Voltaggio Brothers – Bios

Chef Chef Bryan Voltaggio is a true son of the Chesapeake, born and bred in Frederick, Maryland. By the young age of 20 and after having served as sous chef and executive chef at two regional hotel restaurants, Voltaggio made the decision to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Upon graduating, Voltaggio staged at Aureole, in New York City, where he met his mentor chef Charlie Palmer. Following a stint at Michelin three-star Pic restaurant in Valence, France, Voltaggio reunited with Palmer as executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, DC. After almost a decade with Palmer, Voltaggio took a leap of faith and returned to Frederick, Maryland to open VOLT in 2008.

Voltaggio is now the executive chef and owner of a portfolio of restaurants including VOLT, Lunchbox, Family Meal, RANGE, and AGGIO. As a finalist on Season 6 and Season 5, Voltaggio is the first chef to compete on both Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. The James Beard Foundation Award finalist co-authored the cookbook, VOLT.Ink, with his brother, Michael, and released his cookbook HOME in 2014. As a father and chef, Voltaggio is a passionate philanthropist and supports Share Our Strength in their fight against childhood hunger. He has raised over three quarters of a million dollars over the last five years to support innovative school breakfast programs, meals for achievement, and the national No Kid Hungry campaign. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children Thacher, Piper and Ever Maeve in his hometown of Frederick, MD.

Michael Voltaggio is the owner/chef of the highly acclaimed restaurant ink. and the artisanal sandwich concept Sack Sandwiches in Los Angeles. Celebrated having reinterpreted a new class of finer dining at ink., Voltaggio embraces the city’s diverse ethnicities, cultures and industries, dubbing the food and experience there as Modern Los Angeles, earning the title of “ in America” by GQ in 2011.

A native of Frederick, Maryland, Voltaggio began working in a local hotel kitchen under his older brother, Bryan, at the age of 19 and went on to receive his formal education by earning a prestigious position at the venerable Greenbrier apprenticeship program in West Virginia, notably graduating when he was 21 (at the time the youngest to have done so). Prior to opening ink., Voltaggio spent time at the helm of numerous high-profile kitchens across the country including Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA, earning a Michelin star, and The Bazaar by José Andrés, where he earned a rare 4-star review from the Los Angeles Times and finalist nomination for “Best New Restaurant” from the James Beard Foundation.

Voltaggio has been recognized as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2013, awarded as the winner of the season six of Bravo’s Top Chef, hosted the Travel Channel series called Breaking Borders, and has appeared on shows such as Fox’s Master Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and as an actor on ABC’s Suburgatory, as well as a holiday special with his brother for Cooking Channel’s Voltaggios Take on Thanksgiving.