Message from the President
Congratulations to everyone who helped make the First Alumni Forum, hosted by the NECI Alumni Association, such a great success! The Alumni Association has begun to make its mark over the past six months. Members have focused their energies on two activities, the first Alumni Forum held in Boston and the Alumni Ambassador Program. Under the leadership of Orrick Nepomuceno, Association President and Karen Nevin, Director of Alumni Relations, the group has re-energized and is beginning to see the fruits of its labors.
The idea for the Alumni Forum came from a conversation Karen had with Orrick last fall. Orrick's vision was to hold a NECI "conference" the day before the Boston tradeshow to provide professional development as well as social networking opportunities to the alumni. Karen's survey of the New England alumni in January gave her enough information to know that you all were interested in seeing such an event happen. The success of the Alumni Forum is directly attributable to all of you who were willing to volunteer your time and talents to share expertise, ideas, products and friendship. NECI alumni drove from all over New England to attend the Alumni Forum - Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and of course Massachusetts. What a good start.
Another success has been the Alumni Ambassador Program. Alumni have always been willing to speak with students, answer their questions, and help promote NECI. The Ambassador Program takes it one step further by introducing current students on internship to alumni who provide encouragement and insight about their NECI education. The purpose is two-fold: to encourage students to complete their studies at NECI and graduate, and to introduce students to the Alumni Association and encourage them to consider getting involved after graduation. Alumni from all across the country are reaching out to students and making a difference.
These two programs are just the beginning for NECI's Alumni Association. They will continue to make an impact for students and alumni alike. I look forward to watching the organization continue to grow and develop in the years ahead.
Please accept my sincerest thank you to all of you who helped to make the event a success.
All the best,
Fran
Letter from your Alumni Association President
Dear Fellow Alumni,
Last month in Boston, the Alumni Association hosted our first Alumni Forum at Boston College. Michael Kann was our gracious host at the Faculty Dining Room at Boston College. Alumni and current NECI students enjoyed the keynote speaker, Larry Carbonetti, who presented "Vow to Wow-Excellence in Customer Service." In addition, we wished Chef Michel happy birthday and brought out a scrumptious chocolate birthday cake baked by Michael Rhoads. Bryan Brisebois also created beautiful fruit carvings to adorn the serving platters. Visit the NECI Alumni page on Facebook to see the pictures (Note: You must be a member of the group to view the page. Join the NECI Alumni Facebook group, click HERE.
This gathering solidified my belief that there is a great need and desire by our alumni community to congregate and gather in more events such as the one in Boston last month. And much of the success of the event was due to the gracious volunteerism of alumni in the Greater Boston area.
As we look to future alumni events, we continue to look for those individuals who want to get involved in the Alumni Association. The long range goal for the Board is to eventually bring this type of event across the country so that other alumni can benefit from the networking and camaraderie of other fellow alumni.
If you are interested in bringing an event like this to your area or if you have a desire to help with the Alumni Association, please contact me at 919-845-0805 or orrick-at-dickwray.com.
Regards,
Orrick
Orrick Nepomuceno, CPC
Essex 1996
A Chef's Life In the Army
Rob Capazzi (Essex Culinary 2000) didn't start out planning to be a chef. He was at loose ends, working at a conference center in upstate New York. He had questions. "Where is my life going?" "What am I going to do?" He liked working as a cook, but didn't see that as the end. So he decided to check out culinary schools. CIA and the French Culinary Institute were on his list. But living in NYC was out of the question and something about CIA didn't click. He came over to Vermont to visit NECI and liked what he saw. So in 1999 he arrived at the Montpelier campus to learn what it meant to be a chef.
NECI really worked for him. The classes were small and the dorms made it feel like college. Rob found his first internship through the recruiting fair sponsored by Career Services. Before he knew it, he was out West at Deer Valley Resorts in Utah working as a baker.
As the saying goes "Go west young man." Rob did and fell in love. Everything out west was huge! He remembers driving into Denver, a big city dwarfed by the mountains. It didn't take long for Rob to return on his second internship at Beaver Creek in Colorado.
Once his internship was completed, Rob moved on to the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Rob started out working in pastries, then after three years he transferred to the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. Not wanting to pigeonhole himself he asked to be transferred to the line. Soon he was hard at work cooking for the good folks in Austin.
Living in Austin was fun. His roommate flew Apache helicopters for the Army and talked all the time about the variety of work available for someone in the Army. Rob kept listening to the stories and started to ask questions. Everyone told him what a good experience it was. One day Rob heard about the military culinary teams. Culinary competitions in the Army? Wow! Now that was something he could sink his teeth into. It wasn't long before Rob found himself at the recruiter's office asking lots of questions about cooking and the Army.
Rob kept his new found interest in the Army to himself while he researched his options. He let his roommate know and told his boss at the Four Seasons Hotel, who were both supportive. Rob finally told his mother he'd joined the Army while he was in basic training...his mother panicked and thought he'd lost his mind. For of course, this is the Army and he wasn't going to be able to get out of doing the military stuff. While at basic training, Rob asked about the culinary teams. The answer he was given: wait until you get to your unit.
The Army requires every recruit to go through basic training and then Advanced Individual Training (AIT). During AIT, Rob was sent to Army cooking school to receive training to be a cook! Rob thought it was pretty funny to be training to be a cook after having graduated from NECI. But he did what he was told, and continued to ask about the culinary teams!
Rob was finally assigned to his first unit ALPHA 1/44 32nd BDE Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. He immediately went to his Sergeant and asked the question he had been asking since the day he joined - could he, please, join the Ft. Bliss Culinary Team. Rob learned it was too late. The team has been put together and was already training at the base's culinary building. Rob continued to be persistent and went to meet the group who made up his unit's team. That first meeting didn't go well. They didn't really like the idea of this interloper coming in after they had begun to train. But Rob told them about his experience and they grudgingly let him take the written test. His results were superior to anyone else who had taken the test and after a cooking trial, the team accepted him.
Rob had learned his first lesson of the military. You must be persistent to get what you want. He remembers well advice he was given, "take advantage of the military or the military will take advantage of you."
While on the Ft. Bliss Culinary Team he practiced and competed in his first culinary competition in Ft. Lee, Virginia. The competitions are held annually in March. He had no idea what to expect. Rob arrived with a swagger thinking his cooking experience at NECI would give him a leg up - and then he saw the blown sugar pieces that were created by the Navy. The men and women who cook for the military and compete are the real thing. They are artists and professionals preparing some of the best culinary food in the world. The military competition is judged by the ACF and awards are ACF medals. This makes the competition as legitimate as any. Rob was quickly humbled by what he saw and realized that he had an opportunity to learn from his competitors. The Ft. Bliss team won first place that year and Rob won three Gold and two Silver ACF medals, best in show for his six plated desserts and was named 2007 Junior Chef of the Year for the Army! One of his favorite aspects of the competition is how collegial instead of competitive the teams are. That first year, Rob learned to blow sugar from the guys at the Navy. Since then he makes a point of meeting the different teams and learning something new.
The military has opened many doors for Rob. His unit was deployed to Korea and he spent a year soaking up the culture. Koreans are kind and friendly people. Rob never truly knew what he was eating, but he loved going to their restaurants, taking off his shoes and sitting on the floor to experience a Korean meal. It was always delicious. Korea looks a lot like Vermont and upstate New York with lots of trees, rolling hills and beautiful lakes. One thing Rob noticed is that everyone learns how to farm on their own land. The Koreans grow everything they can and are very good at it.
But with the Army, you go where they send you (where you are needed). Rob's unit was being sent to Fort Hood, Texas, where they had no culinary team. Rob spoke with his boss about starting a team, but it was too late to start a full Ft. Hood Culinary Team. Never deterred, he asked his Sergeant Major if they would send him to compete by himself. Rob made sure the Sergeant Major knew what he could do - he showed pictures of his work and the medals he had won. When they agreed to send him, Rob asked to bring his Sergeant along as an assistant.
They were the only team of two and only competitors from Fort Hood. Word got around about the hot shot cook from Fort Hood. People came to see Rob's work and check them out. It wasn't long before the Commanding 3-Star General of Ft. Hood had heard about him and asked to meet. Rob wasn't sure what the meeting was about. When Rob arrived the General asked him to sit down with him and his wife. The General wanted to know if Rob would be interested in becoming his "Enlisted Aide", specifically to be his personal chef. The enlisted aide does everything for the General - cleans, prepares his uniforms and runs the kitchen. The General expected to entertain about three times a week and wanted Rob to prepare restaurant quality meals.
This was completely different from being a cook in the Army. There are only a few enlisted aides. For Rob, this would mean that he would answer to the General and no one else. Rob had been planning on finishing his time in the Army in December 2009. This offer would require him to reenlist for another two years. But it was a huge opportunity. He'd learn menu planning and table settings, how to work with local vendors, learn to make drinks and all about wine.
Life as an enlisted aide has many benefits. The work is similar to a "regular job" with regular hours. Rob would no longer be required to participate in physical training nor would he be sent to the field or deploy unless the General went and the General would never leave his cook behind. His daily uniform would be khakis and a polo shirt instead of the Army uniform. And depending upon the General's schedule Rob would be able to take advantage of culinary classes while the he was away.
So many decisions, so many things to think about. Rob has a long distance girlfriend, Amy, who is waiting for him to finish. He has been dreaming about getting married and opening a little café in Austin. But with the recession still looming and the prospect of starting that little café looking hard to accomplish, at the end of March, Rob accepted the General's offer.
Rob thinks joining the Army has been a good decision for him. If it hadn't been for the Army he would never have traveled to Korea. He would never have considered competing in culinary competitions. He would never have met his girlfriend, Amy. He would never have worked and trained with the United States Culinary Arts Team. Three years later Rob has competed three times and won numerous medals. Rob loves what he is doing and is very excited about his next adventure as an enlisted aide. Who knew there were so many opportunities for a cook in the Army? Rob's only advice is that you must know what you want and keep asking for it. It's his continued persistence when he joined that led him to where he is now.
If you'd like to follow Rob on his new adventure, check out his blog soufflecafe.blogspot.com.
Boston and NECI Alumni - What a combination!
by Karen Nevin, Director of Alumni Relations
Chef Michel's and my trip to Boston was fantastic. We saw so many people, ate fabulous food, and had a great time. It's amazing what was accomplished. At the Boston Food Show there were gangs of alumni who dropped by and who worked the booth. See the Alumni Sightings below for a complete list of who came by. I would like, however, to specifically thank the folks who helped us out at the booth: Marisa Badalementi Anand, Ryan Dillon, Michael Russell, Andrew Thorne, Megan Walsh, Allyson Pereira, Gregg Primo.
Of course our trip culminated with the first Alumni Forum and Reception on Monday, March 23rd. We had a great time getting together at Boston College. Chef Michel, surrounded by well-wishers, was completely surprised when we broke out singing "Happy Birthday!"
A particular treat for me was the opportunity to meet Orrick Nepomuceno and Hunter Satterwhite, the President and Vice President of the Alumni Association. Orrick flew in from North Carolina and Hunter arrived from Los Angeles. After seven months of phone conversations the three of us have finally met, and I must say, the Association is in good hands!
Introducing Flat Chef Michel
If you (or your kids) are familiar with Flat Stanley, then you'll recognize Flat Chef Michel. A photo of Chef Michel LeBorgne has been mounted on a folded board and tucked into a very comfortable traveling suite (envelope). He's been addressed to a NECI Alumnus or Alumna.
If you're the lucky recipient, we invite you to take a photo of Flat Chef Michel at the local scene. He could be at a landmark, in your working kitchen, anywhere! Use your imagination, and show Flat Chef Michel a good time.
Photos will be posted at the Flat Chef Michel Blog (link found at www.necialumni.com) using the instructions on the back of Flat Chef Michel. The goal is to hear from Alumni all across the world and have fun while we do it! Then he will be sent on to the next lucky alumnus. You can send him to an old friend from NECI, a colleague who is a NECI grad, or, if you are stuck, call Karen Nevin. She'll keep a list of alumni who want to show Flat Chef Michel a good time! We just ask that you pay his travel expenses (postage)!
If you are interested in hosting Flat Chef Michel, let Karen know. And of course, be sure to return to check out his blog to see who Flat Chef Michel has been visiting!
NECI Alumni Invited to Participate in French Cultural Exchange
This summer will mark the first of what is hoped to be an annual cultural exchange between France and the United States. Fortuitously, this first year, Vermont has been selected to participate, and will be partnered on the French side with the Burgundy region. As one of the organizers has stated, "The landscape and agriculture of Vermont greatly resemble that of the Burgundy region." This exciting concept was initiated by the Association Tandem 4-14, a non-profit association located in the Burgundy city of Dijon.
The aim of the association is to promote cultural exchanges between France and the United States in the areas of music, the arts and gastronomy - universal languages which can be shared by everyone. The association has planned a full and exciting agenda of activities, timed to coincide with the independence days of the two countries, our 4th of July, and France's Bastille Day, July 14.
This first year the 10-day holiday will be held in Dijon. All the events will be cultural and instructional in nature. The goal is to bring the two peoples, French and American, to a better understanding of each other through sharing the two most enjoyable aspects of any society: Food and Music! Musicians and Chefs of the two countries will play music together and cook together.
There will be ten French chefs and five American chefs at the festival. We are thrilled that the organizers chose to partner with NECI for this exchange. Two of our chefs and three of our alumni will participate in the inaugural 4-14 cultural exchange! Executive Chef Peter Pryor of The Essex and Chef-Instructor Michael Gunyan (also an alumnus, 2001 Essex Culinary) are two of the talented chefs who will be representing NECI, and cooking up a storm. We are sure their cooking will truly impress the French, demonstrating that this small state has a very proud gastronomic heritage. As Chef Pryor put it in a recent interview, "We are sure that Vermont products, especially our cheeses, will really impress the French chefs and consumers. The French people are rightfully very proud of their country's many fine cheeses, but we are convinced that cheeses from Vermont can rival those of Burgundy."
Working side-by-side with Chef Gunyan and Chef Pryor will be the three lucky NECI alumni from Vermont who were selected to participate. Amy (Walter) Chamberlain (1991 Montpelier Culinary) is the owner of The Perfect Wife in Manchester. The other two lucky alums are a married couple: Kirk Fiore (2000 Essex Culinary), and his wife, Katie (McGinnis) Fiore (2002 Essex Culinary) are the owners of Sugarsnaps in Burlington. These three restaurateurs are very pleased at the opportunity to experience both French cuisine and French folk music at the source. "This promises to be a really valuable experience for Katie and me," said Kirk.
Chef Pryor noted another similarity between Vermont and Burgundy: sustainability. Both regions place considerable emphasis on farming in a sustainable and responsible manner. For instance, Burgundy was one of the pioneering regions for organic viticulture, and although Vermont's emerging wine industry is much younger (by about 2,000 years!) than Burgundy's, already our vintners are working hard to assure that their vineyard practices have minimal impact on the environment.
The culmination of this exciting celebration will occur during the weekend of July 10-July 14 and promises to be a unique experience. The Inaugural Dinner will take place not in a large public dining area, but rather in ten homes in the greater Dijon area. The chefs from NECI will cook their American regional specialties for 12 to 15 guests in each of the homes in Grand Dijon. This highly publicized event will give our NECI representatives a chance to show off their culinary skills preparing dishes using Vermont ingredients where possible, and certainly reflecting this state's proud heritage.
NECI Welcomes Two New Enrollment Specialists
Steve Barnett from the Albany, New York area and Brandon Ames from just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have joined NECI as Outside Enrollment Managers. Steve and Brandon each have territory that has not normally been managed by NECI's Admissions office. Steve is covering New York and New Jersey. Brandon is covering Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Michigan.
Their goal is to promote NECI at local high schools, vocational tech centers and community colleges and to recruit traditional students. They will be attending ProStart and SkillsUSA events and local career fairs. And most importantly, they will be sitting down with individual students and their parents to discuss how a NECI education will make a difference. Steve and Brandon know that NECI is highly regarded within the industry, so their emphasis will be developing relationships with the
culinary arts instructors and introduce the students to NECI. Both Brandon and Steve have experience working for culinary schools, but consider NECI to be the best.
A particular goal for Steve and Brandon is to connect with alumni while they are on the road. Don't be surprised if they drop by your establishment to say hello, eat at your restaurant, or give you a call and introduce you to a prospective student. They know how important the Alumni are to selling the school, and often, it's your connections with students that make the difference.
Do you know someone who might benefit from a personal call from Steve or Brandon? Would you like to talk to either of them about a particular school in your area that would benefit from a visit? You can reach Steve at steve.barnett-at-neci.edu and Brandon at brandon.ames-at-neci.edu.
Stay tuned as two more Outside Enrollment Managers start this summer. I'll introduce them and their regions of responsibility once they have arrived. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming Steve and Brandon!
Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge
NECI is proud to sponsor the first NECI Alumni Team for the Vermont Corporate Cup Challenge! Peter Bresnahan (2004 Montpelier Culinary) wants to run and needs two more teammates to complete the NECI Alumni team. NECI sponsors over 20 teams each year and we have a great time!
Details: 5K Walking and Running Event
Date: May 21, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Montpelier, Vermont
For more information check out their website.
If you are interested in competing on the NECI Alumni Team, contact Karen Nevin (Karen.nevin-at-neci.edu). The deadline to enter is April 27th, so sign up soon!
Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance – Industry Engagement Survey
If you are interested, please take 8 minutes to complete a confidential survey of your employment experience in the foodservice and hospitality industry. This is a survey conducted by MFHA, a non-profit organization that supports our industry. Your input will help identify opportunities to create a more attractive and engaging employment experience. Your responses will remain completely confidential and will only be reported as data for the entire industry.
MFHA Industry Survey
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By David Hale, Director of Career Services
Madidi Restaurant Manager
Restaurant management position available for Madidi Restaurant.
This position is in Clarksdale, Mississippi, home of the blues and the famous crossroads. Job duties include supervision of all bar and service staff, daily reconciliation of POS systems, wine and cocktail menu development, and promotion/sales of special events.
Madidi is a fine dining restaurant in the heart of the Mississippi Delta owned by a celebrated actor and a local attorney/businessman. Madidi is a great opportunity for a motivated/proactive front of house manager to make a name for themself. Madidi receives national press regularly, and has been featured in New York Magazine, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Boston Common, and many more. This little town may be small but it has a lot to offer. The cost of living is very reasonable and the starting salary is competitive and includes full medical benefits. We have an interesting menu which changes seasonally and is locally driven with the intention of presenting southern food in a progressive fashion. Check out the Website
If interested please contact chef Jason Jones, NECI Graduate 2001. 831-917-7255, NOTE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER Jason-at-madidires.com.
NECI Alumni are everywhere! Where have we bumped into each other?
March 23rd Alumni Forum at Boston College: Jason Bathgate, Brian Brisebois, Adam Burnham, Paul Caulfield, John Connelly, Charles deVarennes, Jonathan Donoghue, Autumn Hathaway Kann, Michael Kann, Matt Meninger, Orrick Nepomuceno, Lynette Ng, David Pazmino, Michael Rhoads, Hunter Satterwhite, Drew Skalaban, Dan Spengler, Andrew Thorne, Eddy Travis, Danielle Troiano Sprague, Megan Walsh.
At the Boston Foodshow: Marisa Badalementi Anand, Brian Callendar, Ryan Dillon, Peter Farrington, Ruth Feldman, Jeff Green, Kirk Holmes, Andrew LaHaye, John LaMarque, Ethan Paige, Mary Piepmeier, Julius Pontes, Tim Ridge, Michael Russell, Jeff Trujillo, Nikki Tzeciak (along with many who came to the Forum)
Chef Michel and Karen Nevin had dinner at Sel de la Terre where Rebekah Angoff works as the Sous Chef. The meal was fabulous and it was great fun to visit with Rebekah!
NECI crossed paths with six alumni at the Burlington Vermont Food Show on April 6th: Kristin Winrock, Jeff Bratz, Clay Forgan, Ross Jones, Laura LaPointe, Brian Wellnitz.
It was good to see everyone!
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There is a lot going on for so many of you, thanks for sending me your updates! To keep me posted, send me an email at karen.nevin-at-neci.edu and tell me what's going on. I love to hear from you and promise your news will be included in the next newsletter! Don't forget to send photos!
2008
Paulette De La Rosa (Montpelier Baking & Pastry) emailed to let us know what's been going on. She has recently been accepted to the NASFTA and will be participating in the Fancy Food Show in New York this summer. She has also been in contact with an organization called Angel Service Dogs and she will be going with them to meet with Disney executives because they want to introduce products that are peanut and tree nut-free. Paulette let us know that her company is growing as we speak and she has hired a marketing firm and a sales marketing rep to help her with her accounts. She is excited about all that is happening. So are we!
Charlie Gruss (Essex Culinary) spoke with 5 culinary classes (about 150 students) at Perham High School in Perham, MN. He is now off to New York City to work for Chef Gavin Kaysen at Café Boulud.
Barbara Hildenbrand (Montpelier Baking & Pastry, BA HRM) let us know she loves to read what is going on with all the alumni. She's having a great time working at Fore Street Restaurant in Portland, Maine with a couple of other NECI grads: Charles Smith (2002 Essex Culinary) and Brant Dadaleares (1998 Montpelier Culinary). Barbara has also started her own specialty cake business called Sugar N' Spice.
Molly Loveday (Montpelier Culinary) wrote to say she was extremely disappointed that she didn't make it to the Alumni Forum in Boston. Molly is now the chef at Stir, Barbara Lynch's demonstration kitchen/cookbook library.
2007
Ari Slatkin (Montpelier Culinary, 2008 BA HRM) let us know that the book he co-authored with Chef Robert Danhi, entitled "Southeast Asian Flavors" has been nominated as a finalist for the 2009 James Beard Cook award in the International category. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 4th. Good luck Ari!
2006
Alejandro Velez (Essex Culinary) has been in touch with Chef Louise here at NECI. Alejandro is opening his new restaurant, Archipelago Bar & Restaurant in Puerto Rico in May.
2005
Hugh Amano (Montpelier Culinary) has found himself without a job. Instead of grousing he has begun a blog, FoodOnTheDole/blogspot.com. His blogging has been noticed by the Chicago Sun Times and they posed him a question: "Is it possible to have a dinner party for six guests and spend no more than $18 total?" You can read Hugh's answer to that question HERE.
Ben Clay (Essex Culinary), Executive Chef of Les Bourgeois Winery & Bistro in Columbia, Missouri was profiled recently in the Columbia Tribune. Ben is making a name for himself as one of mid-Missouri's notable chefs. To read the profile, click HERE
Matthew Meninger (Essex HRM) let us know that he is now the Assistant Banquets Manager at the Hyatt Regency Boston. Matt also came to the Alumni Forum in Boston. Congratulations Matt!
2003
Jason McCammon (Essex Culinary) dropped us a note to say that he is a Culinary Arts Instructor at Sabin Schellenberg Pro Tech Center in Milwaukee, Oregon. The Culinary Arts program has 600 kids enrolled in the four year program and Jason is making sure that they have all heard about NECI!
Scott Opdyke (Montpelier Culinary) has started a private/personal chef business. You can check out his website at www.chefscott.vpweb.com.
2002
Andrew Crumrine (Essex Culinary) is representing NECI at a career fair at Lakeside High School in Augusta, Georgia. Thanks for sharing the good work of NECI to the next generation!
2001
Duncan Firth (Essex Culinary) was sighted at the California Family Winemakers event in San Diego. Duncan is the Executive Chef at the Barongo Casino in southern California.
Peggy Grote (Montpelier Culinary) dropped us a quick note to say Hi. She's still working as a personal chef here in Vermont.
Robert Hamilton (Essex Culinary) wrote to say he's doing great out in Iowa. He's the Chef de Cuisine/Restaurant Manager of Farradday's Steakhouse a fine dining establishment at a casino. He's been doing TV spots at a local news station along with other area events and fundraisers. He's been married for three years and has two wonderful kids, Ashley, age 5 and Andrew, age 2.
2000
Gregory Cody (Essex Culinary) sent us a student referral for the Next Generation Scholarship. Gregory runs his own catering company, Brimont Catering Corporation in Webster, NY.
Joseph Gabriel (Essex Culinary) is the Pastry Chef at the Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster, New Jersey. Joseph started professionally cooking at Charlie Palmer's Aureole when he was sixteen, where he would dip chocolates on the weekends, and learned the ropes of the industry. Since graduating from NECI, Joseph has worked his way through such kitchens as Aureole Las Vegas & NY, Michael Mina's Aqua in San Francisco, Petrossian Paris in NYC with Pastry Chef Philippe Conticini and Pastry Chef Chris Broberg, Lenox in NYC, his own Gabriel's Dessert Boutique, and N9NE Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Ocino in New Jersey.
Barry Maiden (Montpelier Culinary) has been named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs for 2009! Barry is the Executive Chef and Owner of Hungry Mother in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Stay tuned for a complete profile on Barry in an upcoming newsletter. Congratulations, Barry!
Rachael Harriman (Essex Culinary) recently wrote to Chef Michel. She is working with Eric Ziebold in Washington DC as his sous chef at Café MoZU. Café MoZU is closing and to reopen as South by Southwest. Rachel has been tapped to be the Chef de Cuisine of the newly rebranded restaurant when it opens this summer.
Jesse McAlarney (Montpelier Culinary) let us know that he was just honored as the Associate of the Year for the Westin St. John. He's enjoying time on the islands and comments that he never knows what's coming next - particularly when there are five weddings scheduled in a single day!
1999
Aaron Millon (Essex) is looking at a whole new business model for his restaurant, Restaurant Phoebe, in downtown Montpelier. Trying to keep his business open, Aaron put out a call in February asking the local community and his guests for help. Ideas have coalesced and Aaron is seriously considering becoming the first non-profit restaurant in the nation. To read more about his ideas read the recent article profiling him and his restaurant HERE.
Kevin Sassano (Montpelier HRM) found Chef Michel on Facebook. He let us know that he has just accepted a position near Aruba. Before that he worked with Jordan Mackey (2002 Essex Culinary) in Miami and then worked as the Food and Beverage Manager on The World, a private 150 condo residential community on a ship that traveled to ports in Asia, South Pacific and South America.
1998
Michelle Wedemeyer Guebert (Montpelier Culinary) just got married! She sent us a long email to catch up:
"In a nutshell, here we go: graduated NECI, moved to Boston for a few years, worked at Clio, The Harvest, then Harvard University, where I also attended business night classes. Moved to Orlando to help out Roland Czekeius with some things, worked at Bahama and also did catering for local celebrities, and a bit at Planet Hollywood. Moved back home to Illinois and got out of the kitchen! I used my culinary background to aid me in working with Sysco St. Louis, as a marketing associate for nearly six years, then I became a foodservice broker for a little over two years and NOW am working for an international company (deBoer Food), based in Orlando, Florida and again working with Sysco. I am a regional Sysco Sales Specialist, dealing with about 170+ Sysco OPCO's and work different market places weekly. Two weeks ago I was in New Orleans, then Seattle, Spokane and now Dallas.
I got married last September, and things are great. I love the travel and working for deBoer Food. We are one of the largest importers of our kind; importing danish, croissants, cream puffs, eclairs and Dobla chocolates from Europe. (They are wonderful!) I still miss Vermont and all of the great people I know there."
1997
Alton Brown (Montpelier Culinary) shared his fresh kitchen ideas in the March issue of Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine. Check out his advice HERE.
Annmarie Weiss (Montpelier Culinary) wrote to let us know what is going on. In 2004 she completed the diadatic requirements for entrance into a dietetic internship with which she gained both a second Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Hunter College as well as acceptance into the New York Presbyterian Hospital Clinical Dietetic Internship. Following the completion of the internship in 2005 she has been counseling clients both privately and in group settings. Annmarie says that the majority of her time has been spent raising her two daughters, Isabella Fay (3½ years) and Juliana Leona (3½ months). By far her greatest accomplishment as well as her greatest ever evolving challenge!
1995
Sharon Reitz-Helling (Essex Culinary) dropped us a note. She has been working in Kansas City, Missouri as a Pastry Chef for the Webster House Restaurant.
1993
Jill Hayes (Montpelier Culinary) sent us an email. She is currently working at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan as a Food Production Manager. She tells us that working with college students has been a true blessing... it keeps her young AND keeps her moving!
1992
Marcie Kaufman (Montpelier Culinary) has a restaurant consulting business called "Back-of-the-House Cost Controls." Marcie is completing a cook book which will be published in the coming months entitled "Season Appetite, A Chef's Celebration of Vermont's Seasons."
1991
Jerry Regester (Montpelier Culinary) is the Executive Chef at The Clement, a new Intercontinental Hotel property in Monterey, California.
1990
Paul Lynch (Essex Culinary) took Tiki Barber of NBC's Today Show ice fishing on the frozen lakes of Minnesota. Paul is the Executive Chef of FireLake Grill House Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. Paul took Tiki ice fishing for walleye and the segment concludes with Chef Paul preparing his specialty, Corn Crusted Walleye. To view the segment go HERE.
Ed Radetsky (Montpelier Culinary) gave us a call. He has just moved from Colorado to Castleton on Hudson, a little town just outside of Albany, NY. His wife is working at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Ed has chosen to be a stay-at-home dad to their 8 year old son, Edon and 6 year old daughter, Liat. He loves what he is doing and says that it is an experience that every dad should have.
1985
Tony Kramer (Montpelier Culinary) got in touch to say Hi. He's living in Massachusetts and checked out the alumni website to connect with old friends.
1983
Peter Greweling (Montpelier Culinary) has published a new book "Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner".
