New Gigs from Top Chefs Bryan Voltaggio, Stephen Asprinio, and Hosea Rosenberg and Marcel Vigneron Goes Japanese

Season 1 wine guy and aspiring restaurateur Stephen Asprinio has his sights set on world domination with his "smart casual" Pizza Vinoteca, featuring iPad ordering, root beer made by his father, and, of course, wine - a concept he hopes to expand nationwide after launching in NYC in the spring.

Season 5 winner Hosea Rosenberg is eyeing Denver locations for his next project, Blackbelly, according to Eater Denver.

On the heels of his brand spanking new eatery, Lunchbox, which we reported about on Tuesday, Bryan Voltaggio reveals details of his next new Frederick, MD restaurant to the Washingtonian, an affordable diner-style concept offering healthy fare and housed in a remodeled car dealership.

Voltaggio brother Michael also gets some serious ink from LA Times restaurant reviewer S. Irene Virbila in her LA Times review of his first solo gig.

And Marcel Vigneron keeps doing his Marcel thing, this time merging his "molecular gastronomy" proclivities for a sushi bar pop-up. Check out possible menu items from Grub Street LA here.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

TC News and Information 7.18.11

Congratulations to Top Chef for garnering four Emmy nominations (“Outstanding Reality-Competition Program,” “Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming,” “Outstanding Directing for Non-Fiction Programming” and “Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming”)! No Reservations, the Travel Channel show starring frequent TC judge Anthony Bourdain, also received four nominations (“Outstanding Nonfiction Series,” “Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming,” “Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming” and “Outstanding Cinamatography for Nonfiction Programming”).

In case you missed it, here’s a 30-minute video of Bourdain answering the top 10 questions posed by viewers on Reddit.

Want to meet Fabio Viviani? Bertolli olive oil is sponsoring a contest where the winner will win a trip for two to LA for cooking lessons with the maestro.

Ruth Reichl confirms here that Top Chef Masters 4 is in the works.

Jen Carroll, Spike Mendelsohn, Kevin Sbraga, Dale Talde, Carla Hall and Stephen Asprinio were among the Top Chef alums who showed up for an “oven-warming” party at All-Stars finalist Mike Isabella’s newly opened Graffiato. Check out pics and more on Eater.

A couple of interesting pieces about TC Masters 3 finalist Traci des Jardins here and here. She is also blogging for the new Huffington Post San Francisco edition. Here inaugural post here.

And Harold Dieterle, Fabio Viviani and Richard Blais will each take over the kitchen at Wisconsin’s Lake of the Torches Resort Casino selected Thursdays in August.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Bravo Exit Interview - Stephen Asprinio

All Top Chef Interview with Stephen Asprinio

Chef Stephen Asprinio talks about his experience on Top Chef All-Stars.

A highlight: Stephen plans to open a new restaurant in Chelsea called Pizza Vino. Please stay tuned to ATC for updates.

Click here for the podcast.

Click here for Stephen's website.

Thank you Chef Stephen.

ATC Love to Stephen Asprinio

Chef Stephen became the second rather surprising elimination this week. Cooking at Marea, an Italian restaurant where he had dined frequently, and being Italian himself, he seemed to have a great advantage in this challenge. Unfortunately, his dish - despite having nicely-cooked salmon, contained too many herbal elements which gave it an unpleasant perfumy quality.



Stephen, we're sorry to see you leave so early. You did well in season one, and we would have loved to see you do at least as well in this competition. We wish you much success with your endeavors in the future.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Stephen. If you  have anything negative to say about him or his competition, please do so here.

Meet the All Stars - Stephen Asprinio

Although we don't give this award out, one could call Stephen our "Top Sommelier" for his unparalleled knowledge of wine. Making it all the way to the top five in Top Chef's inaugural season, Stephen Asprinio proved he still had it winning the Quickfire Challenge during an all-star special with his perfect egg omelet ... one-handed!

Stephen has had a passion for food and wine from a very young age, and always knew he wanted to establish himself as an influential person in the hospitality industry. In addition to his culinary training under highly acclaimed chefs such as Morimoto Masaharu at Nobu, Stephen dedicated himself to his pursuit of wine, and at 19, became the youngest person to pass the United States Sommelier Association’s Certificate Examination. After graduating from the CIA and Cornell University, he became one of the youngest Sommeliers in the country while working for Michael Mina’s Nob Hill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Following his appearance on the first season of Top Chef, at the age of 26, Stephen Asprinio opened his first and namesake restaurant, Forté di Asprinio in South Florida, which was named "One of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the United States" by the Gayot Restaurant Guide. He has since relocated to New York City where his hospitality firm, S.A. Hospitality Innovations is based, with plans for his next restaurant venture in 2011.

A Top Chef Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for most Americans. It's a time to get together with family and enjoy great company and lots and lots of food. We posed two questions to Top Cheftestants from all 6 seasons: What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? and What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? Here are the answers we got back....

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

Michael Voltaggio: When I'm cooking, I break turkeys down whole and cook them sous vide, and you can quote me on this, I serve turkey that's not dry.
Fave Thanksgiving dish to eat: I love stuffing - any kind of stuffing. I don't eat it thorughout the year, only on Thanksgiving.

Bryan Voltaggio: I love pumpkin pie or pumpkin custard. I wait until Thanksgiving. I never eat it any other time of the year.

Season 1's Stephen Asprinio: Caramelized Pumpkin with Guanciale, Pecans, Sage-Brown Butter & Pecorino Romano

Season 4 champ Stephanie Izard: my favorite thanksgiving dish is green bean casserole! can not live without it! and i love to have a tasty suckling pig instead of turkey :)

Season 5 finalist Stefan Richter: Gravy, dark meat and stuffing

Season 4's Nikki Cascone: My favorite dish is the simplist thing my mom made year after year my entire life.. Candied Yams. I alwasy get one whole tray she makes just for me and I feed on it for a week!! I am a pretty healthy eater so I love Thanksgiving becasue it is glutonous and glorious for food memories. My mom made those candoed yams smothered in brown sugar, butter and LOTS of mini MARSHMALLOWS. With all of my cooking experience I have learned to lighten up the dish a little when I prepare it but for the most part I dont change a thing!! and I have one other very crazy thing I love about Thanksgiving besides the time spent with family..jellied cranberry sauce right from the can! I love, love, love it but I only eat it on thanksgiving and very often right along side the FRESH cranberry sauce that I make!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

Michael: When I first started working in the kitchen when I was 15, I was helping make the big Thanksgiving buffet and they made me dress up like a pilgrm. I don't know if it's my favorite, but it's one that stands out...maybe it's more of a traumatizing experience.

Bryan: The last time in 2001 or 2002, it was the last time Michael, Staci (their sister) and I were with our mother for Thanksgiving. We're normally never in the same state, or kitchen.

Stephen: Cooking with my grandmother for the first time on Thanksgiving Day

Stephanie Izard: my best memory was at my aunt nancy's house. my sister decided to make a baked brie which she poured liquor over before placing in the oven to bake...bad idea. when she opened up the oven to take a peak, a huge flame burst out and singed quite a bit of her curly hair. priceless moment. i could not stop laughing, the nice sister that i am.

Stefan Richter: I got laid for the first time on Thanksgiving.

Nikki Cascone: I have a very large family so the best memories I have are the ones where the most of us make it under one roof!

Bonus Wine Tip from Stephen: When selecting a wine for Thanksgiving, go American with the wine we can call our own, California Zinfandel. If your looking for a killer Zin at a reasonable price point, check out Ravenswood, Seghesio or Renwood.