Published October 9, 2023, 3:28 pm ET
Chef Michael Chiarello, seen here in Miami in 2015, is dead at 61. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
Michael Chiarello, a well-known chef best known for his appearances on “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello” and “Top Chef,” has died. He was 61.
Chiarello’s company, Gruppo Chiarello, said in a statement sent to CNN that the restaurateur died Saturday in Napa. He was treated for an acute allergic reaction that resulted in anaphylactic shock, the company’s statement said.
“We deeply mourn the loss of our beloved patriarch Michael. His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity and unwavering commitment to family formed the core of his being. He brought people together through the joy of shared meals and created lasting memories around the table,” the Chiarello family said in a statement.
The statement continued: “As we process this difficult loss, we treasure the moments we enjoyed with him in his kitchen and in our hearts. His legacy will live on forever in the love he put into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to enjoy the flavors of life.”
The chef is known for hosting the Food Network series of the same name, “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello,” for ten seasons starting in 2003. The series won three Emmys between 2003 and 2006. (Food Network and CNN are both part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
Chiarello has appeared on a number of other cooking series, including “Top Chef,” “Top Chef Masters,” “The Next Iron Chef,” “Iron Chef America” and “Supermarket Superstar,” which first aired in 2013.
He has also appeared as a guest chef on “The Today Show,” “CBS Early Show,” “Regis & Kathy” and “The View.”
The California native graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY in 1982 and was named Chef of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine in 1985. Chiarello was also named Chef of the Year in 1995 by his alma mater.
He opened his first restaurant, Tra Vigne, in Napa Valley in 1986 and has since developed and opened over 10 restaurants in the Northern California region, including his popular eateries Bottega and Coqueta.
Chiarello has authored over eight cookbooks since 1995 and opened Chiarello Family Vineyards in the late 1990s.
“Pop culture fanatic. Introvert. Devoted food trailblazer. Bacon geek. Lifelong coffee evangelist.”