Michael C. Beriau, C.E.C. A.A.C.
Executive Chef Michael J. Beriau has over 35 years of extensive culinary experience. He graduated in the top of his class and was voted the student most likely to succeed from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Chef Beriau has been at the helm of some of the finest hotels, resorts, country clubs and private clubs throughout New England.

Michael’s areas of expertise include menu design and recipe generation. He is an expert in the art of garde manger and buffet layout, as well as, restaurant plate presentation. He prides himself on staying current with today’s trends in Regional and Global Fusion Cooking without forgetting his roots in classical French Cuisine and New England Regional Cooking.

Previous to leading the culinary brigade at White Cliffs Country Club, Chef Beriau was the Corporate Executive Chef at Dole and Bailey, Inc. where he gained vast insight into the American Cattle Industry, from seed stock to the feed lots and on to the consumer, as well as, sitting on the Task Force Boards for the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, the American Lowline Cattle Segment, and a Certified Angus Beef Specialist. Michael was the original Research Chef for the now very lucrative National Cattleman’s “Muscle Profiling Project”.

Chef Beriau has and continues to be a keynote speaker for many food related organizations and performs Culinary demonstrations and lectures throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

He has earned many accolades throughout his distinguished career, some of which are:

• IKA HOGA 1988 International Kochkunst Austellung, “CulinaryOlympics”, Frankfurt, Germany:
  • Gold Medal – Category B
  • Gold Medal – Team Competition
  • Gold Medal of Honor – Austrian Chefs Society, Innsbruck, Austria
• American Culinary Federation, Pioneer Valley Chefs Association, 1991 Chef of the Year
• American Culinary Federation National President Jack Braun: Presidential Medallion
• Inducted into the American Academy of Chefs – Presented the Academy Medal of Honor
• ACF Chapters of New England President’s Gold Medal for Professional Attainment in the field of Culinary Arts
• IKA HOGA 2000 International Knockhunst Austellung “Culinary Olympics”
  • A.C.F. Culinary Team U.S.A. 2000 - Assistant Manager – Glazing Coach
    • Salon Culinaire Mondial, Basel, Switzerland
    • Team World Champions – Cold Buffet
    • Scot Hot, Glasgow Scotland
    • Team World Champions – Cold Buffet
    • Culinary Olympics, Frankfurt, Germany
    • Team World Champions – Cold Buffet
• Pioneer Valley Chefs 1999 Chef of the Year
• American Culinary Federation National Award: Northeast Regional Chef of the Year 2001
• Massachusetts Culinary Association President’s Award For Professional Continuing Education for Others
• March 2007:  ACF Northeast Regional Chef Professionalism Award
• July 2007:  ACF National Chef Professionalism Award

Jack Chiaro, CEC, CCE, AAC
Chef Jack Chiaro is an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University, one of the most prestigious schools of culinary arts in the world. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, Political Science, and Social Science, a Master of Science in Hospitality Administration, and is both a Certified Executive Chef and a Certified Culinary Educator. Prior to joining the faculty of Johnson & Wales University, Chef Chiaro was selected Rhode Island Chef of the Year. He is a member of the Escoffier Society and he has been inducted into the American Academy of Chefs. 

In addition to being an award winning chef, Chef Chiaro is a specialist in the interaction of culture and food and he has authored, or served as a consultant, for many articles that have appeared in publications such as the New York Times and Gourmet Magazine, as well as many professional publications. You may have read his articles on the traditions associated with the Feast of the Seven Fishes and the Italian American Christmas Eve celebrations, as well as articles on Rhode Island and New England foodways. He recently appeared in the documentary film Italian Americans and Federal Hill. Chef Chiaro is also responsible for the administration and curriculum of a culinary program in Singapore designed to produce the first international chefs trained in both Western and Asian cuisine.

A former chef at the Aurora Club, the Spring House Hotel on Block Island, the Red Rooster Tavern, and Quidnessett Country Club, Jack has owned several restaurants and was the host for many years of two popular weekly talk shows, "Sunday Brunch" on WPRO-AM and "The Chef's Table" on WLKW-AM. He and his wife Carolyn reside in Smithfield, R.I.

John Rega

Johns love of food dates back to his early childhood years living in a 3 story 12 apartment building in  the North End of Boston and later in the South End of Boston. He can still remember the aromas of the cooking in those melting pot apartment building kitchens, and learning  at a very young age of 9 to appreciate the varied ethnic culinary approaches of  those living literally next door: Polish, Greek, Italian, Lebanese, Hawaiian, French, Philippine, etc.  As a child of 8 years and beyond , he had a street-side stand on Harrison Ave., next to an Italian Butcher Shop , where he sold his own cooking, mostly puddings and cake that he cooked along with his Italian mother. He also performed with a puppet show, as he sold the foods, John adds. His appreciation of ethnic dishes and their cultures has continued on the "Fooding Around' television and radio shows.

Born and raised in Boston, John attended Northeastern University. While attending college in Boston, he produced his own jazz radio show "Jazz Rendezvous with JR" on WUPY FM (the first stereo multiplex FM station in the Northeast) and worked with  great names like Bill Marlowe, Ken Malden,  Stan Richards, Arnie "WooWoo" Ginsberg, Joe Smith on various Boston radio stations. In 1959, he was making $80.00 a week for the 5 day 2 hour show.

John later became the liaison and division manager for Family Circle Magazine distributed by Warner Communication ( Publishing Division), New York, traveling  United States and Europe which further satisfied  his curious palate to discover the pleasure of  ethnic cuisine.  But in 1975 John moved back to New England and purchased the Cape Cod Compass magazine from Yankee Magazine and started his own publishing company.

    In 1976, he founded the Leisure Time Dining Club, a company that allowed members to dine out  at leading restaurants.  Over 200 restaurants and inns participated in the program for over 28 years. He also started TASTE shows throughout southern New England which are annual consumer shows  where people could come and taste culinary samples from many regional  restaurants and food/wine producers.

     In 1992 he went back into radio with his own food and dining out  talk show in southeastern Massachusetts. He expanded a year later into television throughout New England. ( see TV listings under Television main page www.foodingaround.com) (newenglanddine.com)

It is remarkable the power of the mass media.  There are very few places I have visited over the past 12 years and asked the same question over and over again; Why arent you 400 pounds, I see you cook and eat all that food on TV." And it is not just in New England, I met some people from the USA on my last trip to Portugal and Sicily who recognized me and asked the same question. says John.

John is well traveled, especially enjoying the Mediterranean destinations annually and has experienced the cultures and foods of Italy, France, Portugal, Sicily Spain, Egypt and Greece. Over the years his trips to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Russia has also broaden his palate. He especially enjoys the pastries and cheeses of these countries.

His herb and flower gardens are enjoyments during  the off hours of touring restaurants, producing cooking shows, interviewing regional and national restaurateurs and chefs and above all meeting fellow foodies throughout the world at conferences and conventions. "The history of foods has always fascinated me and I'll  read any book that broadens my knowledge of how foods were integrated into world history. It is amazing what is revealed in these books and learning about food trade and cultivation over the millenniums.", says John. " Food is truly the souls of cultures throughout the world."

John loves the food industry and holds great respect for those who eke a living  from this beloved  passion of hospitality and producing specialty foods and wines. "I continually promote Chef owned dining establishments and especially husband and wife teams in small establishments. I know and lived the 24/7 partnership restaurant business so I understand what it takes to make it happen, day after day." says John. "I will always there to support culinary events involving local and regional chef managed and owned restaurants since "Fooding Around" is a 24/7 passion and a great hobby for my retirement years."

Reflecting  on his life, John concludes, I think what Ive done over the past decades has brought people a lot of enjoyment and interest in ethnic foods since those fond days of the aromas from neighborhood apartments. Besides....after each television show is over, Im able to share  my work with fellow foodies and eat it too!