Sanford D'Amato graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1974, and stayed on for a one year fellowship in the Escoffier Room. In 1985, while at Milwaukee's John Byron's Restaurant, he received national attention in Food & Wine magazine as one of the top 25 "Hot New Chefs", and touted as "One of the finest seafood chefs in the country" in a 1988 Bon Appétit feature article. In November of 1992, Sanford was one of 12 chefs in the nation to be personally chosen by Julia Child to cook for her 80th Birthday Celebration in her hometown Boston. Chef Sandy was nominated the first year of the awards and for six consecutive years by the James Beard Foundation.