New Beginnings, Openings, and Events
The Press Democrat reported on the opening of Pasar by Yan Iskandar ’16. The Napa Valley, CA Restaurant features Singaporean, Malaysian, and Javanese cuisines.
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WIFR reported on Anna Pipitone’s ’21 plans to open a French bakery, La Croûte, in Rockton, IL.
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Edwardsville Intelligence reported that Tim Foley ’13 partnered with Ed Heath and two of Heath’s former colleagues to open Ed’s Delicatessen, a deli that focuses on whole foods, in Edwardsville, IL. Heath utilized Foley’s wines and beverage knowledge to include a beer program.
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Patch shared a list of dinner events at Rich Parente’s ’00 Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, NY. Among the events were Clock Tower Grill’s annual Game Dinner, Beetlejuice Dinner, and Harry Potter Dinner.
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The Spokesman Review reported on the upcoming opening of Andrew Tye’s ’16 new coffee shop, Brew Peddler, in Spokane, WA. Tye discussed his educational and professional experiences that led to him opening the cafe.
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Profiles and Interviews
Arizona Foothills Magazine profiled the “up-and-coming” AZ Lemonade Stand, founded in 2020 by Tom D’Ambrosio ’11 and Kyle Hollenbeck. The company focuses on creating unique flavors such as Prickly Pear and Huckleberry.
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Nation’s Restaurant News reported on its CREATE forum, which took place October 10, in Nashville, TN. Cameron Mitchell ’86, was on one of the panels, providing advice to emerging restaurateurs.
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Bake Magazine reported on the Retail Bakers of America Business of Baking: Profit Strategies for Retail Bakers event on November 2 in Somerset, NJ. CIA faculty member and alum Kristin Egan, CMB ’04 was a featured speaker.
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D Magazine interviewed Sharon Hage ’84 and Misti Norris on their views about food culture and their professional experiences as chefs.
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Community Impact shared an article that interviewed Jim Verfurth ’81 on his views on the restaurant business and the role his family played in his cooking.
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St. Louis Magazine profiled Shoal Creek Tavern in Highland Village, TX, and owner Justin McMillen ’08. In the article, McMillen discussed, among other topics, his inspiration, the relevance of pawpaws, and how he utilizes them in his cooking.
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Cincinnati Arts Association shared a press release from America’s Test Kitchen Promoting CET, Greater Cincinnati’s Public TV Station’s, event on November 24th. The event will celebrate Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davidson’s ’96 twenty-five years inside America’s Test Kitchen.
Trending Travel previewed the MOHI Food & Wine Festival, Grilling for Growth, held on October 27 in Morgan Hill, CA. The festival featured celebrity chefs Elizabeth Faulkner, Tyler Florence, Michael Mina’89, and Charlie Palmer ’79.
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Post X News profiled Meher Kiara ’20, focusing on her fusion of Indian and French pastry flavors and techniques.
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NBC Bay Area interviewed Daniela Vergara ’16 who shared her culinary journey from cooking in her family home to earning a position as executive chef of a Michael Mina ’89 Bungalow kitchen concept.
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CBS ran a segment on CIA alum and trustee Michael Mina ’89. This segment highlighted Mina’s career as a restaurateur with more than 40 properties around the globe, his childhood emigrating to the U.S. from Egypt, and his dad’s insistence that CIA was the only school he should attend if he was serious about becoming a chef. Now, after realizing decades of success and accolades, Mina dug deep into his heritage for his book My Egypt.
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Awards and Accolades
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation recognized four restaurant and foodservice leaders including Dr. Tim Ryan ’77. Ecolab presented Dr. Ryan with the 2024 Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award.
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Multiple sources praised Gwyneth Ang ’15 for her ambition in having worked her way up from an intern at Burnt Ends to owning a modern Asian seafood restaurant in Singapore.
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EBONY magazine’s 2024 Power 100 recognized Kwame Onwuachi ’13 as one of the top 10 influential creators worldwide.
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The Best of the Best
The New York Times posted its list of America’s Best Restaurants of 2024. Among this list is Quince, with Chef and Owner Michael Tusk ’89 and Service Manager Neev Behal ’22; L’Orange, with Chef and Owner Joel Stocks ’07 and Chef Nick Duff ’07; and Penny – NYC with Chef Joshua Pinsky ’05.
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The MoCo Show shared a list of four Maryland restaurants originally published in The Washington Post’s “40 Best Restaurants In and Around DC” The list includes Danny Chavez’s ’07 Lime 7 Cilantro, a modern Latin casual restaurant.
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The Manual listed the five best restaurants in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, including 24 Diner run by head chef Andrew Curren ’05.
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The New York Times released a list of Nashville’s 25 best restaurants, including Henrietta Red with Co-owner Julia Sullivan ’07 and Sous Chef Will Koonce ’20 and S.S. Gai by owner, Chris Biard ’04.
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The New York Times released a list of the 25 best restaurants in Atlanta, which included co-owner Parnass Savang’s ’11 Talat Market.
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The Local Palate released a list of 10 new restaurants with innovative twists. Among them was Mileta, in Lexington, KY, under Executive Chef Alex Green’s ’15 leadership.
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The Heat of Competition
Kai Taalib ’22 was listed as a contestant on the upcoming season of “Crime Scene Kitchen.” “Crime Scene Kitchen” is a culinary guessing game in which bakers must determine what dessert was made.
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MSN Food and Drink shared a list, originally published by The Spicy Chef, of the 20 best chef memoirs. The list includes memoirs from Anthony Bourdain ’78, Grant Achatz ’94, Kwame Onwuachi ’14, Jacques Pépin, Eric Pipert, and Michael Ruhlman.
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Making a Difference
In an article on the Healdsburg Museum’s charity dinner honoring Anne Vercelli ’79 for her impact on Sonoma County, CA’s food and wine scene, The Press Democrat reported that Vercelli received the Healdsburg Museum’s 2024 Pioneer Award, an award given to leaders in their field with deep roots in their community. Vercelli’s most recent contribution to Sonoma County was two nine-course, wine-paired dinners for 12 people, held in her home, which were auctioned for $8,000.
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Colleen Kriebel ’01 was quoted in a press release in an article on the Royersford Free Public Library’s expansion to include a baking pan collection, spearheaded by a grant from Target Corporation. Kriebel expressed her views on the connection between early literary, math, and science skills in children and family bonding.
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A press release by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the HANSIK conference 2024 was held on October 25 in Samcheonggak. Jong-Jip Yang ’11, a CIA professor, presented at the conference on the sub-theme of “nurturing talent for the future.”
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