Events › Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef

Join us for another incredible FAN event! Note the earlier start time.

Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef charts chef Curtis Duffy’s rise, despite a childhood and adolescence rife with
trauma, to being mentored by and recognized among the world’s top chefs. Amid family chaos in rural Ohio,
a young Duffy found refuge first in a high school home economics class, then at one of Columbus’s best
restaurants, where he honed his skills. His passion ignited, Duffy was determined to leave Ohio and break
the Duffy family curse.

But the tragic deaths of Duffy’s parents when he was only 19 jeopardized his promising professional
career. Summoning extraordinary fortitude and resilience, Duffy ate pain, graduated culinary school, and
moved to Chicago to work in chef Charlie Trotter’s namesake restaurant, a hotbed of talent that produced
prominent alumni such as Grant Achatz, Graham Elliot, and Homaro Cantu. Inspired by stellar peers and
staging for Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, Duffy’s drive only grew.

This event is suitable for youth 12+. 

This program is presented in partnership with Family Action Network (FAN). FAN is a 501(c)(3) organization that curates a high-quality speaker series each academic year. All FAN programs are free and open to the public.

Program presented virtually via Zoom.