Harold Dieterle’s Italian-American upbringing is what first inspired him to be a chef; specifically, watching and assisting his mother prepare traditional Sicilian Sunday suppers in their Long Island home. His interest in cooking continued during junior high school, when he enrolled in a home economics class and first learned basic recipes for dishes such as fried chicken.

After graduating from West Babylon High School in 1995, he went to Spain to work in some of the country’s top kitchens. Upon his return, he attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. After graduating, he worked at a series of high-quality establishments on Long Island (e.g. Della Femina) and in Manhattan, most notably the 1770 House in 2002, which garnered a two-star review from The New York Times during his time there.

In 2002, Harold landed a job at restaurateur Jimmy Bradley’s Tribeca restaurant, The Harrison, where he worked under future standout chefs Joey Campanaro and Brian Bistrong. In 2006, Harold competed in and won the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef. The following year he and business partner Alicia Nosenzo opened Perilla in the West Village, a critically acclaimed New American restaurant with Asian influences. In October 2010, Harold and Alicia opened their second West Village restaurant, Kin Shop, devoted to contemporary Thai cuisine and inspired by his many trips to Thailand. Kin Shop was awarded 2-stars by the New York Times in 2010 and has continued to receive press accolades.

Harold has appeared in media outlets such as: ABC Nightline, The Cooking Channel, CNN.com, Daily News, Esquire, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, The New York Times, People, Saveur, Serious Eats, Today Show, Wall Street Journal, and Zagat.

In September 2010, Harold married Meredith Davies in Atlanta, Georgia. Harold and Meredith met at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado in 2006, the summer after his winning season on Top Chef.

Harold is currently on a Long Island book tour promoting his newest book Kitchen Notebook.