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MANILA, Philippines - Who is this James Beard award-winning chef who has revitalized palates in the US heartland with his restaurants Lola and Lolita in Cleveland, Ohio?
He was born on Sept. 19, 1969 in Cleveland, Ohio. Of Greek, Italian, and Eastern European ancestry, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1990.
He returned to his hometown, and worked in the Cleveland restaurant scene, working in a series of restaurants like Players, Piccolo Mondo, and Caxton Cafe.
In February 1997, he and his then fiancee (now wife) Liz opened Lola in Cleveland’s trendy Tremont neighborhood. At that time, the neighborhood was just beginning to be rediscovered, and develop into the “to go” neighborhood it has become.
Growing up in a Greek and Sicilian family, he created boldly flavored, deeply satisfying dishes in his restaurant, which opened to glowing reviews.
To complement his menu, Liz brought an unpretentious elegance to both the design of the restaurant and the unique wine selection from lesser known boutique vineyards that made Lola’s Cleveland destination of the year.
He brought his meat centric cooking to Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac in 2008. Another restaurant, B Spot, showcases his passion for burgers, bratwurst, and beer.
It is said that he cooks with soul, and has earned much attention through the years with his thoughtful style of cooking and his attention to detail.
He published his first cookbook Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen in 2009, sharing home cook-friendly recipes that draw on the flavors of his heritage.
He also shares his approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers on television. He made his debut in 1998 with appearances on Sarah’s Secrets with Sarah Moulton, Ready, Set, Cook, and Food Nation with Bobby Flay, before being tapped to host more than 100 episodes of The Melting Pot.
In 2010, he appeared on four Food Network/Cooking Channel shows: hosting Food Feuds and Cook Like an Iron Chef, judging season three of the next Iron Chef and competing on Iron Chef America.
He has won numerous awards, including the James Beard Foundation Award in the Best Chef Great Lakes category in 2009.
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Last week’s question: Who is the American designer who pioneered the use of modern materials, molding processes, and mechanisms leading to cutting-edge products like his Modular Seating and Aeron chair designs?
Answer: Don Chadwick
Winner: Rodolfo Palo of Makati City
