This is ultimately an exercise in mental masturbation and thus totally pointless, but I will point out that anyone who misses John T. Edge and Sean Brock on that list is an ego-centrist Yankee with a myopic view of what is happening in food in this country. Also, Stoppelman is a tool and Yelp! is not influential in food in any way, shape, or form. It is influential in some circles, and while people do "review" restaurants, grocery stores, etc. on that site, it is not influencing what is happening in food in any way. At all.

That's a pretty broad list--I am bit perplexed by the rational though: the CEO of Krogers is way above Danny Meyer, Martha Stewart, Jose Andreas, Tom Colicchio, and Thomas Keller?? This looks more like an exercise in random grouping...could I submit the Gerber Baby to be at the top of the list for 2013 ?

Great to see Will Allen on the list! Some great chefs on there and of course many great ones missing. The order is subjective and their order.
Yelp? Are ya kiddding #3?

i wish Alice Waters was higher...as for yelp...WOW!
something to be said about the organization of word of mouth...i have been paying attention to yelp for a long time.
it lets you know what people are saying about your restaurant, and gives you the power to react.
step back and be honest with yourself....are we trying to make food critics happy or our customer base?

Aside from Will Allen and Dan Barber that just looks like a list of who makes the most money in food industry to me. That is America though, money equals power. Or at least gets you on a list.

I guess I will say that this list is clearly compiled from a corporate point of view. Clearly these people are important on that level, but I see nothing that represents food at the grass roots level, a gaping hole as we move toward a local first movement.