CIA Alumni Walk of Fame

In Memoriam: Anthony Bourdain ’78

Chef, Best-Selling Author, and Emmy-Award-Winning Travel Documentarian

After Anthony Bourdain ’78 graduated from Culinary Institute of America, he spent much of the ensuing 22 years working in an array of restaurants in New York City, including the iconic Rainbow Room; Number One Fifth Avenue; and Brasserie Les Halles.

Bourdain published his bestseller Kitchen Confidential, a brutally honest, confessional, and hysterical behind-the-scenes memoir/expose of NYC restaurant kitchens in the 1980s and 90s. Over the course of his career, he wrote 14 books including novels, memoirs, travel books, “story” cookbooks, and graphic novels including five bestsellers.

Bourdain was sole writer and host of four popular, globally syndicated television series: A Cook’s Tour, (2001–2003); The Layover, (2011–2013); Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, (2005–2012); and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, (2013–2018). He earned 10 Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Informational Series or Special, as well as a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Through his years in the public eye, Bourdain’s unique personal form of fun exploration and artistic journalism inspired millions of people around the world, many of whom left public tributes to him in the form of handwritten notes and internet comments after his death in 2018.

Gary Danko ’77

James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur

Gary Danko ’77 got his start in the hospitality business at the age of 13, checking hats at The Village Inn restaurant in his hometown of Massena, NY. The next year, he was in the kitchen. By the time Danko finished high school, he had been exposed to every position in the restaurant.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Danko spent three years in San Francisco before returning to the East Coast to become the chef at Tucker Hill Inn in Waitsfield, VT, where he embraced the local, seasonal produce by changing the menu nightly. He then returned to New York and enrolled in renowned French chef, author, and educator Madeleine Kamman’s class. She became his mentor and the two collaborated for many years, as she supported him in executive chef positions at Beringer Vineyard and Chateau Soverain.

After Chateau Soverain, he became the executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco where he earned a four-star rating from the San Francisco Chronicle, and the James Beard award for Best Chef: California. In 1999, Danko opened his eponymous restaurant in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood. Restaurant Gary Danko has received numerous awards over the years including James Beard Awards for Best New Restaurant in 2000, Outstanding Chef of the Year in 2002, and Outstanding Service in 2006.

In Memoriam: Marcel Desaulniers ’65

James Beard Award-Winning Chef, Chocolatier, Restaurateur, and Author

Marcel Desaulniers ’65 was a four-time James Beard award-winning chef, restaurateur and author of Death by Chocolate. He spent 50 years in the restaurant industry, including nearly 30 years as chef and co-owner of the Trellis Restaurant & Café in Williamsburg, VA. In 2012, after a brief retirement, the siren call of chocolate inspired him to open another Williamsburg café, MAD about Chocolate—a chocolate café featuring his over-the-top desserts.

Desaulniers is on Food & Wine magazine’s Honor Roll of American Chefs. He also won the 1993 James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in America in 1999, and the Julia Child Cookbook Award for Desserts to Die For, among other culinary honors.

The author of 10 cookbooks, his first book, The Trellis Cookbook, was published in 1988. Desaulniers’s second cookbook was the acclaimed Death by Chocolate, published by Rizzoli in 1992. It won the James Beard Best Baking and Desserts Cookbook Award and spawned his television cooking series of the same name. International editions of his books have been published in France, Great Britain, Holland, Australia, Mexico, and Canada.

Marcel Desaulniers passed away in 2024 at the age of 78.

Steve Ells ’90

Entrepreneur, Restaurateur, and Innovator

Steve Ells ’90, who has degrees from both the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Culinary Institute of America, has centered his career around the idea that food served fast can be both healthful and delicious. In 1993, this philosophy led him to start Chipotle Mexican Grill—a rule-breaking fast-food restaurant that pioneered the use of fresh, whole, unprocessed ingredients cooked in an open kitchen and served in an interactive environment. Chipotle grew from a single restaurant to a globally recognized brand during his nearly 30-year tenure as founder and CEO.

Having demonstrated his ability to innovate and reshape the restaurant scene, Ells is uniquely poised to create another industry-changing restaurant. He started Kernel Foods in 2023 and Counter Service, his new, premium sandwich shop, launched in early 2025.

Dean Fearing ’78

Chef, Restaurateur, Author, and “Father of Southwestern Cuisine”

Long known as the “Father of Southwestern Cuisine,” Dean Fearing ’78 credits his passion for food to days spent in his grandmothers’ kitchens. In the early 1980s, he began perfecting traditional regional dishes, barbecue, and Mexican street food recipes using locally sourced ingredients, and developing what the world now recognizes as southwestern cuisine.

Recognized with a CIA Leadership Award as a “Pioneer of American Cuisine,” Fearing spent more than two decades as executive chef of The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek before opening his namesake establishment, Fearing’s, in the Ritz-Carlton Dallas in 2007. Since then, Fearing has published a successful cookbook, The Texas Food Bible, and he and his recipes have been featured in many publications including in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and elsewhere.

Fearing is also a television personality. For 22 years, he starred in a regional show called Dean’s Cuisine and starred in Entertaining with Dean Fearing. He has appeared on countless news and talk show programs, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The View.

His many accolades include the Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance from Food Arts magazine.

Susan Feniger ’77

Chef, Author, and Entrepreneur

Iconic culinarian, author, and entrepreneur Susan Feniger ’77 may be best known for her modern Mexican concept, Border Grill, which includes restaurants, food trucks, and catering. With her business partner, Mary Sue Milliken, the James Beard Award-winning chef also co-owns SOCALO, a California canteen and Mexican pub in Santa Monica, CA; fast casual eateries BBQ Mexicana and Pacha Mamas in Las Vegas, NV; and Alice B. in Palm Springs, CA.

In 2018, Feniger and Milliken were the first women to receive the annual Julia Child Award from The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Her additional accolades include the Elizabeth Burns Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Restaurant Association, the Gold Award from the Los Angeles Times for culinary excellence and innovation in Southern California, and a 2015 CIA Leadership Award.

Feniger has co-authored six cookbooks, starred in The Food Network’s popular Too Hot Tamales, and competed on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. She is a founding member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors, co-chairs the board of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, sits on the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and works closely with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Blue Ribbon Task Force to promote sustainable seafood. She also appeared as a guest judge on Netflix’s Next Gen Chef series filmed at CIA.

Larry Forgione ’74

Chef, Restaurateur, Educator, and “Godfather of American Cooking”

Nicknamed the “Godfather of American Cooking,” Larry Forgione was one of the first chefs to embrace and communicate the virtues of our national cuisine. His influence on the American dining scene has been so far-reaching that, in June 1996, Life magazine identified him as the only person from the restaurant industry on their list of the “50 Most Influential Baby Boomers.”

Throughout Forgione’s long career, he has received numerous accolades and awards. He was recognized by two most revered institutions in the industry. The Culinary Institute of America named him “Chef of the Year” and the James Beard Foundation honored him as America’s Best Chef in 1993.

After a long and storied career at his An American Place restaurant, Forgione co-founded the Conservatory for American Food Studies at CIA at Greystone in Napa, CA, in 2011. He later served as the culinary director for the Foley Family Wineries.

Now semi-retired, he helps his son, Marc, with his restaurants and occasionally consults with new restaurants’ projects.

He has been married to his wife, Julie, for 50 years. They have four children and six grandchildren.

I. Pano Karatassos ’60

Atlanta Restaurateur and Hospitality Pioneer

I. Pano Karatassos ’60 is the hospitality pioneer widely credited with putting Atlanta on the national culinary map. His philosophy is simultaneously simple and profound. “Running a restaurant is not a big thing; it’s just a thousand little things.”

Originally from Savannah, GA, where his father ran a restaurant and import food business, Karatassos was destined to be in the restaurant industry. As a child, he helped out at his father’s store and restaurant. Later, he worked in the food department while serving in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from CIA in 1960, he held numerous culinary positions including being the youngest chef in Georgia during his time at the DeSoto Hotel in Savannah and being named the valedictorian of the Greenbrier Apprenticeship Program.

Eventually, he joined forces with Paul Albrecht to open Pano’s & Paul’s restaurant. From his first restaurant in 1979, through the opening of 19 total restaurants, he became one of the premier restaurateurs in the U.S. He has received numerous industry awards and honors, including being awarded the National Restaurant Association’s 2008 Legend Fine Dining Award and being named a member of the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame. In 2025, he was honored with a “Tastemakers: Catalysts for Change,” CIA Leadership Award.

Daniel Leader ’76

Entrepreneur, Artisan Bread Baker, Author, and Educator

Daniel Leader ’76 studied philosophy at the University of Wisconsin before coming to the Culinary Institute of America. After working in some of New York City’s top kitchens, he left the restaurant world to learn the art of baking bread. A pioneer in organic bread, Leader opened Bread Alone bakery in 1983 in Boiceville, NY. Now under the direction of his son, Nels Leader, the bakery produces more than 25,000 kilos (over 55,000 pounds) of bread daily.

He received two International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards for his books Bread Alone and Local Breads, and his book Living Bread won a James Beard award. His most recent publication is A Slow Rise, a classic look at 40 years of baking life.

Dan taught at The French Culinary Institute, The Institute of Culinary Education, and CIA.

In 2005, he established two community-based micro-bakeries to help satisfy the dietary needs of malnourished adults and children in South Africa. The programs are also designed to encourage income generation opportunities for South Africans living with HIV/AIDS.

Today he lives in Castine, ME, where he continues to stay connected to the baking world through consulting engagements.

John C. Metz Jr. ’92

CEO and Executive Chef

John C. Metz Jr. ’92 started his company in 1996 with Hi-Life Kitchen & Cocktails, and it has since grown to include more than 60 restaurants. As CEO, executive chef, and co-founder of Sterling Hospitality, Metz operates Marlow’s, the Woodall, Spinning Room, and Sterling Culinary Management, an on-site foodservice company.

Metz’s training began at Penn State, The Pennsylvania State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management before earning his associate at the Culinary Institute of America.

Some notable recognitions Metz and companies have received include: 2013 IFMA Gold Plate Award, Chain Leader Magazine Protégé Award, Atlanta ZAGAT Guide Top 10 Hosts of the year, NRA’s Good Neighbor Award, and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEO. In addition, Marlow’s was named one of Nations Restaurant News’s 50 “Breakout Brands;” Aqua Blue Restaurant was awarded three Mobil Travel Guide stars and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence; and three of Sterling’s concepts were named to Jezebel Magazine Top 100 Restaurants list.

Metz serves on numerous boards and charitable organizations including previously serving as chair of the Culinary Institute of America’s Board of Trustees and currently serving on The National Restaurant Association board. Sterling has raised more than $2 million for Special Olympics Georgia and Share our Strength, as well as other local charities.

Cameron Mitchell ’86

Chef, Restaurateur, Entrepreneur, and CEO

Restaurateur and entrepreneur Cameron Mitchell ’86 is the president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which celebrated 30 years in business in 2023. In a “dish room to board room story,” he started as a teenager working as a dishwasher in a steakhouse in his hometown of Columbus, OH, and worked his way to become president of his own successful, multi-concept restaurant company.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (CMR) began with one restaurant in Columbus in 1993 and grew to a 33-unit company with locations in nine states. Mitchell sold his 19-unit Mitchell’s Fish Market and three-unit Cameron’s Steakhouse chains to Ruth Chris Steak House for $92 million in early 2008. Today, CMR remains independent and privately held, with 51 restaurants across the country from Beverly Hills to New York City, and 20 different concepts in 15 states plus the District of Columbia. They also operate a separate and highly successful catering division, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, and a food hall chef incubator, Budd Dairy Food Hall. CMR also manages the growth and development of its sister company, Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern, which has 18 locations across three states.

Mitchell’s accolades include being honored as Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, Small Businessperson of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and “Concept of Tomorrow Visionary” by Restaurant Hospitality magazine. He received a Silver Plate Award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association in 2007. In 2019, Cameron published his book Yes is the Answer! What is the Question? about his rise in the industry, which made Forbes’s list of the “12 Best Business Memoirs of All Time.”

Mitchell joined CIA’s Board of Trustees in 1999, before becoming the first alumni chairman in 2008. He has sponsored several scholarships at the college, and in 2004 he provided the college with its largest gift ever from a graduate at the time. In 2025, his leadership and support of CIA was recognized with the dedication of the Mitchell Gate—the entrance to the Alumni Walk of Fame.

Sara Moulton ’77

Chef, Educator, and Media Personality

Sara Moulton ’77, a protégée of Julia Child, worked in restaurants for seven years in Boston and New York. In 1984, she was hired at Gourmet magazine, working first in the test kitchen and then as the chef of the executive dining room for a total of 25 years. Concurrently, she served as the executive chef behind the scenes at Good Morning America, prepping and styling all the food for the chefs and cookbook authors who appeared on air. This was followed by a 10-year stint as the program’s on-air food editor.

Moulton went on to host more than 1,500 episodes of well-loved shows including Cooking Live, a live call-in show on the Food Network. She is the author of four cookbooks, including most recently, Home Cooking 101.

She was the Culinary Institute of America’s 2001 Chef of the Year, and, in 2002, she was named Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. In 2018, Moulton received a “Stars of the Small Screen” CIA Leadership Award.

Currently, Sara hosts Sara’s Weeknight Meals, a public tv show heading into its 14th season this fall. She also co-hosts a weekly segment on NPR’s Milk Street Radio with Chris Kimball.

Bradley Ogden ’77

James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur

Born in Traverse City, MI, Bradley Ogden ’77 came to national attention in his first position at Kansas City’s The American Restaurant, after graduating “Most Likely to Succeed” from the Culinary Institute of America. He continued to garner acclaim as executive chef at San Francisco’s Campton Place Hotel before opening his first restaurant, The Lark Creek Inn, in 1989.

As chef and co-owner of the eight restaurants of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, Ogden earned the reputation for being one of the country’s most prolific and successful restaurateurs. His signature farm-to-table cuisine has continued to anchor his continually expanding restaurant empire.

In 1993, he was named Best Chef in California by the James Beard foundation, which later awarded his namesake property in Las Vegas Best New Restaurant. The Bradley Ogden restaurant was also recognized as “Best of the Best” by Robb Report, and he was awarded Restaurateur of the Year by the Nevada Restaurant Association in 2010.

Among his other numerous awards and honors, CIA named Ogden Chef of the Year in 2000, and he has received the International Food Service Manufacturers Association Silver Plate Award for the Independent Restaurant category.

Charlie Palmer ’79

Hospitality Entrepreneur, Chef, and Hotelier

Raised on a farm in upstate New York and trained at the Culinary Institute of America and kitchens in France, Chef Charlie Palmer ’79 is a celebrated hospitality entrepreneur known for his signature Progressive American cuisine.

In 1988, he opened the Michelin-starred Aureole in New York City, sparking the growth of the Charlie Palmer Collective, which now encompasses a diverse portfolio of restaurants from Napa Valley to New York City. As co-founder and CEO of Appellation Hotels, he redefines hospitality with a culinary-first approach.

A philanthropist and mentor, Palmer is a CIA trustee emeritus and founded The Palmer Family Education Foundation to support the next generation of culinary and hospitality leaders. He serves on the board of Citymeals-on-Wheels and hosts the celebrated Pigs & Pinot event, benefiting Sonoma-based education and culinary initiatives.

Honored with a James Beard Award, a CIA Leadership Award for his mentorship, and inducted into both the Gaming and National Wrestling Halls of Fame, Palmer has authored six cookbooks and frequently appears on television. He splits his time between New York and Sonoma County, where he produces Charlie Clay Pinot Noir and enjoys life with his family. His journey reflects a passion for food, mentorship, and community. A staunch CIA supporter, in 2025 the Palmer Plaza, located on campus between the Marriott Pavillion and Roth Hall, was dedicated in his honor.

Dr. Tim Ryan ’77

Culinary Educator, Longest Serving President of CIA

Dr. Tim Ryan ’77—a Certified Master Chef and captain of the winningest U.S. Culinary Olympic Team in history, who also holds bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the University of New Haven and a doctoral degree in higher education management from The University of Pennsylvania—is chancellor of the Culinary Institute of America. Prior to this role, Dr. Ryan was CIA’s longest serving president—leading the college for 23 years to a position of prominence while expanding the CIA’s offerings in breadth and depth. He launched the college’s first bachelor’s and master’s degrees, while expanding our offerings in areas such as wine and beverages, culinary science, food studies, health and wellness, food ethics, and sustainability. Dr. Ryan began his 42-year career at CIA as a faculty member and remains the only CIA alumnus and faculty member to rise through the ranks to the presidency. He was part of the team that developed the American Bounty Restaurant and is considered a “Pioneer of American Cuisine.”

Named “One of the 50 Most Powerful People in Food” numerous times by Nation’s Restaurant News, Dr. Ryan has received awards from virtually every food industry organization. He is one of only five Americans to receive the Presidential Medal from the World Association of Chefs Societies and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he was honored in 2019 as one of “The 50 Greatest Pittsburghers of All Time” by Pittsburgh Magazine alongside such notables as Andrew Carnegie, Dr. Jonas Salk, Andy Warhol, H.J. Heinz—and Mr. Rodgers.

He was the president and chairman of The American Culinary Federation (ACF) and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, is a director of the National Restaurant Association, and is a board member of the Ment’or BKB Foundation.

Dr. Ryan spearheaded the development of Next Gen Chef, the Netflix culinary competition series filmed at CIA, and is a co-creator and executive producer of the series. Besides himself, he has four members of his family that are CIA graduates: Lynne, his wife, sons Jackson and Mutala, and daughter-in-law Meadow.

Michael Tusk ’89

James Beard Award-Winning and Michelin-Star Chef, Restaurateur, and Champion of Sustainability

Michael Tusk ’89 and his wife, Lindsay, are the owners of three of San Francisco’s most acclaimed restaurants: Quince, Cotogna, and Verjus.

A native of New Jersey, Tusk graduated from Tulane University with a degree in Art History before studying at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After graduating, Tusk decamped to Europe where he worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Northern Italy.

Tusk eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay Area where he worked at some of the country’s most pioneering and influential restaurants. In 2003, the Tusks opened Quince, and the restaurant quickly became one of San Francisco’s top fine-dining destinations. After relocating in 2009, Quince was awarded four stars by the San Francisco Chronicle and three stars and a green star from the Michelin Guide and is a distinguished member of Relais & Châteaux.

In 2010, the Tusks opened rustic Italian restaurant, Cotogna. In 2018, they opened the wine bar Verjus, which was recognized by Bon Appétit as one of the best new restaurants in the country and nominated for the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant.

The James Beard Foundation has recognized Tusk’s contributions to the industry and named him Best Chef: Pacific in 2011.

In 2020, the Tusks founded Feed the Future, a non-profit organization to support their restaurant teams and local farmers.

In Memoriam: Jasper K. White ’76

Executive Chef and Restaurateur

Jasper White ’76 was born in New Jersey, where he spent much of his childhood on a farm near the Jersey Shore. White began his cooking career in 1973 after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Before settling in Boston in 1979, he worked in New York, Florida, California, Washington, and Montana.

In 1983, he opened Jasper’s Restaurant. Both he and the restaurant received numerous awards and were featured extensively in national and local media. In 1990, White was given the James Beard Award for the Best Chef, Northeast. In May 2000, he opened Jasper White’s Summer Shack, in Cambridge, MA, which was later nominated for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Awards. In 2005, he was honored with a “Pioneers of American Cuisine” CIA Leadership Award.

He wrote several books including Jasper White’s Cooking from New England, Lobster at Home, Fifty Chowders, and The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food.

After 45 years in the hospitality and seafood business, White hung up his apron and retired. In retirement, he returned to farming, this time as a farm hand at Island Creek Oyster Co. in Duxbury MA, where he enjoyed his sunrises on the ocean and pulling oysters from the bay. He passed away in May of 2024.

Roy Yamaguchi ’76

James Beard Award-Winning Chef, Restaurateur, and Culinary Educator

Roy Yamaguchi ’76 is the founder of numerous restaurants, executive director of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiʻolani Community College, and a co-founder and chair of the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. He is the first from Hawaiʻi to receive the prestigious James Beard Best Pacific Northwest Chef Award amongst other notable honors.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, his Hawaiʻi roots are tied to his grandfather who opened a tavern and the Yamaguchi General Store on Maui. In 1984, Yamaguchi opened his first restaurant, 385 North, in Hollywood. In 1988, he opened the first Roy’s Restaurant in Honolulu.

Yamaguchi hosted the PBS series Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi and competed on Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef. He launched a cookware line on the Home Shopping Network and published four cookbooks.

Dedicated to giving back, Yamaguchi established the Tom and Warren Matsuda Scholarship Fund and the Roy Yamaguchi Golf Classic. He served as guest lecturer for the School of Travel Industry Management and serves on numerous nonprofit boards including the U.S.-Japan Council and Go For Broke National Education Center. He previously served on the boards of the Culinary Institute of America and Brand USA.

Sherry Yard ’91

Chef, Restaurateur, and Presenter

Brooklyn-born Sherry Yard ’91 is a celebrated pastry chef and baker, restaurateur, and author whose innovative approach has garnered three James Beard Awards and an induction into their Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America.

Nicknamed “L.A.’s Sweetheart,” for her bubbly personality and incredible pastry creations, her work became staples at events such as the Academy Awards Governors Ball, the Grammy Awards, and the Emmy Awards. There, she could often be spotted in her iconic pink chef’s jacket in support of breast cancer awareness.

She began her four-decade culinary career at the venerable Rainbow Room and went on to expand her skills as a partner within Wolfgang Puck’s empire for nearly 20 years, encompassing the crafting of masterful breads, creating menus, and opening new restaurants while simultaneously mentoring an entire generation of chefs in kitchens from Singapore to Santa Monica.

Yard has appeared on over 30 television cooking programs and is the author of two award-winning cookbooks, Secrets of Baking and Desserts by the Yard. She is currently working on her third, Cookies by the Yard.

In 2021 she opened her dream shop, Bakery by the Yard, at the beach in Southern California.