CIA alumni are always cooking up something interesting, and with a network more than 50,000 strong, there’s never a shortage of highlights! Here are just a few examples of CIA alumni in the news this past month.
Openings and Chefs on the Move
Richard Hoelzel ’85 was appointed Director at Large Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals. In his new role, Hoelzel will promote the organization’s initiatives on nutritional care to industry stakeholders.
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Scott Nishiyama’s ’01 new restaurant, Ethel’s Fancy, honors his mother and grandmother, both named Ethel. He credits his mother’s cooking during his childhood in Hawaii and trips to his grandmother’s kitchen counter in Oregon for exposing him to different cuisines.
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La Plancha a new fast-casual Mexican street food spot with tortas opened earlier this summer in Austin, TX. Co-owned by Chef Mariha Hinojosa ’14, Hinojosa saw a torta-focused spot was missing in Austin, and they wanted to fill that gap.
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Il Bracco opened this month in Houston, TX, marking the first Houston location for the Dallas-based restaurant. Born from a partnership between Robert Quick ’12 and Matt Gottlieb, Il Bracco is bringing a fresh take on classic Italian cuisine with all the pastas, breads, and desserts made in-house.
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The Fairmont Kea Lani in Hawaii has hired Michael Lofaro ’98, as its new executive chef. Lofaro started his culinary career as roundsman and sous chef under Michael Mina at Aqua, San Francisco, and in 2016 was named “Chef of the Year” at the 2016 Aipono Awards.
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Auburn University opened their teaching kitchen, 1856. Working under the chef in residence, Tyler Lyne ’05, the university’s culinary students will get hands-on experience by serving a pool of 48 guests.
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In preparation for their fall opening, Josephine, an Italian concept in Jacksonville, FL, has hired John Magsino ’09 as chef de cuisine. Magsino previously worked as chef de cuisine at Preserved Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL.
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Fort Lauderdale’s dining hot spot Timpano is scheduled to reopen after a redesigned look and menu. Chef Michael Ferraro ’02 is behind the new menu, staying true to the roots of Italian cooking but with a re-imagined flair.
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Bodega Kitchen and Cocktails opened earlier this month in Sacramento, CA, serving everything from ceviche and Cuban sandwiches to Jamaican jerk chicken wings and pan-fried prawns. Co-owners Rafael Jimenez Rivera ’05 and Chris Sinclair wanted to bring what they grew up with and to bring their culture to the area.
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Chef Randall Matthews ’10 is making the switch from the fine dining restaurant kitchen to ghost kitchen at Underground Food Court in Washington, DC. Mathews wants to create a better takeout experience, bringing his signature dishes like the Sincerely Breakfast’s Nana’s Favorite Fried Chicken Biscuit and Masa Taco’s Smoked Chicken Burrito.
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Bar Primi, one of the East Village’s go to pasta shops and bars, is preparing to open a new location to a brand-new neighborhood. Co-Founder and Chef Andrew Carmellini ’91 and his team are transforming their new space in Hudson Yards, with the proposed layout expected to offer a space for 320 patrons, cleverly sectioned off from other spaces in order to maintain the feel of intimacy and privacy.
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On the Shelf and On the Menu
Jeanie Roland’s ’84 new cookbook “The Perfect Caper Home Cookbook,” shares recipes of special moments sharing food with family and friends. Written during the COVID-19 shutdown, Roland was inspired to see others stuck at home trying new recipes and having fun in the kitchen.
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Origin Stories
In 2019, Nicholas Leiss ’10 founded Farm2ChefsTable, a concept dining and education program in Beacon, NY. Leiss fell in love with farm-to-table movement while working in kitchens all throughout New York’s Hudson Valley Region. The program consists of a blog, private dining, cooking classes, and consulting.
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Chef Caroline Glover ’08 spoke to 303 Magazine about her culinary journey to opening Annette, a restaurant in Denver, CO, in honor of Glover’s great aunt.
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The Star Tribune spoke to Charlie Torgerson ’85 about his journey from Manhattan’s Grand Central Oyster Bar to the chef behind Minnesota State Fair’s most popular barbecue stand.
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Michael Minichello ’89 shot pool at his parents’ bar as a teen. Now, he manages Fenway Park’s first food hall. Minichello spoke to the Boston Globe about breaking into the food industry and how he’s seen COVID-19 affect his business.
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Runner-up of MasterChef Singapore 2018 and the baker behind popular donut store Sourbombe Bakery, Genevieve Lee ’20 is a self-professed “hustler.” Lee spoke to Wonder Wall about her experience on the competition show and how she started her own business.
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New and Noteworthy
Blú Island Bistro was named among “The 45 Best Breakfast Spots in Sarasota-Manatee” by Sarasota Magazine. What separates Blú Island, are chef-owner Alan Laskowski’s ’90 perfected buttermilk pancakes, and how he lets loose with his creative impulses, creating specials like “Wealthy Whisky Beacon.”
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Rob Gayle ’93, executive chef and founder of Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café, will be featured at Food That Rocks. This tasting event celebrates Sandy Springs, GA, restaurants. Gayle will be serving jerk chicken, plantains, rice, and peas.
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Chef Daisy Ryan ’03, co-owner of Bell’s in Los Alamos and Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, CA, has been named the Santa Barbara Wine Auction’s 2022 featured chef and will develop the menu for the black-tie gala this November.
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Elyse Wilson ’08, sommelier and general manager of Houston’s wine bar Camerata, has built a robust Japanese beverage program. Since joining the team last summer, Wilson has tried to expand the wine list with a selection of sake. Wilson became intrigued by sake after she worked at sushi hot spot Uchi.
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Greg Vernick’s ’05 Vernick Food & Drink was named by TravelMag as one of the greatest restaurants in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Opened in 2012, Vernick blends modern American cooking with global flavors for a diverse dinner menu.
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To coincide with their August grilling issue, Bon Appétit partnered with Burlap & Barrel, “to create the ultimate grilling blend.” Condé Nast spoke with Bon Appétits Food Editor Shilpa Uskokovic ’08 about how the collaboration came about, what she misses about restaurant life, and her thoughts on “The Bear.”
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Prime Time
Michael Reed ’08, executive chef and owner of Poppy + Rose in Los Angeles, CA, was featured on the CBS Saturday Morning segment The Dish. He spoke to CBS News correspondent Jamie Wax about how he gives farm-to-table ingredients a whole new meaning.
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Recipes for Success
Michael Nestrud ’04 tells allrecipes that red wine is the perfect ingredient to creating better brownies. “For us to fully taste all parts of the brownie, the flavorful parts of chocolate have to physically be released from the brownie to the air space in your mouth. Alcohol aids this release, so you get all the great brownie taste with less effort,” he explained.
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