Alex Raij ’99 Delivers Commencement Address
Hyde Park, NY – Alex Raij, chef and co-owner of the Michelin-starred La Vara and three other
regional Spanish restaurants in New York City, was commencement speaker at the New York campus of The Culinary Institute of
America on May 26.
Chef Raij, a 1999 CIA graduate, is a five-time semifinalist for the
James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: New York City. She was included
among six groundbreaking chefs in a feature in Bon Appétit magazine titled, “Women Chefs: The Next Generation.”
Raij and her husband, Basque chef
Eder Montero, are the team behind La Vara, Txikito, El Quinto Pino, and Tekoá. La Vara, in Brooklyn, holds a star in the New York Michelin Guide for its southern Spanish
cuisine that explores the region’s Jewish and Moorish influences. Txikito and El Quinto Pina in
Manhattan are considered the city’s top Basque restaurant and most authentic
tapas bar, respectively. And the newly opened Tekoá is an all-day café in Brooklyn with an accent on Mediterranean, Spanish, and
Latin cuisines.
Her first cookbook, The
Basque Book: A Love Story in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito, was published
last year.
The entire CIA graduation ceremony, including Chef Raij’s address to 89 recipients of CIA associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, can
be .
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
Alex Raij ’99, chef and co-owner
of four New York City restaurants including the the Michelin-starred La Vara,
spoke to graduates of the New York campus of The Culinary Institute of America
on May 26, 2017. (Photo credit: CIA/Phil
Mansfield)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and
hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degree
majors in applied food studies, culinary science, food business management, and
hospitality management; associate degrees in baking and pastry arts and
culinary arts; and executive education through its Food Business School. The
college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and
enthusiasts. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the
think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of 49,000 alumni
includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has locations
in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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