CIA alumni are always cooking up something interesting, and with a network of more than 55,000 strong, there’s never a shortage of highlights!
Cuisines from Around the World
Neeti Chaudhri ’05 spoke with Mirror Indy about Indian food and running her restaurant, The Little India, in the SoBro neighborhood of Indianapolis, IN. In the article, she said what made her most proud was that “it has become a place where people always feel welcome.”
John Gamble ’18 and his business partner Perry Saito discussed their new venture with The Charlotte Observer. Having previously created their food truck Katsu Kart, the duo was moving back to kitchen work to take on the task of affordable food in an approachable environment in the form of DŌZO Japanese American Kitchen. Each month will feature a unique tasting menu with seasonal offerings, all at an accessible price.
Jeff Cincotta ’80 recently opened Zocca Cucina Italian in Dedham, MA. According to MetroWest Daily News, this is Cincotta’s third Italian restaurant and is named for a small town in Northern Italy known for its Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Environmental and Health Focuses
Matt Sissman ’97 led the culinary team for a gala fundraiser to benefit hospice care. According to Oil City News, the benefit took place at Hogadon Lodge on Casper Mountain in Wyoming on Saturday, September 13.
Eric LeVine ’90, who ran his first marathon this year, shared his health journey on the Menu Talk podcast. The podcast is a collaboration among Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality.
Mike Scarduzio’s ’17 restaurant, Fin Cape Cod, was praised by the Cape Cod Times as a perfect restaurant when going to the newest shows at a nearby local playhouse. Scarduzio and his wife run the restaurant out of a historic sea captain’s home, creating a charming atmosphere to compliment the dishes’ focus on fresh fish and local produce.
Top of the List
Several CIA alumni were on Food & Wine’s list of chefs previously named on their “Best New Chefs” list who have gone on to make major impacts on the culinary industry, including Grant Achatz ’94, Nate Appleman ’99, Roy Choi ’98, and Kwame Onwuachi ’13.
Aretah Ettarh ’15 is one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs.” Ettarh is the chef de cuisine at Gramercy Tavern in New York City—only the third in the restaurant’s history. The article praised her ability to create dishes that are both fresh and timeless.
Four CIA alumni-owned restaurants made Bon Appétit’s list of the 20 best new restaurants, including the chefs and owners of their respective establishments Kwame Onwuachi ’13 at Dōgon in Washington, DC, Aaron Bludorn ’06 at Persied in Texas, Jake Potashnick ’14 at Feld in Illinois, and Bao Tran ’09 at Giovedi in Hawaii.
Daniel Benjamin’s ’88 Raleigh, NC, patisserie, Lucette Grace, made alist of amazing North Carolina bakeries by food and lifestyle website Ever After in the Woods. They highlighted the “dixie cannonball”—a cream-filled, sugar-dusted brioche.
Many CIA friends and alumni were part of restaurants that made The World’s 50 Best’s first North America-focused list, including:
#8 SingleThread: Healdsburg, CA
- Kyle and Katina Connaughton (CIA Trustee, Culinary Mentor for Culinary Arts Master’s Program, Honorary Doctorate): Owners/
- Marley Brown ’12: Head Chef of Creative Development
- Alex Fuentes ’13: Head Chef of Special Projects
- Emma Horowitz: Pastry Chef
#9 Le Bernardin: New York City
- Eric Ripert: Chef/Co-owner (CIA friend, Honorary Doctorate)
#10 Le Veau d’Or: New York City
- Lee Hanson ’87: Chef/Co-owner
#13 Benu: San Francisco, CA
- Karis Kochi ’16: Sommelier
#14 Californios: San Francisco, CA
- Val Michael Cantú (Culinary Mentor for Culinary Arts Master’s Program): Chef/Owner
- Kaylin Lloyd ’15: Ched de Cuisine
- Siddhi Balaji ’21: R&D Chef
#21 Saison: San Francisco, CA
- Richard Lee ’09: Executive Chef
- Tanya Jimenez ’07: Executive Sous Chef
- Michelle Fried ’16: Pastry Chef
- Darlyn Celis ’20: Assistant General Manager
#22 Montreal Plaza: Montreal, Quebec
- Cheryl Johnson ’03: Co-Chef/Co-owner
#27 Kann: Portland, OR
- Gregory Gourdet ’00: Chef/Founder
- Tara Lewis ’11: Pastry Chef
#30 Emeril’s: New Orleans, LA
- Wesley Rabalais ’10: Sous Chef
#33 Saga New York City
- Anushana Sharma ’21: Executive Pastry Chef
- Dasha Taslitskaya ’23: Sous Chef
- Jayson Galiza ’10: Pastry Sous Chef
#35 Jungsik, New York City
- Jungsik Yim ’05: Chef Proprietor
- Daeik Kim ’19: Executive Chef/Director of Operations
- Wonsuk Jeon ’20: Chef de Cuisine
- Seula Lee ’21: Pastry Chef
- Donggeon Noh ’23: Sous Chef
- Annie Wu ’01: Assistant General Manager
#37 Dogon, Washington, DC
- Kwame Onwuachi ’13: Chef/Owner
#39 Café Carmellini
- Andrew Carmellini ’91: Chef/Owner
#40 Penny, New York City
- Joshua Pinsky ’07: Chef/Owner
#47 Provident, Los Angeles, CA
- Michael Cimarusti ’91: Chef/Co-Owner
- Crisi Echiverri Cimarusti ’91: Co-Owner
- David Osenbach ’01: Wine Director
#48 Quince, San Francisco CA
- Michael Tusk ’89: Chef/Owner
2000’s Grads Making Their Mark
Mario Carbone ’00 and his business partner, Jeff Zalaznick,discussed with Condé Nast Traveler the process of bringing their restaurant Carbone to London 12 years after the original’s opening in New York City.
Michael Zentner’s ’02 restaurant, Merci, serves “lowcountry lightheartedness” with “French flair,” according to a review by The Post and Courier. The review highlighted the mix of comfort and luxury as well as the beautifully presented Beef Wellington.
Natalie Collins-Fish ’06 returned to Food Network competition show Halloween Wars for Season 15 as the cake artist for Team Oven Coven. She was featured in the pre-show “Road to Halloween Wars” special, and the season premiere aired Sunday, September 21.
Christine Stanley ’07, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2, was profiled by the U.S. Army on its website. Stanley excelled in culinary competitions throughout her career, earning an IKA Culinary Olympics bronze medal, 12 American Culinary Federation awards, and a Culinary Federation silver medal. Today she is team captain of the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team and manager of the U.S. Army Reserve Culinary Arts Team. She has been deployed to several of the Army’s “most challenging environments.”
In celebration of her cookbook Cook Like a King debuting, Melissa King ’07 joined Good Morning America to demonstrate some featured recipes. King shared detailed instructions for shiso pea pappardelle, scallion hash browns, pork lettuce wraps, and spiced charred peaches.
Bringing Business Back Home
Annie Gano ’10 returned to her hometown of Salem, OH, to open The Rumpled Queen. The gastropub is in the former DeRienzo’s restaurant, which was not only the location of Gano’s family’s Thursday night dinners, but also where her parents had their first date. Discussing the local reception, Gano told Mahoning Matters, “The community response thus far has been incredibly positive.”
Chris Sullivan ’16 plans to channel his culinary training at CIA and Michelin star restaurants into bringing world-class dining in his hometown of Bluffton, SC. According to The Island Packet, he and his family are planning to open a counter-service eatery in 2027 as the first step toward building a 30-seat restaurant.