Notable ACA Alumni

Mike Stollenwerk

https://twofishbyob.com/

Career Highlights:

Chef/Partner of The Little Hen, Haddonfield, NJ

Chef/Partner of Two Fish, Haddonfield, NJ

Owner of Bella Vista's Little Fish in Philadelphia

Owner of Fish-- in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square

Recognition:

• Named “One of Philly’s most visible seafood chefs” by Philadelphia Magazine
• Two Fish named New Jersey Monthly’s Top 30 Best Restaurants 2018
• Bella Vista’s Little Fish named Third Best Restaurant in the County by Bon Appetit.
• His dish of famous Japanese Sea Bass was named one of the top 10 Best Dishes in the city by Philadelphia Magazine.

Terence Feury

Forty 1 North

Career Highlights:

Executive Chef at Forty 1 North in Newport, RI

Chef/Owner at Tavro 13 in Swedesboro, NJ

Executive Chef at Fork in Philadelphia

Chef at Le Bernardin -- four-star rated restaurant by the New York Times.

Chef at Philadelphia's Striped Bass.

Executive Chef, Fahrenheit at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.

Recognition:

• “Bet Chef in 2010” by Philadelphia Magazine
• 2004 Star Chefs Award for Rising Star Chef
• 2002 finalist for "Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region" in the James Beard Foundation's award program. Listed as a "Rising Star Chef" in 2000 by Restaurant Hospitality magazine.
• Dubbed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "one of the city's finest chefs."

“Work for the best chef you can, whether the hours or days of the week are convenient for you or not. Make sacrifices if you need to, to work for the best.”

Fun Fact:

Brother of other ACA graduate, Chef Patrick Feury.

Bill McCarrick

https://www.ciachef.edu/william-mccarrick/

Career Highlights:

Assistant Professor of Baking and Pastry Arts at the Culinary Institute of America

Executive Pastry Chef at Harrod’s of London

Chocolatier, Sir Hans Sloane Chocolate and Champagne House, London

Special training:

Evald Notter Sugar School, Zurich, Switzerland

Valhrona Chocolate School, Lyon, France

Recognition:

• Kempinski President of Jury, Dessert of the Year
• Kempinski Dessert of the Year, First Place
• 3-Star “Gold,” Great Taste Awards (Chocolate Truffle, Praline, Drinking Chocolate
• U.S. and U.K. patents, Multi-layered Flavored Cake Concept
• Shared the stage with Jamie Oliver, alias "the Naked Chef," and Gordon Ramsey, a world-renowned U.K. restaurateur, at the BBC's Festive Good Food Show in 2004.
• Featured "live" on UKTV's Great Food Live and Good Food Bites.

“I found that I enjoy cooking so much, it never feels like work. Also, I love to put smiles on people's faces.”

Patrick Feury

http://tastenectar.com/team

Career Highlights:

Executive Chef/Partner of Nectar in Philadelphia

Executive Chef at Suilan at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

Chef at Waldorf Astoria in New York

Sous-Chef at Le Cirque in New York

Les Olivades in Paris

Recognition:

• The Philadelphia Inquirer, judged Nectar "one of the year's best."
• “Highest Distinction" rating from the Philadelphia Inquirer as executive chef at Susanna Foo.
• Cooked for Paul Bocuse, one of the founders of "nouvelle cuisine"
• Prepared a small gala for Julia Child

"Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."

Fun Fact:

Brother of other ACA graduate, Chef Terence Feury.

Deb Pellegrino

Career Highlights:

Owner of MADE Chocolate in Atlantic City with her husband Mark

Crew Chef of Luxury Yacht, visiting the Tahitian islands and the Galapagos to the U.S. West Coast, Bermuda and the Caribbean to Scotland, Norway (Scandinavia), Russia and more.

Executive Pastry Chef, Harrah's/Showboat

Recognition:

• Cooked for politicians and celebrities including President Bill Clinton, Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, Tony Bennett and Don Rickles.
• Winner of the 2011 Food Network challenge of “Chocolate Myths”

“Take your career seriously. Be organized and act professional.”

Michael Schlow

https://www.michaelschlow.com/

Career Highlights:

Chef/Owner of Adachi in Birmingham, Michigan

Chef/Owner of Alta Strada in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia and Washington D.C.

Chef/Owner of Casolare in Washington, D.C.

Chef/Owner of Cavatina in West Hollywood, California

Chef/Owner of Nama in Washington, D.C.

Chef/Owner of Tico in Boston and Washington, D.C.

Chef/Owner of The Riggsby in Washington, D.C.

Author of “It’s About Time: Great Recipes for Everyday Life”

Recognition:

• Won the James Beard Award of Excellence as "Best Chef in the Northeast."
• Named “Best Chef in the Country” by Sante
• Named “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine Magazine
• Received the “Culinary Award of Excellence” by Robert Mondavi
• Boston Magazine named him among the "100 Most Influential People in Boston."
• Featured on NBC's "Today Show", CBS' "The Early Show", Guest chef on "Simply Ming," the public television series featuring world-renowned Ming Tsai and Guest chef for a cooking segment of public television's "Victory Garden" series
• Cooked on a regular basis for Julia Child

“Don't be in a rush. Great chefs are patient, meticulous, committed, understanding and intense. If you want to be one, then you need to realize that it takes time -- real time -- to perfect your craft.”

Brad Wise

https://www.trustrestaurantsd.com/

Career Highlights:

Chef/Owner of the acclaimed TRUST Restaurant in San Diego

Executive Chef of The Padre Hotel in San Diego, a three-level kitchen that serviced five dining outlets

JRDN in Pacific Beach's Tower 23 Hotel

Executive chef of Belmont Park's Cannonball & Draft.

“Be humble; learn from not only your teachers, but your peers. Respect for one another will get you very far in your career and life.”

Marvin Woods

https://chefmarvinwoods.com/

Career Highlights:

Owner of MAD Flavor a food and hospitality consulting business

Author, "The New Low-Country" and "Home Plate Cooking"

Emmy Award-nominated television host of “Home Plate”

Guest chef at the James Beard House

Judge for the “Southern Living” Cook Off

Celebrity Chef at the Pillsbury Bake Off, Miami Wine & Food Festival and Charlotte Shout.

Has been featured on NBC's Today Show and on CBS, FOX, CNN, Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Discovery Channel; in magazines including O: The Oprah Magazine, Southern Living, Food & Wine.

Recognition:

• Nominated for an Emmy Award for his television hosting of “Home Plate” on Turner South Broadcasting
• Created the national wellness program, Droppin' Knowledge with Chef Marvin Woods
• Selected as the first chef for Michelle Obama's Let's Move! cooking series
• 2011 Atlantic Cape Community College Restaurant Gala honoree.

“Travel often, eat and explore.”