Chiarello passed away on Friday at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California, where he had been receiving treatment for the previous week due to “an acute allergic reaction that led to anaphylactic shock,” according to a news release from his restaurant group, Gruppo Chiarello, issued on Saturday. Chiarello passed away in the company of family and friends.
“We deeply mourn the loss of our beloved patriarch Michael. His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity, and unwavering commitment to family were at the core of his being,” Chiarello’s family said in a statement. “He brought people together through the joy of shared meals, fostering lasting memories around the table.”
“As we navigate this profound loss, we hold dear the moments we cherished with him, both in his kitchens and in our hearts,” the family’s statement continued. “His legacy will forever live on in the love he poured into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to savor life’s flavors.”
ABC News reached out to Gruppo Chiarello for further comment on Chiarello’s death but did not immediately hear back.
The Italian American chef and former Food Network host, who was born in Red Bluff, California, and raised in the Central Valley, built a small empire of acclaimed restaurants in both San Francisco and Napa Valley, starting with Tra Vigne in 1987.
Chiarello made his mark with food that perfectly combined his Southern Italian roots with distinctive hallmarks of the Napa Valley, fusing Californian and Italian cuisine.
