New York, April 25, 2008 – As previously announced by the network, Bravo’s Emmy-nominated hit creative competition series Top Chef will be returning for a fifth season later this year. To date all three winners of Top Chef have been graduates of The Culinary Institute of America: Harold Dieterle, Ilan Hall, and Hung Huynh. To celebrate the winning streak of its alumni, the CIA is welcoming Top Chef to both its brand new Manhattan location, The CIA at Astor Center, and to its main campus in Hyde Park, NY this May for two casting calls.
Contacts:
The Culinary Institute of America
Stephan Hengst
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu
The Bravo Network
Tory Brody
212-664-5276
victoria.brody@nbcuni.com
Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
The Culinary Institute of America
Ecolab Theatre, Admissions Building
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY
Sunday, May 11, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
The Culinary Institute of America at Astor Center
(Above Astor Wine and Spirits)
399 Lafayette Street at East 4th
New York, NY
Open calls for chefs interested in competing in the high-stakes culinary competition series will be held in additional cities across the country starting this week. Additional casting information for these series is available at www.BravoTV.com/casting.
Bravo’s Top Chef offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of world-class cooking and the restaurant business at the highest level. The series—hosted by Padma Lakshmi and presided by head judge Chef Tom Colicchio—features 16 aspiring chefs who compete for their shot at culinary stardom and the chance to earn the prestigious title of “Top Chef.” Each episode holds two challenges for the chefs. The first is a quick-fire test of their basic abilities and the second is a more involved elimination challenge designed to test the versatility and inventiveness of the chefs as they take on unique culinary trials such as working with unusual and exotic foods or catering for a range of demanding clients. The challenges not only test their skills in the kitchen, but also help determine if they have the customer service, management, and teamwork abilities required of a “Top Chef.” The competing chefs live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week someone is asked to “pack up their knives” and go home.
Top Chef: Chicago is produced by Magical Elves. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, who also produce the Emmy Award-nominated Project Runway, Step It Up & Dance, and Top Design for Bravo, return as executive producers. Shauna Minoprio also serves as executive producer.
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not for profit college offering bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificate programs, in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. As the world’s premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 37,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Cat Cora, Harold Dieterle, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The college has campuses in New York (Hyde Park), California (The CIA at Greystone, St. Helena), and Texas (San Antonio), as well as an additional location in New York City (Astor Center, Manhattan). In addition to its degree programs, the CIA also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as wine education. For more information, and a complete listing of program offerings at each site, visit the CIA online at www.ciachef.edu.
