'CHEF JOCK' LIJOI

Chef Jock is the better-known name of restaurateur and TV personality Giacomo Lijoi. He doesn't cook anymore. Not since a 2001 car crash left him a quadriplegic. Complications from his injuries have led to a variety of health problems. It's hard for him to oversee his restaurants, though he says Tastebuds Cafe continues to do well. He says he has some difficult decisions to make about the future of his restaurants.

But Chef Jock is a fighter. He says he'll never give up but does feel God is leading him in a new direction. Doctors are amazed by the strength that remains in Chef Jock's paralyzed body, and they want to study him. In January, he will become a test subject at a Miami paralysis clinic. He plans to step up his involvement with the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and become a vocal advocate of stem cell research.

Chef Jock says he had a good run in the business he loves. He's extremely grateful to be chosen East Tennessee's Best Chef for the third consecutive year and to have his Tastebuds Cafe honored as Best Sevier County Restaurant. He wants personally to thank voters for their support. This is his message:

"You guys make me cry. I guess people out there still like me. That makes me feel good. … All I can say is thank you, Knoxville, Sevier County and all of East Tennessee. I love everybody, and thank you for all the prayers, and thanks for all the love."

Runners-up: Bruce Bogartz (Bogartz), Hakon Vigander, (Sunspot)