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Alumni in the News December 2023

Making the List

Rhonda Saltzman ’13 and Bonnie Sarana ’09 were named among Philadelphia’s best cookie bakers by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Saltzman’s Second Daughter and Sarana’s Vanilya Bakery made the list of the best bakeries offering cookies in the Philadelphia, PA, area.
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Justin McMillen ’08 was profiled by Feast Magazine and named of its 2023 rising stars. A career in Michelin restaurants across the country inspired McMillen to create the award-winning Elsworth Supper Club.
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Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi ’13 earned the #1 spot on New York Times’s “12 Best New Restaurants of 2023” list. Other highlights from the list include Hav & Mar, helmed by Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi ’14, and Torrisi by Rich Torrisi ’00 and Mario Carbone ’00.
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Nichole Accettola’s ’92 Scandinavian from Scratch named one of “Best 2023 Cookbooks for Holiday Cookies” by the Julesburg Advocate. Accettola is the owner of San Francisco’s Kantine, a Scandinavian café. The Julesburg Advocate named her book of the best cookbooks for cookie inspiration.
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F1rst by Adam Weiss ’97 was named one of NorthJersey.com’s “Top 10 New Restaurants of 2023.” The “eclectic New American dinner spot” is Weiss’s first solo restaurant and features locally-sourced contemporary dishes.
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Chaz Lindsay ’11 was one of The Local Palate’s featured chefs from Jackson, MI. Lindsay offers Italian-inspired dishes at Pulito Osteria where he is executive chef and owner.
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CT Bites shared the delicious breakfast and lunch from Little Riggs by John Kronfeld ’00. Little Riggs, located on the Long Island Sound, is the evolution of Kronfeld’s very successful breakfast truck, The Chef Truck. The brick and mortar opened several months ago.
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Dry Fly Coffee by Noah Michaels ’98 was one of 10 new coffee shops in the northeastern United States highlighted by Daily Coffee News. The New Paltz, NY, shop was featured for its quality and freshness.
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Profiles in Excellence

Brenda Villacorta ’17 was profiled by Fox 13 Tampa Bay for combining her Peruvian heritage with classical pastry training. Despite the pandemic, the unique offerings at Villacorta’s Tampa Bay, FL, cafe, Sucré Table, have secured it a spot among the most popular bakeries in Tampa.
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Seen Magazine profiled Jordan Smith’s ’14 Coeur. Since its opening in August, Ferndale, MI, Smith’s Coeur has attracted attention for its hyper-local approach to American haute cuisine.
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Daniel Sun’s ’08 Katsu was celebrated by Culinary Backstreets. Inspired by the convenience stores he frequented while living in Japan, Katsu Sando, located in Los Angeles, CA, features fast casual Japanese comfort food and grab-and-go staples.
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Alan Hines’s ’10 restaurant, Trudy Bird’s Ølbar, was highlighted by Restaurant Hospitality for its Scandinavian Sandwiches in Yarmouth, ME. The restaurant co-owned by Hines and his twin brother, Jonathan was lauded as “one of the town’s hottest places to eat and drink.”
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Forbes profiled Kathryn Kelly ’10, who engineered the first cooking school at sea. Kelly created The Culinary Arts Kitchen as the director of the Culinary Enrichment Program for Norwegian Cruise Lines. As part of the popular program, cruise passengers of all cooking ability levels can take 90-minute classes during their holidays at sea.
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Chronogram highlighted Scott Rosenberg’s ’00 Il Figlio Enoteca in Fishkill, NY. Il Figlio was opened after Rosenberg closed its predecessor Il Barilotto, which had limited space and parking. Il Figlio has two stories for relatable fine dining.
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Keith Irwin’s ’93 Old World Breads was profiled by Cape Gazette. Irwin’s bakery in Lewes, DE, grew from selling mostly at farmers markets to a successful brick and mortar with over 30 employees.
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Mastering the Craft

CIA Marketing contributed an article on Wine and Beverage Management master’s grad Jeffry Wiesinger ’23 to Somm Journal magazine. Wiesinger, a trained chef and restaurant owner shared why he went back to school to pursue his master’s degree after 20+ years owning an award-winning restaurant.
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Events, Openings, and New Beginnings

Thompson Central Park New York appointed David Joo ’13 as its new executive chef. Joo has over 15 years of experience and is known for his “passion and refinement of the culinary arts.”
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Keenan Langlois ’01 opened Garçon SuperSlice Pizza Pie Parlor in Salem, MA. The new pizzeria is a 50-seat restaurant that is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream for Langlois.
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Interviews and Appearances

Geoff Davis ’09 was interviewed as part of Nosh from Berkleyside.org’s “Gotta Try It” series where he spoke about his nuanced approach to the restaurant business. In the feature, he talks about Burdell, his new Oakland, CA, restaurant and approachable take on fine dining.
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JJ Johnson ’07 spoke with LATINA about creating one’s own traditions and starting Noche Buena early. During the interview, he described the complexities and joys of intersecting cultures and identities.
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Rich Torrisi ’00 reflected on living the Italian-American dream with Haute Living. On the heels of receiving a Michelin star with fellow alum Mario Carbone ’00 for his namesake restaurant in New York City, Torrisi shared his success story and insights on the business.
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Dan Magill ’01 was interviewed on CBS Saturday Morning’s “The Dish” as the executive chef of Arethusa al tavolo. The interview was part of a segment on the Arethusa businesses of Bantam, CT, which also include a farm and ice cream shop.
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Brandon Collins ’01 of Unilever Food Solutions was interviewed on how Unilever is helping eliminate food waste. In an interview with Martita Mestey for Authority Magazine, Collins described food waste, its causes, and how Unilever and others can combat it.
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Julian Smith ’02 of Chasing Rabbits was interviewed by Vail Daily. Smith, the executive chef of Chasing Rabbits in Vail Valley, CO, shared some of his inspiration, history, and favorite ingredients.
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CBS News Detroit shared the story of the Baldwin family and its three CIA alumni. The segment celebrated Jeffery Baldwin’s ’80 Detroit, MI, legacy, which is now continued through Baldwin Restaurant Group by his sons Jeffery Jr. and Michael ’14 and Michael’s wife, Gabriella ’14.
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The Heat of Competition

Ciarán McGoldrick ’18 won Chopped. McGoldrick, who operates Glenmere Farm in Warwick, NY, participated in The Food Network competition show on December 26, winning the grand prize of $10,000.
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