Celebrity Chefs Archives

Top Chef Duels

On the hierarchy of new cooking competition shows full of big risks and even bigger prizes, Bravo’s new show Top Chef Duels may take the crowd, or rather the cake! This series, premiering in August, is upping the tension with head-to-head battles between former Top Chef and Top Chef Masters competitors who have now become some of the hottest names in the culinary world. The competition will culminate in a winner-takes-all prize of $100,000 and a feature in Food and Wine magazine. The series will feature celebrity chef appearances by Kevin Gillespie, Art Smith, Tiffani Faison; Shirley Chung, Kristen Kish, Jennifer Carroll; CJ Jacobson, Stefan Richter, and Richard Blais facing off for the top spot in this new Top Chef spin-off series. Bravo is adding another dimension to the show with the adjunct video series called “The Knockout,” in which eliminated chefs will compete to come back on the finale.

Celebrity chef and soon to be father of two of his second child in September Curtis Stone is on board to host the competition series and the contestants will have a tough panel of judges to impress this season. Gail Simmons and rotating judges Wolfgang Puck and Hugh Acheson will be help sample and judge the dishes created by the contestants however, the chefs have more than just the judging panel to impress. Other food giants like Michelle Bernstein, Andrew Zimmern, Paul Liebrandt, and David Boulud will also be on set to give their input as guest judges. With appearances by so many widely recognized names in the cooking and TV industry, this show is going to mix the perfect amount of celebrity ingredients.

You know the old saying, “Nothing attracts a crowd more like a crowd?” The same thing is true for celebrities. The upcoming show is jam packed with famous guests from musician Pink and actress Shailene Woodley to several prominent members from the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, including Sarah Drew, James Pickens Jr. and Kevin McKidd. Also in attendance will be the cast of the Fox comedy TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, starring Andy Samberg, Melissa Fumero, Chelsea Peretti and Stephanie Beatriz. Bravo is attempting to broaden their target audience beyond their loyal fans to now include the loyal followings of some of TV’s most popular running series. The Food Network competition series Chopped cooked up a similar concept when it used celebrities as participants cooking and competing on the episode entitled The Tournament of Stars.

By featuring so many widely recognized names and faces from a wide spectrum of entertainment categories, Bravo has vastly expanded their demographic and boosted the status of the Top Chef Duels from just another cooking show to a must-see star-studded cook-off. Curiosity is its own form of publicity that feeds off itself, drawing positive attention and many are very curious to see how this new series will play out will so many rumored celebrities and celebrity chefs on the set. Even though it will not premiere until August, the spin-off is already making headlines and garnering visibility from foodies and reality TV show buffs alike.

Bravo isn’t merely stuffing the show with a slew of celebrities like a Thanksgiving turkey for the sake of good company, instead these familiar faces serve the same purpose as the Tzatziki sauce on top of a perfectly grilled lamb kabob—they are the extra zest on an already appetizing main dish. The host of experts in the food industry listed above ensures that the series is the real deal for serious foodies while drawing a new crowd of first-time Top Chef viewers. The level of combined expertise as well as the chemistry between all the contestants, judges, and guests is sure to make for some great eats and great TV moments.

For more information on celebrity chef appearances or to hire a celebrity chef for your next corporate event or trade show, please contact Celebrity Chef Network today through our contact form, by email: booking@celebritychefnetwork.com, or call us at 212-410-9879 today.

Top 10 Trending Chefs June 5

Michael Symon: Michael Symon has transcended the Food Network and nearly the stratosphere at the rate his celebrity fame has been climbing lately. Appearing alongside Eva Longoria in a Lay’s potato chips ad campaign, laughing his way through an impressive showing on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I mean at this point, who wants to be Michael Symon?! Now he’s expanding his B Spot Burgers empire, recently opening a new store in Rochester Hill, Michigan and announcing the planning of a second location in Detroit to follow. It looks like Guy Fieri has some competition in the world of creative burgernometry and what’s more American than a perfectly grilled hamburger?

Kevin Gillespie: Welcome to the Gunshow! Now before you roll up your sleeves lets clarify we’re talking about Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie’s popular Atlanta restaurant opened last year. The restaurant’s weekly-rotating menu is inspired by a number of southern delicacies and while he’s not at his restaurant, the fiery, full-bearded redhead takes his talents on the road to food & wine festivals. It was just announced Kevin will be a featured chef for the Celebrity Chef Tour event at the Savannah Food & Wine Festival this fall. Come November his inspiration may have changed, but Kevin’s quality dishes are quickly becoming a southern delicacy in and of themselves.

April Bloomfield: You don’t have to be from Manhattan to know New York has one of the most popular burger eateries in the states, the Shake Shack. The iconic NY burger restaurant is widely known for its delectable burgers but they’re kicking it up a notch with the help of some of the industry’s top chefs in celebration of their 10^th anniversary. April is among several celebrity chefs including Daniel Boulud, Andrew Zimmern and Daniel Humm who have been chosen to design a signature burger to be made available for 1 day during the week of June 9-13. April will also be making an appearance at Urban Outfitter’s Great Chefs event next week and her Michelin star-earning success is beginning to take her career to new heights.

Kevin Sbraga: What would a food event in the City of Brotherly Love be without one of the city’s most celebrated chefs? The winner of season 7 of Top Chef Kevin Sbraga will be one of the featured food celebs at the Great Chefs event held in Philly at Urban Outfitters Headquarters. Aside from delectable samples from some of the industry’s top chefs, the event will also raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and chef Marc Vetri’s foundation through live and silent auctions. Kevin has been quick to jump at the chance to help out with many charity events and he is ready to redefine modern American cuisine one mouth at a time.

Art Smith: Chef Art Smith just can’t seem to keep his name out of most foodie news outlets, but in this case, it’s a great thing. He has been name 1 of a group of former Top Chef’s to appear on Bravo’s newest series spin-off Top Chef Duels, pitted against Kevin Gillespie of Top Chef Las Vegas. Yet more important than his on-screen appearances, Oprah’s former personal chef is becoming a pioneer in his industry as one of the only openly gay married men in the biz. Through his D.C. restaurant Art & Soul, Art will be partnering with the HRC’s Project One America today to host a local event on Capitol Hill benefiting the campaign and the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community.

Dan Barber: If you’ve never heard the culinary genius of one of New York finest chef and restaurateur you’ve most likely read it in any number of major publications circulating today including the New York Times, Gourmet or Food & Wine Magazine. The James Beard Award winner may have one of the biggest listening audiences that extends beyond the world of agriculture and his recently published book The Third Plate details the ways in which America can transform their cuisine to be as sustainable as it is flavorful. Not only is this guy serving up some of New York’s finest local food and wine, he’s serving up a new way of eating for the whole food industry.

Jet Tila: Celebrity chefs often jump at the chance to create new concepts for a growing venture and thus is the case of one’ of the culinary industry’s journeymen, Jet Tila. Chef Jet has been featured as a guest judge on Food Network’s Chopped, Battled Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef America, and developed his own nationwide restaurant chain Modern Asian Kitchen with the Compass Group. Now Jet is expanding his west coast empire to invade Texas as a partner with Pakpao, a Thai restaurant in Dallas. Jet will be responsible for spicing up the menu with his signature cuisine and helping to develop the restaurant’s 2^nd location.

Cristine Patolot: Look, we know it severely affect our waistlines, but being a gourmet pastry chef has got to be a little like a doughy, cakey version of heaven. French Cakes Patisserie owner Cristine Patolot is the queen of cakes in Illinois and her impressive repertoire of French pastries put the icing on the cake at the wrap party for season 18 of ABC’s hit dancing competition series Dancing With the Stars. Cristine was the only dessert chef present, and the only chef not from Food Network’s 2 popular series Top Chef or Master Chef. Her 700 cupcake creation was quite the masterpiece, mimicking the DWTS dance floor to the delight of some of Hollywood’s most elite guests. Looks like Georgetown might have some cupcake competition!

Josh Drew: We don’t know if Josh incorporates any Heinz into his dishes, but Fifty Seven is the number for one of L.A.’s brightest young chefs. He will take over at the trendy upscale restaurant by the same name which features some of the nation’s best chef’s in a rotating manner each season. Josh steps in to introduce a summer-inspired menu full of fresh local seafood and tender meats as well as local produce. The Zagat “30 Under 30” alum is also set to fully express his casual vibe in the kitchen as the new executive chef and partner of his own venture with Cardiff Giant called Cordoba in Los Feliz opening this fall.

Louis DiBaccari: Despite your mother telling you not to play with your food, a good dish can most certainly be a form of art. Have you ever thought of the concept of a whole food dish directly based off an artists’ work? It’s astounding. Boston native and restaurateur Louis DiBaccari sheds an annual spotlight on food and art near his Fort Point eatery when chefs create a dish inspired by the incredible artwork of some of Boston’s most talented local artists. Create Boston is becoming a must-stop event on most foodie’s jam-packed summer calendar and Louis is helping to promote a creative generation outside the world of food.

If you are interested in any of our Top 10 Trending and would like to hire a famous chef for cooking demonstrations, endorsements, appearances, and more, please contact Celebrity Chef Network today by completing our contact form, by email: booking@celebritychefnetwork.com, or call us at 212-410-9879 today.

LA Food & Wine Festival

Celebrity Chefs Take Over Downtown L.A. for the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival 2014

Los Angeles is heating up as the 4^th annual Food & Wine Festival descends upon the modern culture capital of the world’s sun-drenched streets from August 21-24. This four-day gourmet affair will showcase the most delectable combinations of food, drinks and festivities that this premier city has to offer, crafted by some of the most celebrated culinary personalities in the business. This festival, presented by Food & Wine Magazine with support from Lexus, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Resort, JENN-AIR and Delta Airlines, features live culinary demonstrations, wine and spirit tastings, strolling marquee collaborations, book signings and many other food and fun-filled events. Growing in popularity with each occasion, this food enthusiast paradise drew some big names in past years, including elite celebrity chefs such as Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, TV personality’s and chefs Guy Fieri, Giada De Laurentiis, Curtis Stone, Robert Irvine and Rick Bayless, and chef and author’s Michael Mina and Thomas Keller, all of whom are allegedly returning to the festival this year.

With flames burning and mouths watering, the weekend kicks off on Thursday, August 21 with Ultimate Bites of L.A., a Chef Challenge where two of L.A.’s most esteemed chefs team up with visiting chefs to compete for charity. L.A.’s famed Grand Avenue will play host to returning Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s Asian Night Market the following night, where some of the nation’s most talented chefs will pull flavors from Asian-inspired ingredients to create a unique tasting experience. Paired with custom cocktails, sake, shochu, beer and wine as far as the eye can see, these street food tastings feature over 25 traditional and interpretive restaurants and eateries, mirroring the authentic taste of Taipei with a West Coast twist. With guests still reeling from the culinary pleasure from the night before, Grand Avenue will host a Cooking Demonstration Saturday morning. This four-day spectacular will flood the streets of downtown Los Angeles with culinary and musical talent alike, creating the perfect mash up of food and beverage decadence and musical performances by nationally recognized artists. Guests will be left begging for more, as they indulge in taste-bud tantalizing cuisine from over 100 celebrity and world-class chefs, and over 200 wines curated from the most elite wineries.

The weekend also features live demonstrations, including Jenn-Air Master Class Series, teaching you everything you need to know from design sessions, to new recipes, to how to be a good host, and the Lexus Grand Tasting, where guests are given the privilege of mingling and sipping with some of the most top-notch food and wine producers from around the world. Food fans are hoping to see award winning chef Michael Symon, who has been popping up at festivals and all over the Food Network on shows including Iron Chef America, Food Feuds and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. His intense “meat-centric” cooking style makes him a prime candidate for an appearance, as well as Robert Irvine, celebrity chef and TV personality on Dinner: Impossible, Restaurant: Impossible and Worst Cooks in America, who successfully hosted Thrillist’s Barbecue & The Blues at the NYC Wine and Food Festival last year. Hopefully joining the fun this year is celebrity chef and restaurant owner Jose Andres, who is often credited for bringing the small plates dining concept to America and being narrowly beaten out on Iron Chef in 2007 by Bobby Flay. Proving to be a true culinary mastermind, Iron Chef, restaurateur, Chopped star and author Geoffrey Zakarian has fans waiting with baited breath to see if he will participate in this year’s festivities as well. For any foodie out there, there’s not much that could beat this weekend in culinary heaven, where the talent shines brighter than that L.A. sun.

Top 10 Trending Chefs May 22 2014

Aaron Sanchez: Aaron and his good pal Chef John Besh are cooking up a new venture of their own to also find a home in Baltimore’s newest Inner Harbor attraction. Aaron has become a familiar recurring judge on Food Network’s Chopped and is already the owner of his own Mexican restaurant. The new taqueria, Johnny Sanchez, will feature the classic Mexican flavors Aaron is known for and centralized around local ingredients. It’s going to be quite the tough choice for casino-goers this summer with Guy and Aaron’s new restaurants radiating glorious smells through the casino tables and slots.

Nancy Silverton: The queen of sourdough and artisan breads brought home the night’s biggest honor at this year’s James Beard Awards winning the coveted Outstanding Chef award for her work at her Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. Together with partners Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, Nancy has been busy setting L.A. ablaze with her restaurant’s phenomenal dough and fresh ingredients to craft a long list of incredible dishes centered around their signature pizzas.

Jose Andres: As his comical video clip at the George Washington University Commencement this weekend might suggest, Jose Andres was not the first person called to speak following a long list of his A-list celebrity friends who said no. Yet Jose was the perfect man for the job and spent the sunny afternoon on the National Mall recounting his journey to success while doing what he does best, poking fun at himself. The lovable chef related the graduates’ journey to that of his job in the kitchen; you must first know how to build the fire before you can cook over it.

Barbara Lynch: It’s virtually impossible for any foodie to visit Boston and not visit one of Chef Barbara Lynch’s 3 acclaimed eateries. Well, it seems the James Beard Foundation didn’t want to leave and awarded Barbara with this year’s Best Restaurateur Award. No. 9 Park, Menton, and B&G Oysters have long since provided a number of different mouthwatering tastes and cuisines for Bostonians and this national recognition could allow her to expand her culinary empire outside the city limits.

Martin Yan: We love to see today’s top culinary minds give back to the communities that reared them and recently Martin Yan took a trip down memory lane and served as the motivational guest speaker for an event at his alma mater UC Davis. The school’s ASUCD Entrepreneurship Fund holds an annual event to promote entrepreneurship among its undergrads and the former Iron Chef America judge and TV personality was the perfect speaker to encourage the crowds to believe in their abilities and to pursue something they will enjoy wholeheartedly.

Duff Goldman: Cue Rihanna’s hit single, Duff is changing the cake game as we know it! Cake pops we’re a revolutionary new element to the enjoying of the classic birthday pastry and Duff has just coined his signature Cake- In- A-Jar! The Food Network’s Ace of Cakes star has packed layers of cake into a glass mason jar and the jar’s are available for online order. Duff is giving everyone across the country a chance to dive into his decadent cakes and his interactive design bakery Duff’s Cakemix even allows you to design your own cake! We know who we’re calling for the boss’s birthday this year.

Dominique Ansel: May 10^th marked the 1-year anniversary of arguably the world’s greatest new pastry creation: the cronut. Chalk it up to our man Dominique for changing the way we look at doughnuts and croissants for all of eternity; what a match made in heaven. Since its creation, Dominique has enjoyed a whirlwind year as the culinary industry’s newest star and was awarded the 2014 James Beard Award as the reigning Outstanding Pastry Chef just weeks ago. Dominique and his cronut are on quite the roll, no pun intended.

Tom Colicchio: Tom Colicchio is not only one of the culinary industry brightest and most beloved chefs, but he has also become an political activist making a difference other than blessing the world with good eats. Tom has spent the last several years attending functions and speaking out on many food related issues including GMO’s and new changes to the nation’s food-stamp program. Tom is leading the charge to help better educate the public and hopes to help generate a national constituency centered around food related issues.

Jose Garces: Jose Garces has become quite comfortable whipping up his own versions of fusion cuisine in front of a live audience after winning the Iron Chef competition in 2009. Now in preparations to add his 8^th restaurant Volver to the city of brotherly love this summer, Jose is solidifying himself as Philadelphia’s most popular celebrity chef. Located in the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Jose hopes to deliver the same type of live entertainment and fine dining for guest in his 34-seat dining room and will provide libations and appetizers in the lounge area.

Guy Fieri: Baltimore is readying its newest attraction the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore on the Inner Harbor and the casino’s crowning gem may just be Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar. The celebrated restaurateur and TV personality has been very busy in 2014 after opening a new venture in Vegas and now Baltimore. With tentative plans to open four new restaurants this year, his new restaurants all across the country could begin to dictate just where you stay on your next family vacation.

If you are interested in booking any of our Top 10 Celebrity Chefs or to hire a celebrity chef for cooking demonstrations, endorsements, appearances, and more, please contact Celebrity Chef Network today by completing our contact form or emailing us at booking@celebritychefnetwork.com.

Top 10 Trending Chefs May 15 2014

Bobby Flay: When you’re working in an industry where everyone is growing up trying to be the next you, you might have the tendency to sit back and enjoy the view. Superchef Bobby Flay on the other hand refuses to slow down and that type of drive is what has made him and other industry leaders such as Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay and Guy Fieri such successful celebrity chefs and food personalities. Bobby’s latest endeavors will be 2 new Food Network series titled Bobby’s Grilling Guide and Bobby Flay Fit. Now while you can obviously tell where he’s going with the first show, Bobby Flay Fit will introduce a new type of series to the network as he shares his workout and food tips that have helped him stay fit in a world full of delectable eats.

Valerie Bertinelli: America is familiar with the lovable Valerie Bertinelli from her previous acting spots in primetime sitcoms or from her bestselling memoirs and published cookbook of family recipes. Valerie’s latest dish will be served on TV as the actress and food personality is set to combine her life’s passions into one in the form of a new show on the Food Network titled The Valerie Bertinelli Project. The highly anticipated show will center around the former Jenny Craig spokesperson and her husband who will be sharing family recipes with friends and celebrity neighbors.

Daniel Boulud: The bubbly flowed a little heavier in Las Vegas this weekend as over 35 of the culinary world’s best chefs descended on Sin City for the 8^th Annual Vegas Uncork’d Event hosted by Bon Appétit magazine. Known as one of the year’s most anticipated foodie events, what an honor it was for esteemed chef Daniel Boulud who ceremoniously uncork’d the first bottle of the weekend after his new Vegas restaurant and its dishes have wowed tourists at the new location in the Venetian. I’d say the celebrity chef is settling in quite well in his new digs at the famed Vegas resort and food mecca.

Candice Kumai: As a contributing editor for Shape and Men’s Fitness magazine and the author of 2 fit cookbooks, Candice has been responsible for teaching and inspiring many men and women to live a healthier life. Now the healthy eating guru is back with a new book of tricks called Clean Green Drinks that provides her fans with over 100 healthy and balanced drink recipes she utilizes to shed pounds and keep them off. Candice is always looking for better ways to live a clean, healthy lifestyle and she offers a new and tasty option to the latest trend of green health drinks.

Mario Batali: We knew Mario Batali wasn’t going to miss out on all the fun in Vegas! The Iron Chef broke out his signature shorts and Crocs look to join TLC’s Cake Boss Buddy Valastro and 2 culinary students from Le Cordon Bleu in the 2^nd annual live Chase Sapphire Preferred Grill Challenge as a part of the Vegas Uncork’d weekend event. Mario and his partner Brooke Worley took home the win in a close battle of fine Asian-inspired cuisine and Brooke earned a $20,000 scholarship towards her studies!

Debi Mazar: This actress turned host of the Cooking Channel show Extra Virgin and her husband Gabriele Corcos have become today’s leading voice in contemporary Tuscan cuisine. The duo recently recorded their favorite Tuscan recipes in a new cookbook titled Extra Virgin: Recipes and Love from our Tuscan Kitchen. This brazen New York City girl and her Italian husband sure do know good eats and the cookbook kicks off what is sure to be a whirlwind of a next 2 years for the actress and foodie as she is set to reprise her role as Shauna in the big screen adaptation of the hit HBO series Entourage.

Eddie Huang: We think it’s probably safe to say there is no other restaurateur and foodie who is changing the face of the industry like BaoHaus owner Eddie Huang. Eddie and his restaurant are like the skinny jeans of the restaurant world, becoming more popular by the day and hip to pop culture’s latest trends. His Taiwanese bun shop, serenaded by the best tunes from old and new school hip-hop, has now grown from a menu with less than 5 items into a popular New York eatery. Now Eddie is set to further break the mold for TV food personalities this summer as he debuts his new food competition show Snackdown not on Food Network as one would expect, but rather on MTV. This is the first show on MTV of this nature and we know the cultured Eddie Huang is the perfect man for the job!

Curtis Stone: Curtis Stone is enjoying his new life as a restaurateur after opening his first restaurant Maude in February, and his wife’s recent photo of Curtis and his toddler son making homemade pizza nearly crashed the internet with cuteness. Now the Top Chef Masters host has just announced that he and wife and actress Lindsey Price are expecting their second child! Luckily for Lindsey, we know Curtis will have the perfect recipe for any number of pregnancy cravings that could arise in the next few months.

John Besh: John was tossed into the mix of celebrity chefs and TV food personalities after his runner-up finish to Michael Symon in season 1 of Food Network’s Next Iron Chef competition. Now he and fellow celebrity chef Tiffany Derry have joined forces with bar and nightclub guru Jon Taffer to create an exciting new series called Hungry Investors that airs weekly on Spike TV. Each show the trio is tasked to chose who to invest in between two establishments in dire need of their financial and culinary help. Combining the exciting elements of a rescue show and a cooking show, John and his counterparts are seamlessly intermingling the worlds of reality TV and the culinary arts.

Ina Garten: Following the recent success of the latest cookbook from the Barefoot Contessa, the James Beard Award Foundation honored Ina as this year’s Outstanding Host for her Barefoot Contessa cooking series on the Food Network. It appears the critics and the public just can’t seem to get enough of Ina’s recipes whether she’s penning them in her cookbook or cooking them live on TV! As a part of a network that features in-kitchen cooking demo shows from the likes of Giada De Laurentiis and Rachael Ray, this award serves as proof that Ina remains one of TV’s most popular celebrity chef personalities.

Previous page 1 … 10 11 12 13 14 … 21 Next page

Hire Celebrity Chef Network

Category Archives: Celebrity Chefs

Top Chef Duels

LA Food & Wine Festival

Celebrity Chefs Take Over Downtown L.A. for the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival 2014