Destiny Antommarchi has been crowned the 12th winner of the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition held in Napa Valley, California. Antommarchi, who studies at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, beat out four other regional finalists with her stellar dish of Asian-inspired Grouper.
Antommarchi's winning dish was selected by a panel of experts that included Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde, Chad Anderson of Oak Steakhouse Atlanta, Wilfred Bergerhausen of Le Cirque, JJ Johnson of The Cecil, Christina Grdovic, publisher of Food & Wine magazine, and Kristen Thibeault, winner of the 2013 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition.
Not only does Antommarchi receive a prestigious title but winning the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition also guarantees the rising star a one-year paid apprenticeship with a celebrity chef.
Fresh off her win, Antommarchi said, “This competition is a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am honored to have been chosen as this year’s winner. The lessons I’ve learned over the past three months will help inspire and guide me as I focus on the next chapter of my culinary career."
Other prizes awarded during the competition include:
People’s Choice Winner
Colfax Selby from International Culinary Center in New York, New York
Signature Dish Competition
Ryan Kim from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada
The S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition brought together students from over 40 culinary schools across the United States. The event is sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters.
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