Michael Chiarello
Encyclopedia
Michael Chiarello is an American
celebrity chef
specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisine
. He hosts the cooking show
, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, on the Food Network
and hosts NapaStyle on the Fine Living Network. Chiraello owns a winery
, Chiarello Family Vineyards, Bottega Ristorante in Napa Valley, NapaStyle, a purveyor of food, cookware, and furniture, and a competitor on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef
.
Born to an Italian-American family, Chiarello rose to prominence at a young age. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America
in 1982, he studied hospitality management
at Florida International University
, receiving his bachelors degree in 1984. The next year, he opened The Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove, Florida
, and Toby's Bar and Grill. He was honored as 1985's Chef of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine
. He is joining Delta Airlines team of food and wine experts in September, 2011.
Later in the 1980s, Chiarello moved back to his home state of California
, making his home in the Napa Valley. He opened the Tra Vigne restaurant, creating a menu influenced by the cuisine of his family's native Calabria
and rife with local seasonal ingredients. He has since served as executive chef in numerous American restaurants including Caffe Museo in San Francisco
, Ajax Tavern and Bump's in Aspen, Colorado
, and Bistecca in Scottsdale, Arizona
.
His first cooking show, Season by Season, debuted on PBS in 2001. He hosted two more series for PBS, Michael Chiarello's Napa and Michael Chiarello's Napa: Casual Cooking over the next two years before moving to the Food Network
to host Easy Entertaining in 2003. In 2004, Chiarello's latest show, NapaStyle, premiered on the Food Network's sister network Fine Living Network. Chiarello was included as a contestant on Top Chef Masters
, winning his preliminary round and advancing to the championship round, placing second to Rick Bayless
(first place).
Reruns of Easy Entertaining now appear on Food Network's sister network Cooking Channel
.
Chiarello has been married since 2003 to his wife Eileen, with whom he has one son, Aidan, born in 2005. He has three daughters, Felicia, Margoux and Giana from his previous marriage.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
celebrity chef
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
specializing in Italian-influenced California cuisine
Cuisine of California
The cuisine of California is the local cuisine of the U.S. state of California.- Local ingredients :A highly varied range of micro-climates, dominated by a mild Mediterranean climate, and popular health-conscious diets and lifestyles in California promote the production, use and consumption of...
. He hosts the cooking show
Cooking show
A TV cooking show is a television program that presents the preparation of food, in a kitchen on the studio set. The host of the show, often a celebrity chef, prepares one or more dishes over the course of the show, taking the viewing audience through the food's preparation showing all...
, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
and hosts NapaStyle on the Fine Living Network. Chiraello owns a winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
, Chiarello Family Vineyards, Bottega Ristorante in Napa Valley, NapaStyle, a purveyor of food, cookware, and furniture, and a competitor on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef, is a limited-run series on the Food Network now in its fourth season. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America....
.
Born to an Italian-American family, Chiarello rose to prominence at a young age. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
in 1982, he studied hospitality management
Hospitality management studies
Hospitality management is the academic study of the hospitality industry. A degree in Hospitality management is often conferred from either a university college dedicated to the studies of hospitality management or a business school with a department in hospitality management studies...
at Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, receiving his bachelors degree in 1984. The next year, he opened The Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove, Florida
Coconut Grove, Florida
Coconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to...
, and Toby's Bar and Grill. He was honored as 1985's Chef of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
. He is joining Delta Airlines team of food and wine experts in September, 2011.
Later in the 1980s, Chiarello moved back to his home state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, making his home in the Napa Valley. He opened the Tra Vigne restaurant, creating a menu influenced by the cuisine of his family's native Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and rife with local seasonal ingredients. He has since served as executive chef in numerous American restaurants including Caffe Museo in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Ajax Tavern and Bump's in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, and Bistecca in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
.
His first cooking show, Season by Season, debuted on PBS in 2001. He hosted two more series for PBS, Michael Chiarello's Napa and Michael Chiarello's Napa: Casual Cooking over the next two years before moving to the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
to host Easy Entertaining in 2003. In 2004, Chiarello's latest show, NapaStyle, premiered on the Food Network's sister network Fine Living Network. Chiarello was included as a contestant on Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges...
, winning his preliminary round and advancing to the championship round, placing second to Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is perhaps best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time....
(first place).
Reruns of Easy Entertaining now appear on Food Network's sister network Cooking Channel
Cooking Channel
Cooking Channel is a television specialty channel that airs recurring programs about food and cooking, owned by Scripps Networks Interactive. It is a spinoff of Food Network, also owned by SNI, but focuses more on instructional shows rather than "reality style" and contest programming that Food...
.
Chiarello has been married since 2003 to his wife Eileen, with whom he has one son, Aidan, born in 2005. He has three daughters, Felicia, Margoux and Giana from his previous marriage.
Cookbooks
- Michael Chiarello's Bottega (2010), photography Frankie Frankeny
- At Home with Michael Chiarello (2005)
- Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking (2002)
- Napa Stories (2001)
- Tra Vigne Cookbook (1999)
- Flavored Oils and Flavored Vinegars (1995; revised edition 2006)
External links
- Official Website
- NapaStyle
- Chiarello Family Vineyards
- NapaStyle Wine Club
- Paradigm Interview
- Michael Chiarello Interview on Sidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks Entertainment is a long-running, weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers...
- Michael Chiarello at the Chef and Restaurant Database