Chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Marco Canora has been doing his part to promote delicious, simple and healthful food that he believes is everyone’s birthright. Since 1996, his cuisine has earned critical acclaim and his Italian-inflected cooking has been hailed as some of the finest this side of the Atlantic. Hearth Restaurant, located in Manhattan’s East Village, is the current home of the widest range of Marco’s seasonally-inspired dishes. Opened in 2003 and nominated the following spring for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award, Hearth has consistently won accolades for its unpretentious approach, its innovative and exhaustive beverage program, and the unsurpassed quality of its dishes. Since opening Hearth, Marco has been a repeat guest on The Today Show and made appearances on the CBS Early Show, Martha Stewart, and ABC Nightline. The highlight of his television career so far has been the Food Network’s 2010 Next Iron Chef on which he appeared as a contestant.