Andrew Carmellini '91
Class Year:
1991
Degree:
A.O.S.
Major:
Culinary Arts
Hometown:
Cleveland, OH
Biography:
Chef Carmellini has certainly been busy since his days as executive chef for Café Boulud, shaping a dynamic and award-winning menu.
From a family rich in food traditions, Chef Carmellini’s culinary passion is rooted in his childhood experiences in Cleveland, OH. His enthusiasm grew in his family’s kitchen garden, and he developed respect for the values of technique and discipline by watching his mother grind her own wheat for home-baked bread. His interests quickly led him to the kitchen and his first job, at age 14, working the line at a popular restaurant. Before graduating from high school, he had moved on to cook at one of the region’s top restaurants on weekends and holidays.
His passion for cooking lead him to the CIA where he spent his weekends cooking for former New York Governor Mario Cuomo in Albany. After graduating in 1991, Chef Carmellini began cooking at famed restaurateur Tony May’s San Domenico in New York City. Mr. May, impressed by his new chef’s talent and dedication, arranged for a six-month traveling apprenticeship in Italy. Chef Carmellini’s Italian tour culminated in a stage at San Domenico in Imola under Michelin two-star chef Valentino Mercatelli.
Returning to the United States in 1992, Carmellini worked as chef tournant at San Domenico until joining Gray Kunz as chef de partie at Lespinasse in 1993. While at Lespinasse, Chef Carmellini was again given the opportunity to exercise his love of travel. For six months he studied the cuisines of England and France and interned in some of Europe’s top kitchens.
From a family rich in food traditions, Chef Carmellini’s culinary passion is rooted in his childhood experiences in Cleveland, OH. His enthusiasm grew in his family’s kitchen garden, and he developed respect for the values of technique and discipline by watching his mother grind her own wheat for home-baked bread. His interests quickly led him to the kitchen and his first job, at age 14, working the line at a popular restaurant. Before graduating from high school, he had moved on to cook at one of the region’s top restaurants on weekends and holidays.
His passion for cooking lead him to the CIA where he spent his weekends cooking for former New York Governor Mario Cuomo in Albany. After graduating in 1991, Chef Carmellini began cooking at famed restaurateur Tony May’s San Domenico in New York City. Mr. May, impressed by his new chef’s talent and dedication, arranged for a six-month traveling apprenticeship in Italy. Chef Carmellini’s Italian tour culminated in a stage at San Domenico in Imola under Michelin two-star chef Valentino Mercatelli.
Returning to the United States in 1992, Carmellini worked as chef tournant at San Domenico until joining Gray Kunz as chef de partie at Lespinasse in 1993. While at Lespinasse, Chef Carmellini was again given the opportunity to exercise his love of travel. For six months he studied the cuisines of England and France and interned in some of Europe’s top kitchens.
In 1996, Chef Carmellini was named sous chef at Le Cirque 2000 and two years later, in search of new challenges and greater responsibilities, he joined Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud. In 2000, Chef Carmellini was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine magazine. He also won a James Beard Foundation Award for Rising Star Chef, and was nominated as Best Chef in New York City by the foundation in both 2002 and 2004. Six years, two James Beard awards, a Food & Wine Best New Chef award, and one three-star New York Times review later, Chef Carmellini moved to Madison Square Park and launched A Voce, where he won his fist Michelin star. In 2008, he wrote his first book, Urban Italian: True Stories and Simple recipes from a Life in Food. Currently he is working on a new restaurant in New York City featuring food he loves to eat.
©Copyright 2007. The Culinary Institute of America
