Michael Chiarello, a renowned chef who rose to TV fame on the Food Network, died Saturday from anaphylactic shock after being treated for an acute allergic reaction. He was 61.
According to an announcement from his company, the award-winning culinary master and restaurateur was being treated for the past week at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif., where he was surrounded by family and friends in his “final moments.”
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF
Chef Michael Chiarello is pictured at Union Square Events Kitchen in October 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Anaphylactic shock, also known as anaphylaxis, occurs when the immune system — in response to a severe allergic reaction — causes blood pressure to drop and airways to narrow, blocking breathing, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“We deeply mourn the loss of our beloved patriarch Michael,” Chiarello’s family said in a statement.
“His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity, and unwavering commitment to family were at the core of his being. He brought people together through the joy of shared meals, fostering lasting memories around the table.”
Years after opening his first restaurant, Napa Valley’s Tra Vigne, in 1987, the Culinary Institute of America alum hosted shows on PBS, Food Network, Fine Living and the Cooking Channel such as the Emmy Award-winning “Easy Entertaining,” the “Top Chef” franchise and “Next Iron Chef.”
A native of Red Bluff, California, native, Chiarello also spearheaded the restaurants Bottega, Ottimo and Coqueta, alongside his own namesake winemaking enterprise, Chiarello Family Vineyards. He authored the best-selling cookbooks “Casual Cooking” and “Live Fire: 125 Recipes for Cooking Outdoors.”
He was named Chef of the Year by Food & Wine magazine in 1985.
