A Phoenix chef is one of 12 rising culinary stars who had their passports stamped for Food Network’s latest international cooking competition.
CC’s on Central chef and co-owner Devan Cunningham will compete on the second season of “Ciao House,” which takes place in Puglia, Italy and is hosted by celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini. On the show, competitors are asked to prove their prowess with Italian cheffing techniques while living together in a 16th-century villa.
The season debuts with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
“This was such an amazing experience and opportunity to live, learn and compete in Italy with a cast of some amazing chefs,” Cunningham shared in a post on Instagram.
Cunningham and his mother Sharon opened CC’s on Central, a Phoenix spot serving Louisiana-influenced southern food, in January 2023. Prior to launching CC’s and his catering company, The Good Food Table, Cunningham cooked at Windsor and House of Tricks and worked for chef Stephen Jones at Bootleggers and The Larder & The Delta. CC’s on Central was one of Phoenix New Times’ best new restaurants of 2023.
The other competing chefs are Ivan Barros from Los Angeles; Zev Bennett from Miami; Maria Bregatta from Burlington, Vermont; Austin Cobb from Playa Grande, Costa Rica; Tiana Gee from Los Angeles; Hanna Haar from Montauk, New York; Drew Keane from Chicago; Shannon Odom from Haico, Texas; Jan Parker from Tacoma, Washington; Phuoc Vo from Tampa, Florida; and Stikxz Williams from Queens, New York.
In the premiere episode, chefs will encounter individual and team challenges. First, chefs will be asked to create a dish the exemplifies who they are and their unique take on Italian cuisine. The winner and runner-up will be named team captains for a challenge that asks them to feature fresh fish and seafood, according to a press release. For the first elimination, one chef will be voted out of the villa by their own team.
“Ciao House” will conclude on June 23. The winning chef will train with renowned chefs through an immersive education program across Italy.
Cunningham teases, “watch party (at CC’s on Central.)”
CC’s on Central chef and co-owner Devan Cunningham will compete on the second season of “Ciao House,” which takes place in Puglia, Italy and is hosted by celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini. On the show, competitors are asked to prove their prowess with Italian cheffing techniques while living together in a 16th-century villa.
The season debuts with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
“This was such an amazing experience and opportunity to live, learn and compete in Italy with a cast of some amazing chefs,” Cunningham shared in a post on Instagram.
Cunningham and his mother Sharon opened CC’s on Central, a Phoenix spot serving Louisiana-influenced southern food, in January 2023. Prior to launching CC’s and his catering company, The Good Food Table, Cunningham cooked at Windsor and House of Tricks and worked for chef Stephen Jones at Bootleggers and The Larder & The Delta. CC’s on Central was one of Phoenix New Times’ best new restaurants of 2023.
The other competing chefs are Ivan Barros from Los Angeles; Zev Bennett from Miami; Maria Bregatta from Burlington, Vermont; Austin Cobb from Playa Grande, Costa Rica; Tiana Gee from Los Angeles; Hanna Haar from Montauk, New York; Drew Keane from Chicago; Shannon Odom from Haico, Texas; Jan Parker from Tacoma, Washington; Phuoc Vo from Tampa, Florida; and Stikxz Williams from Queens, New York.
In the premiere episode, chefs will encounter individual and team challenges. First, chefs will be asked to create a dish the exemplifies who they are and their unique take on Italian cuisine. The winner and runner-up will be named team captains for a challenge that asks them to feature fresh fish and seafood, according to a press release. For the first elimination, one chef will be voted out of the villa by their own team.
“These chefs are not only testing their culinary skills – they are living together as a family, so personal relationships, rivalries and loyalties affect each challenge. Winning could change the course of their career, so the stakes are high for everyone,” Guarnaschelli said in the press release.
Future episodes will take the chefs to roll pasta with nonnas, make pizza and learn bread baking skills, the release teases.
Future episodes will take the chefs to roll pasta with nonnas, make pizza and learn bread baking skills, the release teases.
“Ciao House” will conclude on June 23. The winning chef will train with renowned chefs through an immersive education program across Italy.
Cunningham teases, “watch party (at CC’s on Central.)”
