Interview with Chef Michael Chiarello
Posted on Sep 14, 2009 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews | No Comment
Chef Michael Chiarello
I recently stopped by Bottega restaurant to interview owner/chef Michael Chiarello and sample the menu. This was a big treat for me as I have watched him on tv and cooked his recipes for years.
After graduating from the CIA in New York, Michael Chiarello attended Florida International University School of Hospitality Management. He worked in several restaurants in Florida and in 1985 was named Chef of the Year by Food and Wine magazine. He returned to his home state of California to open Tra Vigne in Napa Valley. In the late 90’s he expanded his horizons, releasing wines from the Chiarello Family Vineyards and hosting television shows first on PBS and later on the Food Network. His program Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello won three Emmy awards. In 2000, he founded NapaStyle, a collection of home furnishings, cooking tools, food and wine. In 2009, he was a finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and opened Bottega restaurant in Yountville. We sat down at Bottega to chat about his career, new restaurant, Top Chef Masters and his thoughts about food and cooking.
