both of which are intimate and offer communal seating. Even though she was named Best Chef, Northeast in 2003 by the James Beard Foundation, Lynch isn't one to rest on her laurels. She recently launched a high-end catering company called Niche Catour, and her first cookbook will be published this spring.

Charlie Trotter
Chicago, Illinois
www.charlietrotters.com
Even though this famed chef owns just one restaurant in Chicago, Charlie Trotter's (opened in 1987), his name is at the forefront of the Windy City's dining scene. Trotter worked for top chefs like Norman Van Aken and Bradley Ogden before opening this eponymous restaurant (his only other venue is at the Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico). The multi-course tasting menus feature a blend of American, French and Asian cuisines and include the Grand Menu (whole roasted squab, angus strip loin) and the Vegetarian Menu (chestnut soup, rosemary tart), with accompanying wines. Trotter is the author of 11 cookbooks and hosts The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter on PBS; he also started Trotter's To Go, a gourmet takeout and retail store. Despite his packed schedule, he makes time for his Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation, which hosts weekly dinners for high-school students in the Chicago area and awards money to students interested in a career in the culinary arts.

Stephan Pyles
Dallas, Texas
www.stephanpyles.com
The big news in the Big D is that Texas-born chef Stephan Pyles has launched the first restaurant to bear his name. Pyles has been on the Dallas dining scene for more than 20 years (with numerous cookbooks and television appearances to his credit), and he is considered a pioneer of New American and Southwestern cuisine. A handful of his top Dallas restaurants include Routh Street Café, AquaKnox, Star Canyon and Dragonfly in the Hotel ZaZa. Fans of the chef were thrilled when he finally opened his eponymous restaurant in the trendy Dallas Arts District last fall, near the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. Stephan Pyles features a glass-enclosed kitchen complete with a wood-burning oven and rotisserie, and the menu offers flavorful dishes like pulled spit-roasted suckling pig with apples and ribeye steak with pinto-wild mushroom ragout and red chile onion rings. Those looking for a more casual meal can dine at the tapas/ceviche bar, which serves Mediterranean mezzes and Peruvian ceviches.

JILL FERGUS is a freelance writer based in New York.