Holland America Line is adding “Top Chef” season 10 winner and acclaimed restaurateur Kristen Kish to its award-winning Culinary Council – a collection of elite, international celebrity chefs who bring global influence to dining experiences across the fleet.
One of the many things Holland America Line is known for is its refined cuisine. In fact Holland America is the only cruise line who has brought together a group of renowned chefs – The Culinary Council – to enhance and elevate the onboard dining experience.
The Culinary Council is led by Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who is joined by international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Andy Matsuda, Ethan Stowell, Jacques Torres and now Kristen Kish.
Holland America Line also collaborates with wine critic James Suckling to develop its wine lists and master mixologist Dale DeGroff on its cocktail program.
Kish’s playful yet refined cuisine will be featured on the menus in the Dining Room, showcasing French and Italian traditions with a nod to her world travels and diverse upbringing. Kish’s dishes also will be featured exclusively at Pinnacle Gala, a new, luxurious pop-up dining experience in The Pinnacle Grill for cruises of 10 days or longer. The Pinnacle Gala will deliver an exquisite experience for guests to delight in an exceptional, multi-course, dinner event where the ambiance and settings are as refined as the cuisine.
After she attended the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Chicago, Kish worked in many high-profile restaurants including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin’s Sensing and Barbara Lynch’s Stir. Kish competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” season 10, filmed in Seattle, where she won the coveted title, becoming the second female to win the prestigious competition. She went on to become chef de cuisine at Menton, a Relais & Chateaux restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts, and left in 2014 to travel the world and write a cookbook.
Kish recently launched her first restaurant, Arlo Grey, in Austin (Texas), where she melds her precise technique and experience with a nostalgia for dishes from her upbringing, world travels and the bountiful ingredients of Central Texas.