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ICE Alumni Receive Michelin Stars

The list of starred restaurants for the 2022 edition of prestigious red guide book was unveiled on October 6.

The stars aligned high above New York City — on the 101st floor of 30 Hudson Yards, to be exact — for the 2022 Michelin Guide New York revelation. Hosted by none other than Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, chefs from the boroughs and beyond gathered for a live reveal — the first of its kind here in the United States. 

With the three-star category remaining the same as last year (including Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin, where ICE alum Orlando Soto is the Executive Pastry Chef), and the two-star category gaining two new entrants, it was the one-star category that saw the most additions, with 17 new restaurants receiving one star in the 2022 guide book. 

63 Clinton, led by ICE alum Samuel Clonts (Culinary Arts, ’12, pictured above), was among the newly awarded one-Michelin-starred restaurants.

“It would be easy to underestimate this restaurant, located on an unremarkable corner and within the shell of a former pizzeria,” say Michelin inspectors in the new Michelin Guide New York. “However, that would be a shame, as the tasting menu, under the calm leadership of Chef Samuel Clonts, is anything but ordinary.”

Read about Chef Sam's Journey: ICE Alum Samuel Clonts’ New Take on Fine Dining >

Chef Sam moved to New York City at the young age of 19 years old from Tucson, Arizona, where he worked at the Ritz-Carlton, looking to further hone his skills and his experience in the world of fine dining. And further his experience he did, working the ranks at three-Michelin-starred The Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare and earning one star during his tenure at Bar Uchu in 2017.

Cut to the summer of 2021 when Chef Sam opened up his first venture, 63 Clinton, located at (you guessed it) 63 Clinton Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 40-seat space, which serves up plates inspired from Chef Sam's culinary experience, instantly gained acclaim. Locals and tourists alike, devoured the restaurant's dishes, such as smoked corn with razor clams and caviar, Berkshire pork short rib with shishitos and baked Alaska with strawberry and yuzu.

Also new to the list is Amanda Cohen’s vegetarian haven Dirt Candy, which has gone through two iterations since its debut in October of 2008 — the current 2,100-square-foot restaurant has been a fixture on Allen Street since 2015.

Per Michelin inspectors in the 2022 guide book, “Chef Amanda Cohen was an advocate of vegetable- and plant-based cooking long before it was cool, and her Lower East Side flagship continues to flourish as a pioneer in ethical eating with refined technique."

That she is. Just as the restaurant has evolved, so too, has the menu. Chef Amanda, a Natural Gourmet Institute alumna, serves up wildly creative fare via tasting menu format; past and present plates include portobello mousse, zucchini soup dumplings and Peking peas, a play on Peking duck that proves you don't need animal protein to create those same savory flavors.

Alumni in the Field: From Tech Startup to Dirt Candy >

The Musket Room, a welcoming restaurant in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, also retains its star in the 2022 Michelin Guide New York. Executive Chef Mary Attea (Culinary Arts, ’11) joined The Musket Room team in February of 2020 and shifted the former New Zealand-inspired menu to one that reflected her own travels and experiences.

Michelin inspectors state that Chef Mary “the master and commander of this restaurant,” and they’re not wrong.

You’ll find bold dishes like jamón Ibérico with smoked mussels, half-roasted chicken with salsa verde and Oda King salmon with dash butter on the à la carte menu; an omnivore and vegan tasting menu is also on offer for $109 per person.

Chef Mary was also named the best chef in New York State at the 2022 James Beard Awards.

Students at the Institute of Culinary Education have been hired from externship at the following Michelin-starred restaurants:

Three Stars
Le Bernardin
Per Se

Two Stars
Aquavit
Atera
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Daniel
Jean-Georges
Momofuku Ko
The Modern
Saga
 
One Star
Bâtard
Caviar Russe
Family Meal at Blue Hill
Clover Hill
Crown Shy
Dirt Candy
Don Angie
Estela
Four Horseman
Francie
Gramercy Tavern
Jeju Noodle Bar
Joomak Banjum
Le Pavillon
The Musket Room
One White Street
Oxalis
Oxomoco
Rezdôra
The River Café
Semma

Congratulations to all restaurants in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide.

And to our alumni, we love that ICE pride. 

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