What Was Top Chef Star Howie Kleinberg’s Cause of Death?

Coincidentally, the hospital where Howie was born later became Johnson & Wales University, where Howie attended culinary school. “Isn’t that a full circle?” his mother pointed out to the Miami Herald.

Howie cut his teeth in the kitchen at the Hotel Intercontinental in downtown Miami, a job he got via Lee Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Lee was friends with Howie’s mother, but it was clear Howie’s talent was needed in the kitchen. In fact, Howie’s flair for food prompted Terry Zarikian, culinary director of the South Beach food festival, to recommend him for Top Chef.