Nate Appleman ’99 Addresses Commencement
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Hyde Park, NY – Nate Appleman, culinary manager for Chipotle Mexican Grill
and ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, delivered the
keynote address during commencement ceremonies at the New York campus of
The Culinary Institute of America on July 2.
Chef Appleman made a name for
himself in San Francisco’s dining scene, first as executive chef and co-owner
of A16, then as opening executive chef of SPQR. He was a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2009, the same year he won the
James Beard Award as Rising Star Chef. The 1999 CIA graduate left San Francisco
for New York and, after a short stint as executive chef of a pizzeria in Lower
Manhattan, met up with Chipotle founder and fellow CIA alumnus Steve
Ells ’90.
At Chipotle—and Ells’s newer
concept, ShopHouse—Chef Appleman continues to develop menu items made with quality ingredients, but this time
with a much wider reach. He was behind Chipotle’s first-ever new menu item,
vegan tofu “sofritas,” which debuted in 2014.
On his 36th birthday, Chef Appleman spoke to 66 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and
pastry arts.
The entire graduation ceremony can be .
Photo Caption:
Nate Appleman ’99 addresses
associate degree graduates of The Culinary Institute of America on July 2,
2015. Appleman, culinary manager at Chipotle Mexican Grill,
spoke at the college's Hyde Park campus on his 36th birthday. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the
foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA
offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts;
bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary science, and applied food
studies; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its
conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food
industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world cuisines
& cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college also
offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of
foodservice and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California,
Texas, and Singapore.
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