Alex Guarnaschelli facts for kids

Alex Guarnaschelli (born June 20, 1969) is a famous American chef, author, and TV star. She is known for her amazing cooking skills and her many appearances on the Food Network. Alex is currently the head chef at Butter restaurant in New York City. She has also written a popular cookbook.

You might have seen Alex on TV shows like The Kitchen, Chopped (where she is a judge), and Iron Chef America. She also hosts her own shows, including Alex's Day Off and Supermarket Stakeout. In 2012, she won The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, earning the title of Iron Chef.

Early life

Alexandra Maria Guarnaschelli was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 20, 1969. Her family moved to New York City when she was just a baby. Her mother, Maria Guarnaschelli, was a cookbook editor. Alex learned a lot about cooking by watching her mom test many different recipes at home.

Alex went to Horace Mann School and graduated in 1987. She then studied art history at Barnard College, finishing in 1991.

Career

After college, Alex started her cooking career in 1991. She worked at a restaurant called An American Place for a year. She then trained under famous chefs like Larry Forgione. Alex also worked in many restaurants in France, New York, and Los Angeles. These included La Butte Chaillot by Guy Savoy and restaurants by Daniel Boulud and Joachim Splichal.

In 2003, Alex became the head chef at Butter Midtown in New York City. She was also the head chef at The Darby restaurant before it closed in 2013. She helps lead the Culinary Council for the Museum of Food and Drink. In 2022, Alex was honored as the godmother of the Discovery Princess cruise ship.

Television appearances

Alex Guarnaschelli is a very familiar face on the Food Network. She has been a competitor, a judge, and a host on many popular cooking shows.

She first appeared on Iron Chef America in 2007, competing against chef Cat Cora. Although she didn't win that battle, she later became a judge on the show. In 2011, she competed in The Next Iron Chef and placed third. She also competed in the Food Network Challenge. After her time on The Next Iron Chef, Alex worked as a sous chef (a chef who works under the head chef) for Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian.

In 2008, Alex started hosting her own show, The Cooking Loft with Alex Guarnaschelli. On this show, she taught students how to create new versions of classic dishes. She is a frequent judge on Chopped, Cooks Vs. Cons, and Guy's Grocery Games. She also appeared on The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

In October 2009, her show Alex's Day Off premiered. It ran for three seasons. Alex returned to The Next Iron Chef: Redemption for season 5 and won the competition! This made her an official Iron Chef. Her first challenge as an Iron Chef aired in December 2012.

Alex has also made guest appearances on other TV shows, including the Nickelodeon show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn and the ABC show The Real O'Neals. She has also appeared on Beat Bobby Flay, where she won a challenge with her special lobster dish. In the Showtime series Billions, she played herself. She was also a mentor on season 20 of Worst Cooks in America, leading the Blue Team to victory.

In 2022, her newest show, Alex vs. America, started on Food Network.

Personal life

Alex Guarnaschelli married Brandon Clark on April 29, 2007. They met in 2006 at a cooking school in New York, where Alex was teaching a class. Their daughter, Ava, was born in July 2007.

Alex and Brandon later separated. In June 2020, Alex announced that she was engaged to chef Michael Castellon. He had won an episode of Chopped. However, in February 2022, they announced that they had ended their engagement.

Filmography