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 the past few months.
Awards and Accolades
The U.S. Small Business Administration named Chef Dennis Chan ’00 as Florida’s 2022 Small Businessperson of the Year, applauding his contribution to his community with his restaurant Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro. Chan grew up in the restaurant business starting when he was five years old, he would stand on a stool to watch his grandfather cook meals at their family’s Jacksonville, FL, restaurant. Chan pursued his dream of having his own restaurant, and after graduating from the CIA, he opened Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro in Jacksonville in 2005.
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New and Noteworthy
Jonah Friedmann ’11 was named by CultureMap Dallas as one of the rising culinary stars on the Dallas, TX, dining scene. Friedmann creates French-style meals while using Texan-style dishes using locally sourced, seasonally driven ingredients at Commons Club in Virgin Hotels Dallas.
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Tom Sietsmsa of The Washington Post named Jarad Slipp’s ’96 Tremolo Bar in Middleburg, VA, as one of his seven favorite places to eat right now. The master sommelier’s modern wine bar offers up to 75 different wines, classic cocktails, and internationally inspired small plates. Sietsema states their glass Château Latour Bordeaux, is worth the journey from anywhere.
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Jesse Kuykendall ’15, chef and founder of Milpa in San Antonio, TX, was named one of six local chefs at the heart of the community’s vibrant dining scene by CultureMap San Antonio. Commonly known as “Chef Kirk,” Jesse runs their restaurant and food truck while serving as executive chef at Ocho at Hotel Havana. In addition, in 2021, Jesse became the first local (San Antonio) winner of the Food Network’s Chopped.
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Damien Brockway ’03, chef-owner of Distant Relative barbecue food trucks in Austin, TX, was named one of eight local chefs that are feeding the city’s soul by CultureMap Austin. Brockway draws inspiration from the flavors, and narrative of the African diaspora within the U.S., particularly hardwood smoke, spices, preservation techniques, and true nose-to-tail cooking. His drive to foster creativity, collaboration, and community—and delicious food—keeps customers coming back for more.
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James Boyce’s ’88 restaurant, Cotton Row, was named by Travel Awaits as one of “18 Must-Try Restaurants in Huntsville, Alabama.” Cotton Row, located in a building dating back to 1821, features locally sourced southern and French inspired food.
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Entrepreneurs Jocelyn Albrizzi ’15 and Ross Derby ’15, ’16, opted to open their businesses in a small town, and through their success, are demonstrating that it’s possible to get innovative, on-trend food outside a big city through their restaurants Costello Street Coffee House and Iron Tree Restaurant & Funky Town Brewery in Florissant, CO.
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Jimmy Burke ’76 and wife Joanie Wilson’s Italian restaurant, Osteria Vivo, in Pembroke, MA, was profiled for its homestyle Italian charm combined with modern cuisine. Burke was a friend of Julia Child and was even interviewed as part of the recent documentary, Julia. As for Osteria Vivo, according to Burke, “Our philosophy is nobody leaves here unhappy.”
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In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, Feast and Field took the time to celebrate several incredible female pioneers shaping the food scene, by highlighting the delicious recipes that they have created. Sofia Tejeda ’17, was featured for her use of vibrant citrus in a range of desserts.
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Celebrating International Women’s Day, Fine Dining Lovers, highlighted the outstanding women whom they predict will have a major impact on restaurants and fine dining. One of the game-changers profiled was Roshara Sanders ’14, the first Black female chef instructor at the CIA.
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CBS Saturday Morning’s weekly food segment, “The Dish,” spotlighted Julia Sullivan ’07, who opened Henrietta Red when she moved back to her hometown of Nashville, TN. The elevated oyster bar and restaurant draws inspiration from Sullivan’s personal life, from a dish on the menu in honor of her father to the name of the restaurant, which is a nod to her grandparents.
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Openings and Chefs on the Move
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) welcomed CIA alum Michael Brainard ’16 as their new executive chef for dining during the 2021 fall semester. Brainard previously worked as a chef at Texas A&M. He has studied what students and faculty want most from their on-campus dining and is updating the offerings while keeping old favorites like fried catfish.
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Brad Turetzky ’13, started sMiles Gourmet Pudding, named after his two-year-old Miles, after losing his job in the pandemic. Using Instagram and cooking out of his home kitchen, Turetzky became successful enough to rent a storefront from Jack and Jill Children’s Center, a nonprofit that serves 203 children in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
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When David Cruz ’19 lost his job as an executive chef during the pandemic, he decided to follow his dreams of promoting healthy, local food. He used his connections with Hudson Valley farmers to launch Reconnect Foods. Cruz started by cooking meals from home but now has a food truck to bring his delicious, farm-to-table, seasonal cooking to locations throughout the Hudson Valley.
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Co-founder of Major Food Group, Mario Carbone ’00 is bringing his long-awaited celeb-loved Italian American cuisine to Dallas, TX, opening their first Texas location, Carbone Vino.
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Julian Rodarte ’15, was named CEO of the newly formed Trinity Groves Restaurant Group. The group was formed to steer the dining complex, Trinity Groves, a 100-acre property with space for 16 restaurants in Dallas, TX. Rodarte plans to bring the space back to life, starting with three new restaurants to open this year.
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Giving Back
Alexandra Yates ’11, coordinator of Orange Coast College’s Food Service Management program, started the Food Recovery Kitchen, an initiative that mitigates food waste by turning surplus food into meals for students, community members, and local shelters. Yates piloted the program in 2019, her work, supported, in part, by local and state grants, has also been recognized by the EPA as one of four California food recovery efforts to receive national awards.
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Jon Wirtis’s ’87 culinary training program helps individuals with intellectual disabilities gain confidence and get a job while nourishing the Portland, OR community. Wirtis’s program makes up to 2,500 meals a month for people experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, and transitional housing.
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Throwin’ Down
Gabriella Baldwin ’14, competed in an episode of Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, going head-to-head with Flay in a breakfast dish showdown. Baldwin did not come out victorious, though she proved tough competition for Flay with her final French toast with cranberry maple agrodolce and herb compound butter dish.
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Prime Time
The new season of Top Chef premiered March 3 on Bravo. This season, two CIA alumni, Jae Jung ’10 and Evelyn Garcia ’09 will be competing. Other CIA alumni will serve as returning judges and mentors including Melissa King ’07, Kwame Onwuachi ’13, and Hung Huynh ’02. The 19th season of the cooking competition will take place in Houston, TX.
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The new season of Food Network’s Tournament of Champions premiered featuring multiple distinguished CIA alumni including Amanda Freitag ’89; Kelsey Barnard Clark ’11; Bryan Voltaggio ’99; Marcel Vigneron ’04; and returning champ Maneet Chauhan ’00. This bracket-style competition pits 32 of the best chefs in the country against each other, and this year’s winner will have to win four rounds of head-to-head competition to be named champion.
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Award-winning chef JJ Johnson ’07 made a guest appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, spicing things up by cooking some sweet and spicy pineapple wings.
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Yohan Lee ’07 and Jaleesa Mason ’13 will be competing on season 8 of The Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship, a colorful spring-forward competition will pit North America’s best pastry chefs against each other to create elevated springtime desserts. The series premiered on March 14.
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Ayaka Guido ’10 beat Bobby Flay in his own kitchen on a recent episode of Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Her egg ravioli gave her the win over the celebrity chef.
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Origin Story
Pichaya “Pam” Utharntharm ’13 is one of Thailand’s most renowned chefs. Her career and family history were recently profiled by CNA Luxury. Of particular interest was the location of her fine dining restaurant, Potong, which opened in 2021 in Bangkok. The five-story progressive restaurant features a 20-course menu of local and seasonal dishes based on personal memories and is in the 120-year-old building where Chef Pam’s family practiced traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for generations.
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Kwame Onwuachi ’13, author of Notes from a Young Black Chef and the upcoming cookbook, My America, Recipes from a Young Black Chef, gave a virtual talk about his life experience and his work through the Ocean City Free Public Library in Ocean City, NJ. Onwuachi shared memories of learning to cook with his mother and spending time with his father in Nigeria. His cookbook will be released in May.
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Kenyatta Ashford ’09 was interviewed as part of a local news story in Chattanooga, TN, where his restaurant, Neutral Ground Chattanooga is based, as part of their Black History Month coverage. Ashford talked about sharing the culture and history of African foodways and making a difference for Black chefs. He ends the interview by saying he wishes guests at his restaurant will feel the same love he did when he was a child eating at the kitchen table with his mother.
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Karys Logue ’09, a Tuscon, AZ, native has found success in Hong Kong and was asked a variety of questions as part of Lifestyle Asia’s “Cheat Day” series. Logue spoke of the inspiration she gets from other chefs, her signature dishes, her intensity in the kitchen, and her favorite ingredients.
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Celebrating Milestones
Art Riley ’90, celebrated the 15th anniversary of his Waterford, NY, restaurant, McGreivey’s. The restaurant is a family affair, Riley’s dad does the books, and his mom makes the desserts, and the building was in the family long before it became McGreivey’s.
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On the Shelf and On the Menu
Adán Medrano ’10, author of Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes, which was made into a documentary film now streaming on Amazon, has decided to focus on vegan and vegetarian history and recipes in his next project, which will include a cookbook and documentary. According to Medrano, “The discovery of our plant-based traditions will blow your mind!”
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Recipes for Success
Stephen Bukoff ’05, the executive chef of The Lanham, Boston, shared several recipes with the Napa Valley Register that highlight the power and importance of salt in cooking.
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COVID-19
Garden & Gun shared Dan Jackson’s ’09 story of succeeding in the face of hardship over the last few years. After working to overcome the pandemic and family medical issues, Jackson was invited to become the partner and executive chef of Osteria Georgi in Chapel Hill, NC. And, if that weren’t enough, he also recently won an episode of Chopped. He also shared a cocktail recipe, called “The Broken Cup.”
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In an interview that took place in January, Brad Barnes ’87, former director of consulting and industry programs at The Culinary Institute of America, discussed the benefits of eating at the bar rather than seated at a table with Baltimore Magazine. Barnes, a Baltimore native, described the desire post-pandemic to eat in more social, less formal settings such as at the bar.
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