Cortland teen cooks his way to Vegas

CORTLAND — Michael A. Denman, 18, of Cortland is the regional winner of Saturday’s Best Teen Chef Competition held at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

High school seniors cooked off for scholarships and one spot in the national competition.

Denman, of Lakeview High School, will be traveling to Pittsburgh regularly between now and May 16 to practice under the guidance of Chef Norman Hart at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

He has won a $3,000 scholarship and expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in national competition. Michael, his parents and sister are planning their trip to The Art Institute of Las Vegas for the Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition on May 17.

Denman began working at Avalon Inn Resort and Conference Center, helping to set up for large banquets. It wasn’t long before Chef Kyle Mayetta took Michael on as a protg and such began his passion for the culinary industry. Today, he’s a prep chef at the Avalon Inn, in Howland, owned by John Kouvas.

“I love the rhythm and the pace of the industry,” said Denman. “It’s an incredible feeling to be part of a team that makes it all happen and makes people happy.”

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and vindy.com