Moves, Openings, and Expansions
Jenny and Marc Dunham ’99 and their Nashbird Hot Dang Chicken are opening to franchisees with the help of Kevin Harrington, an “original shark” from ABC’s Shark Tank.
Executive chefs and siblings Bettina Tan ’20 and Alson Tan ’20 are reported to be expanding Manna Concepts, a Singapore-based hospitality group.
Kaleb Grunin ’24 has been appointed restaurant chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, overseeing culinary operations at Artisan Bistro and Avery Bar and focusing on seasonal menus and local sourcing.
Bonnie Moore ’11 and Ashley Shelton ’10 have assumed leadership roles within the St. Louis, MO-based OO Hospitality Group. Moore is culinary director and executive chef of Olive+Oak, and Shelton now leads both O+O Pizza and The Clover and The Bee.
Led by Tsu-Hung Liu ’13, Belle & Grey in Wayzata, MN, has opened as a reimagined concept at Hotel Landing focused on elevated comfort food and locally sourced ingredients.
Deirdre Rieutort-Louis ’14 was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle after being named this year’s Best Pastry Chef. She is now head chef and pastry chef of newly opened Jupiter Room.
Max McCarthy ’17, executive chef of Fresno, CA’s new high-end restaurant Bulle, discussed with MSN the restaurant’s décor, menu, and pricing, including caviar service and a $45 cocktail.
Drake Mandrell ’11 has opened Fork and Coin in the Portage Park area of Chicago. The new restaurant serves pub-style comfort food with Asian influences in a supper-club style setting.
Michael Reyes ’07, who worked his way through elite kitchens such as The French Laundry and Gotham Bar & Grill before becoming executive chef at Restaurant Picco in Larkspur, CA, was profiled for his devotion to seasonal ingredients, meticulous risotto, and deep love for his craft.
Wine and Spirits
Maria J. Cardenas ’17 and her Amara Kitchen and Wine Bar, the Mediterranean-inspired concept in Carbondale, CO, where she curates an extensive wine program focused on small producers, were featured in The Aspen Times.
Mikayla Summers ’12, chef at Isola Wine Bar in Kinderhook, NY, was featured for leading a seasonally driven menu focused on local sourcing and coastal European influences.
Scott Conant ’92 visited the Detroit metro area to debut his Martone Street premium brand of pasta sauces.
Cookbooks and Memoirs
Zoë François ’97 has a new must-have cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars, that takes readers through her life with 75 cookies and bars spanning her Vermont roots to her life in the Midwest.
Bill Peet ’80, executive chef of Tavern on the Green, revealed recipes from the restaurant’s new cookbook.
Brigid Washington’s ’12 memoir Salt, Sweat & Steam: The Fiery Education of an Accidental Chef, was excerpted by Food & Wine and shared on Yahoo! Life.
Creative Concepts
Cara Davis ’12 was featured in Tatler Asia for her culinary journey spanning three continents and leading to the opening of her Asian-Mexican restaurant Hálong back home in Makati, Philippines.
Micheal Savino ’94, founder of Michael’s Cookie Jar in Houston, TX, was featured in Outsmart, Houston’s LGBTQ’s magazine, for building a successful bakery brand, focused on classic recipes, consistency, and customer connection.
Jeremy Barlow ’97, founder of Fryce Cream in Nashville, TN, has developed a concept centered on fries and ice cream, growing the idea from a popup into a standalone restaurant.
Priscila Mariani ’06 has opened Gelateria Sorella in Bronxville, NY. The concept focuses on handcrafted, from-scratch gelato using seasonal and locally sources ingredients.
Dayboat Café in Waldoboro, ME, cofounded by Kelsey Woodworth ’11, celebrated its opening day. The costal Maine café serves as a neighborhood hub offering prepared food, local products, and community focused dining.
Rishi Kumar ’14, who trained at CIA’s Singapore campus, has opened Mariela in Chicago, featuring a globally inspired, seafood-focused menu drawing from coastal cuisines around the world.
The latest new concept from Adolfo Garcia Jr. ’88 and his partner Sophia Petrou Garcia, Dolfy’s on Freret St. in Uptown New Orleans, blends Spanish and Gulf Coast influences with a focus on wood-fired cooking and seafood dishes.
Suanne Agugliaro ’92, director of training and development of SBU Eats, Stony Brook University’s (SBU) dining program, is working on a new culinary training program partnership with Suffolk County Community College.
Celebrity chef Song Hoon ’06 has created a menu for IKEA Korea’s Gangdong store, which celebrated its first anniversary. Hoon created a special anniversary dish blending Korean and Swedish flavors that reimagines IKEA’s iconic meatballs through a globally inspired lens.
Travel and Bridal Guides
Kwame Onwuachi ’13 and his new Caribbean steakhouse, Maroon at Sahara, were featured in Forbes Travel Guide. The first Caribbean steakhouse in Las Vegas, NV, the article noted that the category-defining concept is rooted in Onwuachi’s heritage and tells the story of the Jamaican Maroons, Africans who escaped British colonial rule in the 17th century and developed jerk cooking as both sustenance and survival.
Sergio Howland ’97, a Mexico City native and executive of John Ash & Co., was featured in a travel article showcasing Sonoma County’s wine, food, hotels, redwoods, and culture. He is steering the John Ash & Co. menu toward output from more than 30 local farms and the estate’s own culinary gardens, fig orchards, and olive orchards.
Michelin-trained, Top Chef-winning chef Melissa King ’07 shared with Travel+Leisure her insider tips for dining in her city after cooking and living in San Francisco for nearly two decades. Among her recommendations is Tartine Bakery by fellow CIA alum Chad Robertson ’93.
Raghav Chaudhary ’18, executive chef of Aiāna Restaurant in Ottawa, was featured in CAA Magazine, a publication for members of the Canadian Automobile Association, for his seasonally driven tasting menu highlighting Canadian ingredients and his refined French techniques, contributing to the restaurant’s CAA/AAA Four Diamond recognition.
Katryana Zide ’13, a pastry chef at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, CA, was featured among a wave of new Napa wineries, redesigned tasting rooms, refreshed food experiences that are area bargains for visitors.
Brian Lewis ’87, chef owner of The Cottage restaurant in Westport, CT, was recognized as one of Connecticut’s leading chefs with his portfolio of restaurants that includes a second Cottage location in Greenwich, CT, and two Japanese restaurants called OKO (in Westport and Rye, NY).
Acclaimed wedding planner Marcy Blum ’75 was profiled in the summer issue of Bridal Guide, sharing her best tips and tricks from a career spanning four decades.
Culture Carrier
Vishesh Jawarani ’23 was featured in Esquire India as one of the central figures leading the transformation of kitchen culture. At JSan—his Izakaya-inspired, 50-seat restaurant in Goa, India—Jawarani has built a workplace on respect, empathy, communication, and shared ownership.
Podcast Presenters
Paul Carmichael ’02, chef of Kabawa in New York City, was featured on Season 4, Episode 3 of Food & Wine’s Tinfoil Swans podcast. The interview focused on his leadership approach, emphasizing positive kitchen culture, mentorship, and moving beyond strict reliance on recipes to foster creativity. Kabawa was just named the best restaurant in the United States in Food & Wine’s annual Global Tastemakers awards.
Douglas Kim ’06, executive director of wine at MGM Resorts International, was featured on an episode of the podcast GuildSomm. Kim discussed managing beverage programs across multiple venues and his career path to becoming a Master Sommelier.
In an episode of Biscuits and Jam, a Southern Living podcast, Maneet Chauhan ’00 shared how she built a career spanning restaurants, cookbooks, and TV competitions. She also reflected on her year-long celebration of her upcoming 50th birthday, making Nashville home, and demystifying Indian cuisine.
Richard Blais ’98 was featured in Entertainment Now, sharing how he got his start at McDonald’s before his journey to CIA, competing on Bravo’s Top Chef, and mentoring and judging on FOX’s Next Level Chef.
Wins and Recognitions
The James Beard Award semifinalists were announced with strong representation from the CIA alumni community, including:
- Mixtli in San Antonio, TX (Diego Galicia ’10) for Outstanding Restaurant
- Michael Tusk ’89 (Quince in San Francisco, CA) and Niki Nakayama, a Culinary Arts master’s program stage site host at n/naka in Los Angeles, CA) for Outstanding Chef
- Donald Link ’03 and Stephen Stryjewski ’96 of Link Restaurant Group (Pêche Seafood Grill, Herbsaint, Cochon, and others) in New Orleans, LA, for Outstanding Restaurateur
- Merci in Charleston, SC (Michael Zenter ’02) for Best New Restaurant
- Field & Main Restaurant in Marshall, VA (Neal Wavra ’04) for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Aria in Atlanta, GA (Gerry Klaskala ’76, retired chef owner) and Providence in Los Angeles, CA (Michael Cimarusti ’91) for Outstanding Hospitality
- Kwang Uh ’09 of Baroo in Los Angeles, CA, and Daisy Ryan ’08 (also a Culinary Arts master’s stage site host at Bell’s in Los Alamos, CA) for Best Chef, California
- Jacob Potashnick ’14 of Feld in Chicago, IL, for Best Chef: Great Lakes
- Nathan Flaim ’15 of Luca in Lancaster, PA, for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
- Joshua Pinsky ’07 of Claud in New York City for Best Chef: New York State
- David DiStasi ’11 of Materia Ristorante in Bantam, CT, for Best Chef: Northeast
- Bryce Bonsack ’13 of Rocca in Tampa, FL, for Best Chef: South
- Sarah Thompson ’10 of Casa Playa in Las Vegas, NV for Best Chef: Southwest
- Evelyn Garcia ’09 and Henry Lu of JŪN in Houston, TX, for Best Chef: Texas
The 2026 NRN Power List also included several alumni, including Daniella Senior ’10, founder of Colada Shop, a Washington, DC-based Cuban café concept that blends Cuban coffee culture and cocktails and showcases her Caribbean heritage, and CIA Hall of Fame inductee and Trustee Emeritus Cameron Mitchell ’86 and his Cameron Mitchell Restaurants portfolio that now includes two dozen concepts across 68 locations.
Making Conde Nast Traveler’s 30th edition of its Hot List, an annual compendium of the world’s best new (and newly reborn) hotels, restaurants, and cruises, were Momofuku Restaurant Group’s Kabawa in New York City, helmed by Paul Carmichael ’02; Carbone London by Major Food Group co-founders Mario Carbone ’00 and Rich Torrisi ’01; and Amura in Cape Town, whose head chef is Guillermo Salazar ’11.
Bryan Voltaggio ’99 won the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions competition, taking home a cash prize of $150,000.
Michael Baldwin ’14, alongside his wife Gabriella Baldwin ’14, and his father Jeff Baldwin ’80 of the family-run Baldwin Restaurant Group, received top honors at the International Pizza Expo, held in Las Vegas, NV, in late March 2026. He placed first regionally and second internationally for a nontraditional pizza he had made last year for his dad. The family has two restaurants, J. Baldwin’s and Testa Barra Kitchen & Cocktails, in southeast Michigan and is expected to open a third later this year.
On Television
Ciarán McGoldrick ’18 competed on Food Network’s April 16 episode of Beat Bobby Flay. McGoldrick, already a Food Network Chopped champion, is owner of Glenmere Farm in Warwick, NY, and will serve as head chef at Andiamo in Middletown, NY, when it opens in summer 2026.
Mario Carbone ’00 made an appearance on the ABC’s television show Good Morning America and the afternoon edition. The Major Food Group co-founder and 2026 CIA Leadership Awards honoree demonstrated how to make two classic Italian dishes and discussed his Carbone Beach “supper club” event at the Miami Grand Prix.
Nick Kennedy ’00 was the featured chef on CBS Saturday Morning’s The Dish highlighting his restaurants and bars, including Picnic, in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Once rooted in fishing, Kennedy and his Defined Hospitality Group have helped transform the area into a dining destination.
Lon Symensma ’99, founder and executive chef of ChoLon Restaurant Concepts in Denver, CO, was featured in an episode of DiningOut Denver on the Colorado cooking show Chef’nIt, where he showcased Southeast Asian-inspired flavors and techniques rooted in his global culinary approach.
Jennifer Lee Jackson ’08 was profiled in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after competing on Season 23 of Top Chef alongside her partner Justin Tootla ’09, whom she met at CIA. Her culinary path—from Southern roots to restaurant ownership—continues to shape her competitive style and perspective in the kitchen.
Food Roundups
Tom D’Ambrosio ’11 of Aioli Gourmet Burgers in Phoenix, AZ, and cofounder of AZ Lemonade Stand, a fast-growing beverage company that started as a house-made drink at his restaurant, is one of three chefs The News Tribune interviewed on how to make the best lemonade.
Adam Howard ’06, executive chef at the University Club of New York, who has held leadership roles at restaurants such as Volt with Bryan Voltaggio ’99, was featured in a Parade article about cooking eggs.
Restaurant Reviews
Gino Fazzari’s ’97 San Giorgio in Milwaukee, WI, was reviewed by The Milwaukee Record, which noted the Italian restaurants open kitchen and wood-fired oven, the sensory experience of sitting near it, and the craft and precision behind its Neapolitan pizza standards.
Julian Rodarte ’15 was spotlighted by DiningOut Dallas for his role as culinary director at Dee Lincoln Prime, a high-end modern steakhouse in Frisco, TX, where he continues to drive Menu innovation. He represented the restaurant at the RARE Steak Championship in Dallas, TX.
In Other Local News
David Cingari ’83 was featured in a local news story about the reopening of the Southbury ShopRite in Connecticut, which is owned and operated by the Cingari Family Markets. He is the chef behind the “chef inspired” branding in the store’s prepared foods department and updated recipes with cleaner and healthier ingredients.
Paul Smith ’02, West Virginia’s inaugural James Beard Award winner (2024), headlined the Mason County Chamber Dinner and was recognized for his contributions to Appalachian cuisine and the West Virginia restaurant industry.
Brandon Chrostowski ’06 made news when Cleveland.com reported his EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute has transformed its annual La Bastille party into a three-day culinary celebration in the Ohio city. The article highlighted EDWINS’ mission of training and employing formerly incarcerated individuals and showcased its growing impact through events featuring nationally recognized chefs.