CIA Alumni Lead the Way in Food Business Innovation
December 2022/January 2023
Josh Deri ’11 and Whitney Deri ’11 are a husband-and-wife duo out of Reno, NV who recently opened an eatery called The Hangout. The food is a combination of classic pub-style fare with a gourmet interpretation.
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Noah Michaels’s ’00 Dry Fly Coffee is reeling customers into its newly opened roastery and bakery café in New Paltz, NY. The café serves pour over and espresso-based drinks.
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Colin Bebbington ’16 will settle into a permanent location, after years of pop-up success. The yet-to-be-named location will have a 35-seat dining room and will open spring 2024 with a focus on wood-fire and charcoal cooking.
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Douglas Kim ’04, chef/owner of Jeju, the first U.S. noodle bar with a Michelin star, was recognized for his leadership in the Korean cuisine scene in the states.
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Shirel Berger ’14 speaks on her dedication to Opa, her award-winning plant-based restaurant in Tel Aviv.
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November 2022
Bri Risk ’06 is a PhD candidate in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University. She sits down to talk with CSU Magazine about her research and background.
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Brett Morris ’88 will be featured in the January/February 2023 issue of Club Management magazine as the Club Management Association of America’s Club Executive of the Year. Morris currently serves as the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of The Club at Admirals Cove in Jupiter, FL.
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September 2022
The Lincoln Eatery in Miami Beach, FL, announced the opening of the first permanent location of Vice Burger. Owned by Gregory Schesser ’10, Vice Burger made its way onto the Miami culinary scene beginning with late-night pop ups in downtown Miami Beach.
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Upstate Taco is bringing authentic Mexican flavors to Stone Ridge, NY. Opened by Sasha Miranda ’01, and her husband Mauricio, besides tacos the menu offers quesa burros, salads, and appetizers, like grilled corn and guacamole.
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Charlie Gonzalez ’14 and Gabby Hinojosa ’14 opened Panfila Cantina earlier this year in San Antonio, TX, to give San Antonians a taste of real Mexican food. The menu is mainly inspired by the couple’s childhoods with an elevated culinary twist.
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Scott Nordon ’87, alongside his wife Lisa, opened Skippers Pier Coastal Cajun Kitchen in Galdewater, TX. While Skippers Pier is inspired by flavors from all three coasts of the U.S., it draws most of its inspiration from Cajun cooking and Louisiana flavors.
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Karl Diehn ’09, chef and owner of the new restaurant Chachi’s is bringing a fine dining background to casual eats. Located in Baltimore, MD, Chachi’s menu is simple, hearty fare, which is a staple of European farmers markets. Diehn focuses on keeping prices affordable for everyone with no compromise to flavor.
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Alexandra Holt ’1 opened Roxanne BYOB in Philadelphia, PA. Located in a former 26-seater café, Roxanne BYOB will start with an eight-course, $75 tasting menu of daring plates that will change frequently.
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Logan Jones ’05 is shifting from fine dining to a Middle Eastern cuisine pop-up at Third Window Brewing Company in Santa Barbara, CA. After meeting Third Window’s owner Kris Parker during a Priedite Barbecue pop-up at Bell’s in Los Alamos, Jones was offered the opportunity to make his lunchtime dreams come true.
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David DiStasi ’11 opened Materia Ristorante with his brother last spring in Bantam, CT. DiStasi took inspiration from his years of refined restaurant experience and drew from his years spent in the Tuscan countryside. DiStasi was exposed to the restaurant industry as a young boy, working at his father’s and brother’s catering business before moving on to a commercial kitchen.
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Chef David Renner ’84 was named the 2022 Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year. Renner opened the Marketplace Kitchen in the Berkshires alongside Kevin Schmitz in 1991 with the simple mission of providing high quality, prepared food for people to bring back to their own homes.
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Outlaw Kitchens has been named by USA Today’s 10 Best as one of the best restaurants for fall in San Antonio, TX. Run by Chef Paul Sartory ’78, who both graduated and taught at the CIA, Outlaw Kitchens is a charming neighborhood restaurant truly unlike anywhere else in San Antonio.
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August 2022
Scott Nishiyama’s ’01 new restaurant, Ethel’s Fancy, honors his mother and grandmother, both named Ethel. He credits his mother’s cooking during his childhood in Hawaii and trips to his grandmother’s kitchen counter in Oregon for exposing him to different cuisines.
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La Plancha a new fast-casual Mexican street food spot with tortas opened earlier this summer in Austin, TX. Co-owned by Chef Mariha Hinojosa ’14, Hinojosa saw a torta-focused spot was missing in Austin, and they wanted to fill that gap.
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Il Bracco opened this month in Houston, TX, marking the first Houston location for the Dallas-based restaurant. Born from a partnership between Robert Quick ’12 and Matt Gottlieb, Il Bracco is bringing a fresh take on classic Italian cuisine with all the pastas, breads, and desserts made in-house.
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Bodega Kitchen and Cocktails opened earlier this month in Sacramento, CA, serving everything from ceviche and Cuban sandwiches to Jamaican jerk chicken wings and pan-fried prawns. Co-owners Rafael Jimenez Rivera ’05 and Chris Sinclair wanted to bring what they grew up with and to bring their culture to the area.
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Bar Primi, one of the East Village’s go to pasta shops and bars, is preparing to open a new location to a brand-new neighborhood. Co-Founder and Chef Andrew Carmellini ’91 and his team are transforming their new space in Hudson Yards, with the proposed layout expected to offer a space for 320 patrons, cleverly sectioned off from other spaces in order to maintain the feel of intimacy and privacy.
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In 2019, Nicholas Leiss ’10 founded Farm2ChefsTable, a concept dining and education program in Beacon, NY. Leiss fell in love with farm-to-table movement while working in kitchens all throughout New York’s Hudson Valley Region. The program consists of a blog, private dining, cooking classes, and consulting.
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Runner-up of MasterChef Singapore 2018 and the baker behind popular donut store Sourbombe Bakery, Genevieve Lee ’20 is a self-professed “hustler.” Lee spoke to Wonder Wall about her experience on the competition show and how she started her own business.
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Greg Vernick’s ’05 Vernick Food & Drink was named by TravelMag as one of the greatest restaurants in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Opened in 2012, Vernick blends modern American cooking with global flavors for a diverse dinner menu.
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July 2022
Scott Nishiyama ’01 is expanding on an already distinguished career by opening Ethel’s Fancy, named after his mother and grandmother, in Paolo Alto, CA. Nishiyama’s credits his mother’s and grandmother’s cooking as the inspiration behind his culinary career.
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Enrique Olvera’s ’99 restaurant, Pujol located in Mexico City, Mexico, once again made The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, this year taking the number five slot. Founded in 2000, Pujol showcases everything about Mexican gastronomy, from its unique techniques and inimitable spices to the country’s rich history.
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Volk Jensiriwanich’s ’17 restaurant, Volk’s New York-Style Bagels, has been named as one of 11 restaurants and cafes to grab breakfast in the Ari-Chatuchak neighborhood of Bangkok, Thailand.
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CIA Singapore grad, Gwyneth Ang’s ’15, restaurant One Prawn & Co., was recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award. Before 2021, One Prawn & Co. operated as a hawker stall; Ang tells 8 Days she had “almost no salary for three years,” while running the hawker stall. Positive reviews on various food blogs led to more customers, and in the beginning of 2022, Ang decided it was time to expand into a full-fledged eatery after fine-tuning their recipe.
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Ohio City Pasta was started back in 1990 by Gary Thomas ’87, who saw an opening for a local company that supplied fresh pasta to restaurants in Cleavland, OH. Within a year, Thomas was distributing to more than 60 local restaurants. Today, Ohio City Pasta is being served by restaurants throughout Ohio.
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June 2022
Worldflats, in Montclair, NJ, was named one of 10 new restaurants to try by the New Jersey Herald. Luigi Tripodi ’83, Worldflats’ chef, serves flatbreads from around the world, including Greek-themed flatbread, the Athena, the Rio Grande, a Mexican-themed flatbread.
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David Kaufman ’95 is bringing authentic New York bagels to Albuquerque, NM, with Kaufman’s Coffee and Bagels. The shop will offer a variety of classics, while incorporating creative flavors like green chili and parmesan black pepper.
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Ricky Moore ’94 won his first James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast for Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, NC. Moore built Saltbox as a homage to the Eastern North Carolina seafood spots he went to growing up.
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Chef Edgar Rico ’10 was named 2022’s EmergingChef by the James Beard Foundation. Rico is the owner and chef of Nixta Taqueria in Austin, TX, which he runs with his fiancé and co-owner Sara Mardanbigi.
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Comfort Collective co-founder Christian Washington ’16, aims to create a joyful space for underrepresented communities with their Comfort Collective pop-ups. The pop-ups merge southern-inspired food with handcrafted cocktails, while honoring heritage by preserving food from the African diaspora.
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May 2022
Flour Craft Bakery in Mill Valley and San Anselmo, CA, was highlighted as one of the top 19 Bay area donut shops. Owner Heather Hardcastle ’08 uses the techniques she learned from her time at the CIA to create 100% gluten free breads, cookies, donuts, and treats.
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Josh Mutchnick ’08 brings supper club pop-ups to the Memphis, TN, area. The supper club is all about getting to meet new people over a shared meal. Guests gather at a large communal table that Mutchnick designed to encourage conversation.
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Rachel Wyman ’05 rebranded her Montclair Bread Company, in Montclair, NJ, and her New Platz, NY, store Gunkin’ Donuts, under the new name Rabble Rise. With the new name comes a new menu, Wyman is streamlining the menus at both locations, now only serving donuts.
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Seattle Mariners T-Mobile Park’s new Executive Chef Javier Rosa ’96 is making big plays at the baseball stadium. Rosa has been expanding the menus at the two hospitality areas he oversees at the stadium, Edgar’s Cantina and Holy Smoke BBQ.
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Blaze Pizza co-founder and Head chef Bradford Kent ’96 opened Bagel + Slice in Los Angeles, CA. This new joint serves organic bagels made from regeneratively grown wheat, along with pizza by the slice and a pizza bagel that combines its namesake.
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March/April 2022
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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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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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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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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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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February 2022
David Burke’s ’82 new Morristown, NJ, restaurant 1776, which opened in the fall of 2021 is already earning accolades—it has landed on the NJ Monthly Best New Restaurant List. 1776 features some of Burke’s classics like Clothesline Bacon as well as new, soon-to-be favorites, like his Paperboy Shrimp–prawns wrapped in thin pastry dough, deep-fried and dusted with mint and fruity Peruvian Chilies.
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Headed by chef Katianna Hong ’05, The Yangban Society in Los Angeles, CA, opened in the beginning of 2022 as a tribute to Korean food with a Jewish twist. Hong’s expert ability to combine and honor both cultures was highlighted by The Wall Street Journal as one of the chefs bringing a new spin to traditional American Jewish cuisine.
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Inspired by his sons, Michael Madigan ’92 opened the Jett & Sons Retro-Robo Cafe, in Charleroi, PA. The café, with its futuristic Jetsons theme, claims to be the first metaverse restaurant, incorporating a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. Aside from burgers and donuts, a dining experience at Jett & Sons might include tipping a dancing robot, playing with Nerf guns, or paying homage to “patron saint” George Jetson.
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The Dutch, owned by Lee Styer ’04 and Jessie Styer ’04, has been one of the highly anticipated spots opening in its new location in Philadelphia, PA. The Dutch, moved into the space previously occupied by Fond, which also was owned by the couple. The Dutch will be brunch-oriented, with dinner courses, including a few Fond classics, coming soon.
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Anthony Burd ’10 has brought Italian American cooking to Bangkok with his eponymous Tony’s restaurant. Burd aims to bring fun to Italian food as well as adapt the Italian American food he grew up with for the Thailand market by adapting those dishes to the flavor palate of his Thai customers.
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Recent CIA Singapore graduate, Lim Wei Keat ’20, is forging his own path, choosing to leave restaurant cooking behind and open his own chicken rice hawker stall, taking advantage of a mentorship program, low startup costs, and the support of his family to get his own business off the ground even during the pandemic.
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CIA alumni Buffy Arbogast ’04, Daniel Baganell ’16, Andrew Chase ’12, and Rachel Wyman ’04 talk to the Times Union about why they stayed in the Hudson Valley after graduation and opened restaurants there instead of heading to a big city. With the additional Influx of people moving upstate from New York City since the start of the pandemic, there has been a greater demand for authentic food made with local ingredients, both of which are a hallmark of the Hudson Valley.
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January 2022
Daniel Darves-Bornoz ’78 opened Josie’s Table in Albany, NY. Josie’s is focused on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients paired with organic wines, and cocktails made with locally distilled spirits. Daniel’s son, and fellow CIA alum, Peter Darves-Bornoz ’11 is the restaurant’s executive chef.
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Chef Victor LaPlaca ’92, was profiled in the Long Island Press, sharing his cooking journey from visiting his Sicilian grandparents’ farm in upstate New York to his time at the CIA, to his various endeavors including his current restaurant, Haviland Kitchen and Bar in East Rockaway, NY.
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Founder of Deke’s Bagels, Deke Haylon ’84, who described his two years at the CIA as the “best two years of my life, until now,” plans to use his successful bagel business to help others by creating job opportunities in his community of Guilford, CT. He wants to help break destructive cycles while creating original, delicious bagels.
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October 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris and Representative Nanette D. Barragan, met with a small group of Washington, DC-area Latina small business owners in the Ceremonial Office at the White House in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Among the business owners invited was Daniella Senior ’10, a Dominican-born restaurant owner who runs Cuban cafe and bar, Colada Shop; cocktail bar Serenata; and Latin American pop-up market, Zumo.
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September 2021
Alabama-based media outlet YellowHammer News named one of its 2021 Women of Impact, Kelsey Barnard Clark ’11. Barnard Clark was recognized for her accomplishments, including being a chef, wife, mother, business owner, and cookbook author, and for changing what success in the food industry looks like for women.
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Founder of Honeycomb Bread Bakers Benjamin Vickers ’14 shares his business’s commitment to customer satisfaction and talks about the positive impact he wants to make in Winter Haven, FL.
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Watch the segment >
June/July 2021
Jennifer Jasinski ’89, owner of Rioja, Euclid Hall, and other acclaimed restaurants in Denver, CO, will be inducted into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame in October. The hall of fame recognizes chefs who have spent their careers promoting culinary excellence in American foodservice.
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Michelle McIlroy’s ’06 business, Phantom Chef Catering, was named Greater Binghamton Chamber Business of the Week. McIlroy offers culinary classes and hosts other events at her store in Endicott, NY, and also does customized catering for a variety of events.
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May 2021
Selina Progar ’12, former executive pastry chef at Altius and head pastry chef at La Gourmandine, is moving on to her next challenge—gluten-free baking at Gluten Free Goat Bakery in Pittsburgh, PA.
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April 2021
Emily Vanlandingham ’20 was inspired by her freshly minted CIA master’s degree in food business to create Farmstand Live, a drive-in food and music festival that she hopes will help rebuild New Orleans’ post-COVID cultural economy. The first two events took place in April 24 and May 1.
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February 2021
Arash Azarbarzin ’89 was promoted to CEO of Starwood Capital Group’s subsidiary company, SH Hotels & Resorts, after three years serving as the company’s president. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry.
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