Local Wins "Best Teen Chef In America," Culinary School Scholarship
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – He clearly knows his way around the kitchen.
Nathan Sanchioli, 17, grew up helping out at his family's bakery in Bloomfield.
Cooking has always been a big part of his life.
"My grandfather taught me how to make fresh pasta when I was in eighth grade," said Sanchioli, "so that was really the start of it all. I remember probably the first thing I had ever made or had ever made that I remembered was lasagna with fresh pasta."
Over the past years he continued to work his skills all the time and effort is paying off.
Nathan recently won the best teen chef contest at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. His prize was a $15,000 scholarship to the school.
After that, he went on to compete against other teens from all over the country and once again, he took the top spot.
He was voted the "Best Teen Chef in America" and won a trip to New York City.
"It kind of takes a while to set in, but once I got to New York and stayed at the Ganesvoort and we got to eat at Jamie Bissonnette's restaurant, Toro, he just won an award, I think that's when it all set in," he said. "And you know it was a wonderful experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Nathan is currently attending the Art Institute for a degree in culinary management. He hopes to someday open his own restaurant.
Something more and more chefs are taking on.
"Unlike other times in Pittsburgh, most of the restaurants that we hear about now, they're actually owned and operated by the chefs rather than an owner who hired a chef," said Arthur Inzinga with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, "and we really thing that's a big effect on the culinary schools in this area."
Nathan says he's looking forward to learning all the different aspects of the food industry.
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