Carrie Nahabedian
| Carrie Nahabedian | |
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| Born |
July 22, 1958 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[1] |
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Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Modern European |
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Carrie Nahabedian (born July 22, 1958) is an American chef best known for her work at the one Michelin star restaurant NAHA in Chicago, Illinois. She has previously worked in a variety of restaurants, and while at NAHA, she won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2008.
Biography
Growing up she was influenced in her cooking by her mother, but also by celebrity chef Julia Child. She later described watching Child as "like watching an artist painting".[2] Nahabedian started her culinary career with a three-year apprenticeship at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. She then moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to become assistant chef to the garde manger at the Resorts Casino Hotel when it first opened.[3]
She moved back to Chicago to work at Le Perroquet before moving onto a variety of restaurants in Europe before returning to the United States where she became the first woman to work at Chicago's Le Francais. She went on to work at a number of other Illinois-based restaurants. In 1989, she became sous chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, going on to become executive chef, which was her first time at that level. She stayed within the Four Seasons Hotels chain, moving to the Four Seasons Hotel Biltmore.[3]
After eight years in California with the hotel chain, Nahabedian returned to Chicago to open her restaurant NAHA.[4] It would go on to win a Michelin star and continues to hold one as of the 2012 edition of the guide.[5]
Awards
In 2008, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for the Great Lakes region, which are described as the Oscars of the culinary world.[4] Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley named September 22, 2009 in honor of Nahabedian, the same day that she was inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museum's Chefs Hall of Fame.[3]
It was given four AAA Motor Club diamonds for the first time in 2012.[6] As of the 2012 edition of the Michelin Guide, she is one of only ten female chefs in the United States to hold a Michelin star.[7]
Personal life
Nahabedian is of Armenian descent, due to her Armenian grandmother Rose.[2]
References
- ↑ Walkup, Carrie (October 25, 1993). "Carrie Nahabedian: cooking from the heart". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- 1 2 Reiser, Lindsey (January 28, 2010). "Carrie Nahabedian: Behind The Dish". Today's Chicago Women. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- 1 2 3 "2009 Inductee Chef Carrie Nahabedian". Chicago Culinary Museum. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- 1 2 Brett, Victoria (June 18, 2008). "Top chefs of America". Associated Press. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ↑ Vettel, Phil; Pang, Kevin (November 15, 2011). "Alinea, Ria, Charlie Trotter's among Michelin-starred restaurants in 2012 Chicago guid". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ↑ Vettell, Phil (January 20, 2012). "Chicago ties NYC for most AAA Five-Diamond restaurants". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ↑ Wettenstein, Beverly (August 8, 2012). "Who Are the Best Female Chefs? 10 U.S. Women Earn Michelin Star". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 28, 2012.