News & Events
Celebrity Chef Michael Lomonaco ’84 Named ‘Alum of the Year’
The City Tech Alumni Association has named celebrity chef Michael Lomonaco “Alum of the Year.” A 1984 graduate of the College’s award-winning hospitality management program, Lomonaco will be honored at the association’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, beginning at 6 p.m.
Lomonaco was chosen last year by Time Warner Center to run Porter House New York, a new restaurant in the space left vacant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s V Steakhouse, which closed in late 2005. Following a multi-million dollar renovation by acclaimed designer Jeffrey Beers, the new 225-seat, grill-style restaurant opened in September 2006 and became an instant success.
Following graduation, Lomonaco’s career took him to several of the city’s top restaurants, including Le Cirque, Maxwell’s Plum, 21 Club and Windows on the World. At Windows, he helped transform the acclaimed establishment into the highest grossing restaurant in America. Earlier, as executive chef at The 21 Club, he achieved similar results.
Following 9/11, Lomonaco joined restaurateur and Windows owner David Emil in creating the Latin-theme restaurant Noche in Manhattan’s Theatre District. After Noche, Lomonaco took over the kitchen at popular Guastavino’s on Manhattan’s East Side.
In 2002, Lomonco was named Visiting Distinguished Professor of Hospitality Management at City Tech, where he conducted master classes in the culinary arts and delivered guest lectures in various courses for several semesters. He currently serves on the City Tech Foundation board of directors and chairs its Special Events Committee. He also served on a City Tech committee that successfully raised more than $2 million from various public and private sources toward the renovation of the College’s main teaching kitchen and environs.
Lomonaco is co-author of The 21 Cookbook and Nightly Specials: 125 Recipes for Spontaneous, Creative Cooking at Home. He attracted a national following as host of “Michael’s Place” on the Food Network and currently co-hosts the Travel Channel’s highly popular food show “Epicurious.” He used City Tech’s main teaching kitchen to tape segments for “Sizzling Summer Chefs,” a Discovery Channel series that he co-hosted several years ago. In the aftermath of 9/11, he co-founded the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund with David Emil and fellow chefs Waldy Malouf and Tom Valenti.
The City Tech Alumni Association’s Annual Meeting on September 19 will be held in the College’s Atrium 6th Floor Faculty & Staff Lounge and is open to all graduates. The event is free, but reservations are required by calling 718.260.5006 or e-mailing alumni@citytech.cuny.edu by September 12.
08/01/07
