Michael Chiarello
Chiarello in 2015
Born(1962-01-26)January 26, 1962
Red Bluff, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 2023(2023-10-06) (aged 61)
Napa, California, U.S.
EducationFlorida International University (1984), Culinary Institute of America
SpouseEileen Chiarello (m. 2003)
Children4
Culinary career
Cooking styleCalifornian, Italian
Current restaurant(s)
Television show(s)
Websitehttp://michaelchiarello.com/

Michael Chiarello (January 26, 1962 – October 6, 2023) was an American celebrity chef who was known for Italian-influenced California cuisine.[1] He hosted the cooking show Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello on Food Network[2] and NapaStyle on Fine Living Network. Chiarello owned a winery called Chiarello Family Vineyards, located in Yountville, CA. He was the owner of a tapas restaurant named Coqueta and an Italian restaurant named Bottega and has locations in Napa Valley, California and San Francisco, California.[3] Chiarello also owned NapaStyle in Yountville, CA, which sold a selection of exclusive drinkware, serverware, and designer tabletop pieces but closed on January 4, 2016.[4][5] He was a competitor on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef. In the spring of 2013, Chiarello opened a tapas restaurant named Coqueta on San Francisco's waterfront. In March 2016, two former employees of Coqueta filed lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and labor law violations against Michael Chiarello and his restaurant group Gruppo Chiarello; the sexual harassment lawsuit was settled in 2017.[6]

Early life and career

Born to an Italian-American family, Chiarello became prominent at a young age. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1982,[7] he studied hospitality management at Florida International University, receiving his bachelor's 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.

Later in the 1980s, Chiarello moved back to his home state of California, making his home in the Napa Valley. One of his first endeavors was to be a chef at The Heritage Restaurant in Turlock, which failed and went bankrupt. 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 Italian Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sexual harassment

In March 2016, two former employees filed two lawsuits against Chiarello, alleging sexual harassment and labor law violations.[8][6] In 2017, the sexual harassment lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.[9]

Media career

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, his show NapaStyle premiered on the Food Network's sister network Fine Living Network. In 2009, Chiarello was a contestant on Top Chef Masters, winning his preliminary round and advancing to the championship round, placing second to winner Rick Bayless.

Reruns of Easy Entertaining now appear on Food Network's sister network Cooking Channel.

In 2011, Chiarello appeared in the Visit California promotional film aimed at boosting tourism from the UK.

Personal life and death

In 2003, Chiarello married Eileen Marie Gordon, with whom he had one son, Aidan, born in 2005. He had three daughters, Margaux, Felicia, and Giana, from his previous marriage. In 2019, Chiarello filed for divorce from Gordon.[10]

Chiarello died on October 6, 2023, at the age of 61, after being hospitalized for an allergic reaction that led to anaphylaxis.[11]

Cookbooks

  • Michael Chiarello's Live Fire: 125 Recipes for Cooking Outdoors (May 1, 2013) by Michael Chiarello, Claudia Sansone and Ann Krueger Spivack
  • Michael Chiarello's Bottega (2010)
  • 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)

References

  1. ↑ "About | Michael Chiarello". Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  2. ↑ Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, retrieved November 15, 2022
  3. ↑ "Welcome Home". Bottega Napa Valley. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  4. ↑ Fort, Ellen (December 3, 2015). "Michael Chiarello to Rebrand NapaStyle as Eataly-Style Food Emporium". Eater SF. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  5. ↑ "NapaStyle". Foursquare. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Fort, Ellen (March 15, 2016). "Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit [Update]". Eater SF. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ Webmaster (May 23, 2011). "Chef Michael Chiarello '82, Napa Valley Tastemaker". CIA Culinary School. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. ↑ Aaron-Bortel (December 5, 2016). "Local Chef And Restaurateur Michael Chiarello Arrested For DUI". Aaron Bortel. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Sexually charged: Are harassment claims declining?". The North Bay Business Journal. November 21, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Celeb Chef Michael Chiarello Wants Spousal Support Lowered Due to COVID-19". TMZ. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  11. ↑ Leonard, Christian (October 7, 2023). "Bay Area celebrity chef Michael Chiarello dies at 61". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
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