Kavita Kamlani
Classic Culinary Arts ‘01
Chef-Owner of ISHQ, Miami Beach, FL

In the fortieth year of their marriage, Kavita and Sham Kamlani opened ISHQ in Miami Beach, Florida. In Hindi, “ishq” means “love,” and the name of their restaurant was a wink to the arranged marriage that brought them together four decades prior, in Bombay, India. Fortuitously, their union was a match made in heaven, and the couple traveled the world together, living in India, Hong Kong, and New York, and working as a team in the manufacturing industry. Inspired by the cuisines they had grown up with and those they had grown to love, the Kamlanis struck out on yet another adventure together—this time, to realize a dream of opening their own restaurant.

After Kavita earned her degree from The FCI in 2001, the duo chose Miami for the site of their joint effort; she would do the cooking and Sham would work the front of the house. Drawing on a lifetime of travel, Chef Kavita crafted a menu that draws on Near Eastern spices and flavors as much as European technique and presentation. In addition to traditional Indian tikkas and tandooris, Chef Kavita offers fresh takes on regional dishes like Bombay baby back ribs, Dehli rack of lamb, and mango pots de crème. The 145-seat restaurant made waves when it opened on the Florida Coast in 2007, endorsed by the Miami Herald as “a rare treat” and hailed by the Sun Post as “beyond excellent.”

ISHQ: 530 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL, 305.532.4747, www.ishqsouthbeach.com.

Michelle Doll
Classic Pastry Arts ‘04
Owner, Michelle Doll Cakes, Brooklyn, NY

Michelle Doll’s career took off the moment she graduated The FCI in 2004. Pairing her pastry education with her graphic design background, Michelle landed a coveted position as a Sugar Artist with world-renowned baker Ron Ben Israel. About a year later, as Executive Chef at a brand new and much buzzed about bakery Patisserie Colson, her croissants were lauded as among the best in New York City. Soon enough, neighborhood brides-to-be were enticing her to make wedding cakes, and Michelle left Colson to start her eponymous cake business.

Chef Michelle’s big break came when she was selected for the Food Network’s “ThrowDown with Bobby Flay” wedding cake challenge. She handily defeated Flay with her cinnamon vanilla cake and Mexican hot chocolate frosting. Further appearances on the Food Network, the Style Network, ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and CBS’s “Early Show” soon followed, and her creations started appearing in the editorial spreads of Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, InStyle Weddings, and New York magazine. The tagline for Michelle Doll Cakes is “Special Cakes for Yummy People,” but her most special creation was undoubtedly the Million Dollar Cake: a multi-tiered confection decorated with one million dollars’ worth of Harry Winston diamonds.

Michelle Doll Cakes, Brooklyn, NY, 917.374.2791, www.michelledollcakes.com.

Mitch Prensky
Classic Culinary Arts ‘02
Chef-Owner, Supper, Global Dish Caterers, Philadelphia, PA

Within six months of opening, Supper landed on Philadelphia magazine’s “Fifty Best Restaurants” list—at number 14, no less. Craig La Ban, restaurant critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer, declared it “one of the most exciting restaurants” he had reviewed in six months. Not bad for a newcomer, but Mitch Prensky was no new kid on the block. He cut his chef’s teeth at New York’s landmarks Lutèce and Le Chantilly, as well as Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. In addition, Chef Mitch had been operating his own successful catering company, The Global Dish, for almost a decade, during which time he developed and perfected his own inventive brand of cooking. Pulling his combined experiences together, Chef Mitch opened Supper in October of 2007, and locals promptly fell in love with the “urban farmhouse” atmosphere and Prensky’s inventive, yet cozy, dishes.

His carrot-and-orange soup—served in a bowl smeared with toasted marshmallow—probably wins Supper the most press, but for a close second, people can’t stop buzzing about the Moroccan chicken wings, tandoori-spiced sea scallops, and the smoked sweetbreads. In line with its nostalgic handle, Supper offers a prix-fixe, single-seating “Sunday Supper” once a month, where dishes are served family-style and Philadelphians can relax in the open kitchen space downstairs (punctuated with a striking light fixture by industrial artist Warren Muller) or in the comfortably chic upstairs “Family Room.”

Supper: 928 South St, Philadelphia, PA, 215.592.8180, www.supperphilly.com.

Mihoko Obunai
Classic Culinary Arts ‘97
Chef-Owner of Repast, Atlanta, GA

After graduating from New York University, Tokyo native Mihoko Obunai took two years off to volunteer in rural Peru. Fortuitously, she met two chefs passing through the region on a backpacking vacation who encouraged her to pursue her passion for cooking. Mihoko swiftly returned to New York and enrolled in The FCI. After working in a series of fine French restaurants for over a decade, Chef Mihoko, who also has a certificate in macrobiotic cooking from the Kushi Institue of Japan, met her husband, Joe Truex, a fellow chef. Together they moved to Georgia where she landed a job teaching at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta. A few years later, on Valentine’s Day of 2006, the couple opened Repast. The restaurant’s immediate success speaks to Chef Mihoko’s culinary talents, and to her winning partnership with her husband.

In a wood-beamed loft in Atlanta’s midtown district, Chef Mihoko combines her Japanese heritage with her husband’s Cajun and Southern background, and the resulting French bistro fare elevates classic dishes to new heights. A daily macrobiotic offering and aromatic fish selections pair with artful hybrids like tempura escargot and miso-cured foie gras. The restaurant quickly won over local critics, winning Repast four stars in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a spot on Jezebel magazine’s 100 Best Restaurants list, and scoring a Best New Restaurant write-up in Esquire. Glowing mentions in Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and Bon Appetit weren’t bad for business either.

Both Chef Mihoko and her husband took home 2007 Rising Star awards from StarChefs.com and Atlanta magazine, and in 2008 the duo hosted a dinner at the James Beard Foundation that showcased their commitment to seasonally influenced fusion cuisine.

Repast: 620 N Glen Iris Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30308, 404.870.8707, www.repastrestaurant.com.

Ori Apple
Classic Culinary Arts ‘97
Chef-Owner of Hummus Place, New York, NY

Years after graduating from The FCI and working in fancy restaurants around New York City, Ori Apple had a hankering for something simple. He missed the street food he grew up eating in Israel. In particular, he missed hummus. And in a city renowned for its culinary diversity, it killed him that he couldn’t find a hummus on par with the flavorful spread so ubiquitous at home, not to mention the near impossibility of finding a puffy, piping hot pita accompaniment. Ori, sensing a void in the culinary scene, took it upon himself to single-handedly bring hummus Israelis could be proud of to New York City.

In August 2004, Apple opened Hummus Place in the heart of the East Village. The premise was simple: three variations of the garlicky dip, served with fresh pita, pickles, and hot sauce, best washed down with mint lemonade or chased by a Turkish coffee. Most ingredients are imported from Israel, including chickpeas and tahini, the two main components of hummus. Chef Ori was prepared for a clientele of Israeli ex-pats and tourists eager for a familiar bite, but he had not anticipated the feverish embrace from Manhattanites craving a quick, satisfying meal. Today, Hummus Place has expanded to five locations across the city—and inspired a host of imitators in its wake. Ori has since added a few extra items to the menu, but his credo remains the same: Live healthier, feel better, eat hummus!

Hummus Place: various locations in New York, NY, www.hummusplace.com.

Meg Grace
Classic Culinary Arts ‘99
Chef-Owner of The Redhead, New York, NY

Having worked in famous kitchens in New Orleans (Brennan’s), Washington, D.C. (15 Ria), and New York (Danny Meyer’s café at the MoMA), Meg Grace knew that starting a successful restaurant would depend on equal parts great food and good buzz. Along with two partners, Meg launched The Redhead in a former bar in Manhattan’s East Village. In the beginning, the trio revamped the cocktail menu—and held on to their day jobs—quietly offering dinner only one day a week. Luck sent in Pete Wells, a New York Times critic who mentioned the semi-secret new spot in print, gushing that the biscuits were so delicious they “ought to be in the Biscuit Museum.” Suddenly, all of Manhattan was buzzing about The Redhead, so Chef Meg fired up the kitchens for nightly service, wowing diners with her particular brand of Southern-influenced American classics.

While Grace’s biscuits are indeed delicious, it was a simple yet addictive bar snack that truly put The Redhead on the map: bacon peanut brittle. Word of the unusually tasty mix spread quickly and before long it was appearing in blogs, newspapers, and Top 10 lists throughout New York City. Esquire magazine caught wind of the confection (“the best beer nut in America,” it proclaimed), creating such exposure and unyielding demand that Grace now sells the salty-sweet brittle online by the jar. In December 2008, the Times’ infamously tough food critic Frank Bruni hailed Grace’s cooking as “ingenious” and nominated her fried chicken as one of the best dishes of 2008. More recently, Condé Nast Traveler bestowed The Redhead with a spot on its 2009 Hot List. With accolades like these, it’s clear that just a year after opening, The Redhead is red hot.

The Redhead: 349 East 13th Street, New York, NY, 10003, 212.533.6212, www.theredheadnyc.com.

Joe Clarke
Classic Culinary Arts ‘06
Chef-Owner of American Grocery Restaurant, Greenville, SC

The story of South Carolina’s American Grocery Restaurant starts in, of all places, Hollywood. In between film and television production jobs, Joe Clarke usually found himself returning to work in one of Los Angeles’ finer restaurants. During a stint at LA’s popular Table 8, he met Darlene, a sommelier moonlighting as a stage actress. Coincidentally both from small towns in South Carolina, the two struck up a relationship around their shared show business experiences. Before long, the pair realized that their Tinseltown careers were overshadowed by an even bigger dream: to one day open a restaurant of their own.

Leaving Hollywood behind, Joe enrolled at The FCI, graduating with honors and the Outstanding Menu Project. Joe and Darlene’s decision to move back to their home state to start a restaurant was easy for the now-married couple. South Carolina boasts acres of farms and pastures that would be the cornerstone of their farm-to-table menu. American Grocery Restaurant opened in Greenville in 2007.

Housed in a one-hundred-year-old building, American Grocery strives to incorporate local and sustainable practices that wouldn’t have been out of place at the turn of the last century, around the time that the restaurant’s very walls were erected. Pasture-raised meats, Atlantic Coast seafood, and local, seasonal produce take center stage. It was only natural for Clarke to bring his pork producer with him to American Grocery’s June 2008 James Beard House dinner. On the menu that memorable evening? A nose-to-tail feast on an heirloom pig breed from Caw Caw Creek pastures in Columbia, SC.

American Grocery Restaurant: 732 S. Main Street, Greenville, SC, 864.232.7665, www.americangr.com.

Vitaly Paley
Classic Culinary Arts ‘90
Chef-Owner of Paley’s Place, Portland, OR

When Paley’s Place opened in 1995, Vitaly and Kimberly Paley rocketed to the top of Portland’s culinary scene. Backed by years of experience in some of New York’s finest restaurants (Vitaly cooked at Union Square Café, Remi, and Chanterelle; Kimberly worked the front-of-house at Bouley and Gotham Bar & Grill), the husband-and-wife team could have chosen anywhere in the world to put up shop. But they ultimately chose Portland for the wealth of high quality ingredients from local, organic, and sustainable suppliers in the Pacific Northwest. In its very first year, Paley’s Place won Restaurant of the Year from the Williamette Weekly. Word spread rapidly across Oregon and the U.S., and in short order Paley’s Place was at the top of “best of” lists in publications like the New York Times, USA Today, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Zagat’s, and The Wine Advocate. The pinnacle of recognition came in 2005 when Vitaly received the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest. In that same year, Paley’s Place was chosen by Gourmet magazine as one of the top 50 restaurants in the country.

Now, almost 15 years after opening, Paley’s Place continues to rack up awards and media accolades. In late 2008, the Paley’s published The Paley’s Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories form the Pacific Northwest, which was lauded by Epicurious.com as one of the best cookbooks of the year. When he appeared on the Martha Stewart Show to host a live-broadcast cooking demonstration, Martha sampled Vitaly’s savory bread pudding (the most requested dish at Paley’s Place) and enthusiastically declared, “We should all move to Portland!”

Paley’s Place: 1204 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR, 503.243.2403, www.paleysplace.net.

Chika Tillman
Classic Culinary Arts, ‘94
Chef-Owner, ChikaLicious Dessert Bar & Dessert Club, New York, NY

Chika Tillman knew exactly what kind of restaurant she wanted to open. After working under famous chef-restaurateurs like Tom Colicchio (at NYC’s Gramercy Tavern) and Guenter Seeger (at Atlanta’s legendary Seeger’s), Chika wanted something small, and she wanted something sweet. Strictly sweet.

The result was ChikaLicious, a tiny dessert-only restaurant in the East Village that Chika opened in 2003 with her husband, Don Tillman. Diners choose from a prix-fixe, three-course dessert menu, including amuse bouche and assorted petits fours, with or without wine pairings by Don, the house sommelier. Chika describes the menu as “American desserts, French presentation, and Japanese tasting portions.” She works in plain view of their diners, creating and plating the artful bites of glorious confections like fromage blanc cheesecake and warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream. In contrast to the sleek all-white interior, the unusual desserts sparkle with color and texture. Watching Chika create such astonishing dishes with the utmost care and concentration is less like watching cooking than it is witnessing a delicious kind of alchemy.

By the time ChikaLicious was named one of the 101 Best New York Restaurants by New York magazine in 2006, it was a rare night when customers weren’t lined up outside for a sweet fix. In order to satiate New York’s sugar lust, the Tillmans expanded across the street with ChikaLicious Dessert Club, a take-away bakery with portable puddings, cupcakes, cookies, and ice cream in flavors guaranteed to hit the sweet spot.

ChikaLicious: 203 East 10th Street, New York, NY, 212.995.9511, www.chikalicious.com.
ChikaLicious Dessert Club: 204 East 10th Street, New York, NY, 212.475.0929, www.dessertclubchikalicious.com.

Andrea Carbine
Classic Culinary Arts ‘05
Chef-Owner of A Toute Heure, Cranford, NJ

Andrea Carbine is a true locavore. Dedicated to eating locally grown, seasonal foods, Carbine has built her cozy ten-table bistro, A Toute Heure, around this commitment to freshness and sustainability.

Deeply inspired by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, Carbine opened ATH with her husband Jim in May 2007. They named their restaurant for the blackboard menus they saw propped up outside of the intimate, family-run bistros they sampled across the French countryside. The “a toute heure” specials were the chef’s daily offerings, featuring only the freshest and most flavorful finds from the greenmarket.

With the objective of using only the best produce, meat, and dairy available from local farms and purveyors—including their own vegetable garden located just a block away from the restaurant—Carbine visits the markets most mornings and, with the help of her chef de cuisine, Kara Decker (FCI ’99), and pastry chef, William Mauceri (’04), creates New American dishes that sparkle with flavor and intensity. The daily menu reflects her passion for New Jersey’s bounty: Next to each dish is the name of the farm or supplier who sourced the ingredients, bringing environmental awareness as well as culinary appreciation to the forefront of her diners’ minds.

Earlier this year, Carbine was named as a semi-finalist for nomination in the category of Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic Region for the James Beard Foundation Awards, proof positive that the industry is taking note of her exceptional achievements: running an enormously successful restaurant that marries a thoughtful approach to cooking with an ecologically responsible approach to business.

A Toute Heure: 232 Centennial Avenue, Cranford, NJ, 908.276.6600, www.atouteheure.com.

Rachel Zoe Insler
Classic Pastry Arts ‘07
Chocolatier-Owner of Bespoke Chocolates, New York, NY

Rachel Insler can tell you exactly how chocolate positively affects the human brain. Before pursuing her dreams as a chocolatier, Insler conducted academic research as a neuroscientist. One day she decided to trade in her lab coat for chef whites, and enrolled in the Classic Pastry Arts program at The French Culinary Institute. After earning her Grand Diplôme Pastry, she held positions in Danny Meyer’s Union Square Café and Hudson Yards Catering, followed by an apprenticeship under Master Chocolatier Keith Hurdman at London’s world-famous Melt Chocolates. While working in Britain, Insler took every opportunity to visit chocolateries across Europe, observing and sampling from the finest in France, Italy, and Belgium.

Invigorated by her travels, Insler returned to New York to open Bespoke Chocolates in November 2008. Using the European techniques she learned abroad, Insler produces luxury chocolates that combine fresh ingredients with unexpected and wholly modern flavor profiles—Strawberry Balsamic, Rosemary Vanilla, and Apricot Ceylon are some of the most popular offerings. Her signature chocolate, the Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramel uses handmade pretzels and dairy from the Union Square Greenmarket; it was awarded Best Confection in the PastryScoop.com’s 2008 Golden Scoop Awards and was one of Time Out New York’s 100 Best Things of 2008.

Tucked away on a side street of Manhattan’s humming East Village, Bespoke Chocolates is hailed by local media for its “undiscovered, European feel,” and is adored by the New Yorkers who pour in to take classes, attend tastings, or simply enjoy watching Insler at work in her open kitchen.

Bespoke Chocolates: 6 Extra Place, New York, NY, 212.260.7103, www.bespokechocolates.com.

Matthew Guidry
Classic Culinary Arts ‘98
Chef-Owner of Meauxbar Bistro, New Orleans, LA

After years of working in New York, Matthew Guidry was drawn back to his roots in Louisiana. He and business partner Jim Conte, with whom he opened Sag Harbor’s beloved Paradise Restaurant in 1995, landed in the Big Easy and opened Meauxbar in 2004. Named after Guidry’s great-grandparents, Adam and Ozite Meaux, who raised his father in rural Cajun country, Meauxbar specializes in French, Creole, and Asian-inspired Southern fare, and is the undisputed favorite of New Orleans locals. Snuggled in the heart of the French Quarter overlooking Louis Armstrong Park, Guidry’s forty-seat café is lauded for its fresh, creative take on classic bistro dishes.

When Hurricane Katrina hit only a year and a half after opening, Meauxbar’s future was uncertain. But the hurricane only strengthened Guidry’s dedication to his business and his community. Meauxbar was one of the first restaurants in the French Quarter to reopen its doors after the storm cleared, offering cheerful, comforting meals to relief workers. In the years following Katrina, Guidry refocused his energies on making Meauxbar the go-to restaurant for New Orleans locals, whether old neighbors or recent transplants. In 2008, Meauxbar’s Napoleon of Crawfish, Avocado, and Tomato Confit was awarded one of the Top Ten Dishes of the Year by USA Today. When asked if this signature dish is his favorite to cook, Guidry laughs and explains his simple criteria for a favorite dish: “If the customer enjoys it, it’s my favorite dish.” By this measure, he’s got a whole menu full of favorites.

Meauxbar Bistro: 942 North Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA, 504.569.9979, www.meauxbar.com.

 
David Chang (Classic Culinary Arts '01) will be expanding his restaurant empire to a new location on the upper West side, New York. The new restaurant will be serving French-Vietnamese food and will most likely be headed by Tien Ho who has been at Ssam since its inception.

Jamie Watson (Classic Culinary Arts '08) appeared on Food Network's Grill It! with Bobby Flay on August 16th and 17th. On the show, Jamie prepared a quick version of a pulled pork sandwich served on his grilled corn bread.

Melissa Muller (Classic Pastry Arts '01) is now the Executive Chef at the new restaurant Organika. Organika opened in July in Greenwich Village, NYC. Muller's Italian menu consists of bruschettas, pizzas, and pastas.

Tyler Kord (Classic Culinary Arts '02) No. 7 in Brooklyn is listed on Bon Appetit's list of Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America. According to Bon Appetit, the dish to try is the pumpkin-seed-crusted tofu with lemongrass broth, rice noodles, and poached eggs.

Laura Pensiero's (Classic Culinary Arts '92) Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook is being published by HarperCollins and will be available at booksellers in late August 2009. The book, along with several recipes from it, is featured in the August edition of Oprah's O Magazine.

Francine Stephens (Classic Culinary Arts '05) just opened Bklyn Larder, a high-end food shop on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The store will feature imported gourmet items such as Latini pasta and Italian apricot jam, as well as a variety of prepared foods. Francine also runs the highly successful Franny's.

Casey Laytin (Classic Culinary Arts '05) was mentioned in a Florence Fabricant piece in The New York Times on Brooklyn Fare, a new food establishment in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Casey is working alongside Chef César Ramirez, formerly of Bouley.

Megan Saynisch (Classic Culinary Arts '08) opened Brooklyn Farmhouse LLC in late 2008. The Brooklyn Farmhouse offers culinary consulting, food writing, catering, and teaching. Megan also writes a food blog at brooklynfarmhouse.com.

Debra Geggus (Classic Culinary Arts '08) recently acquired Grace Manor, a lunch restaurant in Edwardsville, IL. Debra plans to revamp both the interior and the menu in the middle of June. The new Grace Manor Restaurant will open with a seasonal menu, and Debra will buy as much local produce, meats, and dairy as possible.

Veronica Wirth (Classic Pastry Arts'06) cooked at the James Beard House on May 12th. Veronica represented Norma's restaurant at Topnotch Resort and Spa in Vermont as their Pastry Chef.

The JBF Awards were given out on Monday, May 4th, and The FCI had two winners. First, Momofuku Ko, the creation of David Chang (Culinary '01), won the award for Best New Restaurant. Then, Dan Barber (Culinary '94) took the Outstanding Chef Award.

Both Geoff Kruth (Culinary '03), and Eric Korsh (Culinary '00), are on the StarChefs.com 2009 Napa Sonoma Rising Stars list. Geoff, Somelier at The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant, and Eric Korsh from Restaurant Eloise will be honored on June 17 in St. Helena, California.

Katherine Darling (Culinary '04) has written Under The Table: Saucy Tales From Culinary School, a memoir of her time at The French Culinary Institute. The book is available at major book retailers.

Kir Rodriguez (Culinary '98) was chosen among hundreds of applicants to compete in The Great American Cake Show in Virginia. Only 12 competitors were chosen to compete in this prestigious pastry contest. Kir is currently an instructor at The FCI.

Claire Robinson (Culinary '05) is mentioned and pictured in an article in the New York Times. The piece profiles Jon Rosen, a television producer, and describes his experience watching Claire's audition tape. The article also mentions Daisy Martinez (Culinary '99).

Lori Hinze (Culinary '09) just opened a cooking school and catering company in Mont Belvieu, Texas. Lori offers a variety of cooking classes for aspiring cooks of all levels and ages. Her company, Lori's Culinary Co., also caters parties and events.