Few American chefs, much less female chefs, can boast leading Michelin-starred restaurants abroad. Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli can make such a boast, having embarked on a culinary journey in France that saw her working in some of that country’s top restaurants, including esteemed chef Guy Savoy’s eponymous three-star kitchen. In 2003, Guarnaschelli became the executive chef at Butter Restaurant in New York City, which provided the opportunity for her to develop a menu based on her own choices and point of view. Guarnaschelli created an American menu spotlighting local ingredients in dishes that allowed their flavors to shine.

Today Guarnaschelli is recognized as one of America’s most accomplished top chefs, acclaimed for her work in the kitchen, as an author, and as a popular television personality.

In addition to being an Iron Chef, Guarnaschelli hosts her own primetime series Supermarket Stakeout on Food Network. She is also a regular co host on The Kitchen and a recurring judge on Chopped. In 2018, Food Network launched Alex Guarnaschelli’s digital series Fix Me a Plate, in which the New York native takes audiences on an insider’s tour of the city’s best no-frills food spots. The digital show will be entering its fourth season Fall 2021.