CIA Alumna is One of the Top Women Shaping NYC Restaurant Scene

Lauren DeSteno '06, chef de cuisine at Marea in Manhattan, was recently profiled by Time Out New York as one of the top women "taking over" the New York City restaurant scene. The article asserts that while the four restaurants featured in the article are "fronted" by big name male chefs, rising star women are actually running the kitchens.

DeSteno came to Marea, an Italian seafood restaurant, from Eleven Madison Park. She works very closely with chef/co-owner Michael White. Writer Alyssa Haak says the acclaimed restaurant combines "White's astounding memory of recipes with DeSteno's kitchen knowledge."

According to the article, White and DeSteno's partnership "pays no mind to gender—only ability...'The gender issue never crossed my mind,' DeSteno says. 'It doesn't matter where you come from, it's how intelligently you work.'" She says eventually, she does want to run her own food business.

Of the three other restaurants highlighted in the article, two are run by CIA alumni: Enrique Olvera '97 of Cosme and Mario Carbone '00 and Rich Torrisi '00 of Sadelle's.