Chef Keith Famie

Chef Keith Famie began his cooking career in the late 1970’s during a European sojourns.
It was inside the historic kitchens in Monte Carlo and Brussels that his passion for culture mushroomed into a career.

The Early 1980’s found Chef Famie in the role of Chef de Cuisine at Chez Raphael. During his tenor as chef, Chez Raphael would receive several awards for creative fine dinning. In 1988, his long time dream to open his own restaurant took place.

Les Auteur an American Bistro in heart of Royal Oak Michigan quickly made its way onto the national dinning scene. 1989 Food & Wine Magazine named Famie one of the “Best New Ten Chefs of the Year” in the same year Esquire Magazine named Les Auteur one of the Best New Restaurants in the country.

In 1996 Famie accepted the position of Chef de Cuisine for Forte restaurant in Birmingham Michigan. Esquire named the following year Forte one of the Best New Restaurants of the year once again. Two years later Famie left to start his current endeavor Visionalist Entertainment Productions. A multi media entertainment company that manages all aspects of Chef Famie from the production of TV show to special appearances, product development, adventurechef.com website and cookbook publications.

In January of 2001 Famie was introduced to the world as one of the participants on the highly rated television program Survivor II: The Australian Outback. After Survivor Famie teamed up with Food Network to create Keith Famie’s Adventures. The 32 show series enabled Famie to travel the globe in search of new cuisines and cultures.
In 2002 and 2003 Chef Famie released two cookbooks. Famie’s Adventures in Cooking and You Really Haven’t Been there Until You’ve Eaten the Food. Chef Famie has been featured on the Early show and Regis numerous times.

Chef Famie is a big supporter of children’s organizations and very often goes to schools to speak to children about foods from around the world.

Chef Famie has been an active board member of the Rainbow Connection, a Michigan based non-profit organization that raises money for children with life threatening illness since 1997 and has held the presidency and vice president position for almost six years.

On October 18, 2003 Famie competed in the International IRONMAN triathlon in Hawaii to raise money for Team and Training a division of the Leukemia / Lymphoma society. In his words about the 16:28 day…It was the longest workday of my life that I would not trade for anything….you can read more about Chef Famie at adventurechef.com

1982-87

• Operated Chez Raphael as Chef de Cuisine. Gained local and national recognition as one of Michigan’s best restaurants.

1988

• Opened Les Auteurs, an American Bistro, as owner and chef.

1989

• Honored as being one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Ten Best New Chefs of the Year”.
  
• Les Auteurs named by Esquire Magazine as one of the best new restaurants in America and one of Travel-Holiday’s top U.S. restaurants.
  
• Created and orchestrated “ A Michigan Lunch in France” to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of France and America relations. The lunch was held at the US ambassador’s home for his inaugural celebration. 120 special quests and political figures attended.

1990

• Named “1990 Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award” from Inc. magazine
  
• Opened Detroit’s first rotisserie chicken outlet called Famie’s Chicken. These outlets focused on healthy eating in a take-out setting.
  
• Served as the guest chef aboard the Cunard Cruise Line’s Sea Goddess on its Southeast Asia cruise. Repeated this honor in 1992 during its Caribbean Islands cruise.

1991

• Opened Madison’s a 50 seat jazz club/bar/restaurant adjacent to Les Auteurs. Madison’s served a menu that featured New Orleans’ Creole cooking.

1992

• Opened Durango Grill, which featured a Western frontier menu where the American cowboy heritage was kept alive through Western artifacts, paintings and a unique ambiance.

1993

• Created a television news insert called Famie’s Adventures in Cooking for
  WDIV-TV4 in Detroit.

1996

• Opened Forté in Birmingham, Michigan, as Chef de Cuisine.

1997

• Forté was named by Esquire magazine as one of the “top 25 new restaurants in America”.
  
• Created and orchestrated “A Michigan Dinner In China” to celebrate the opening of the Michigan trade office in Shanghai. 100 VIP guests attended from various U.S. and Chinese corporations.

1998

• Resigned as chef of Forté to devote all his time to television productions of “Famie’s Adventures in Cooking” and formed Visionalist Entertainment Productions.

1999

• Created the website www.famie.com/www.adventure chef.com containing hundreds of recipes, cooking techniques, travel photos, and stories from on the road.

2001

• Famie’s Adventures in Cooking cookbook published by Sleeping Bear Press.
  
• Yes I Can Cook Rice and So Can You cookbook is published in late November.
  
• Keith Famie’s Adventures debuts on Food Network where Keith travels the globe experiencing culture and cuisine.

2003

• You Really Haven’t Been There Until You’ve Eaten the Food is to be released in May and is published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House.
  
  
  

• 2003 VH1’s All Access series - Totally Tricked Out Rides!
  
  
• 2002-Present Keith Famie's Adventures Series on Food Network
  - 28 half-hour shows from around the world
  - 4 one-hour prime time specials: France, Greece, Africa, French Polynesia
  
  
• 2001-2002 CBS’ The Early Show
  - 3 live morning cooking appearances
  
  
• 2001-2002 ABC’s Regis and Kelly
  - 3 live cooking appearances
  
  
• 2001 CBS’ The Rosie Show
  
  
• 2001 Oprah
  
  
• 2001 CBS’ Hollywood Squares
  
  
• 2001 CBS’ The David Letterman Show
  
  
• 2001 E! Entertainment
  
  
• 2001 Access Hollywood
  
  
• 2000 CBS’ Survivor II: The Australian Outback
  - Cast Member
  
  
• 1998-2000 Famie's Adventures in Cooking
  - WDIV - TV4, Detroit’s NBC affiliate
  - 2 one-hour specials
  - Down Under Adventure Australia: Nominated for an Emmy
  - From Hanoi to China Beach (Vietnam): Nominated for an Emmy
  - 8 half-hour specials
  
  
• 1998-2000 Famie's Finds
  - 60 - 2 minute weekly cooking segments for WDIV-TV4 in Detroit, MI
  
  

• Time Magazine
  - Jan. 22, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  
  
• People Magazine
  - 1990 – Low-fat cooking
  - Feb. 5, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  
  
• USA Today
  - May 3, 2001- Survivor II final three
  
  
• New York Times
  - Dec. 5, 1997- Forte restaurant review
  
  
• Esquire Magazine
  - Nov. 1988- Best New Restaurants of the Year- Les Auteurs
  - Nov. 1997- Best New Restaurants of the Year- Forte
  
  
• TV Guide
  - Jan. 20-26, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  - Nov. 10-16, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures Africa premiere
  
  
• Food and Wine Magazine
  - Aug. 1989- America’s 10 Best New Chefs
  
  
• Entertainment Weekly
  - Jan. 26 – Feb. 2, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  - June 22, 2001- Survivor II: Rice Man Cometh
  
  
• GMC Directions
  - Spring 2001- Banquets on Wheels- Max
  
  
• Restaurants and Institutions
  - May 15, 2001- Survivor II and cookbook review
  
  
• Dive Training Magazine
  - Jan. 2002- Keith Famie’s Adventures San Juan diving
  
  
• Skin Diver Magazine
  - March 2002- San Juan Islands- diving and recipe
  - May 2002 – Jamaica- diving and recipe
  
  
• Us Weekly
  - Jan. 29, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  
  
• Newsweek
  - Jan. 15, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction

• New York Daily News
  - Jan. 5, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  - May 9, 2001- Survivor II: Rice Man Cometh
  
  
• The Detroit News
  - Sept. 13, 1997- Michigan Dinner in Shanghai
  - Feb. 2, 2000- Famie’s Adventure in Cooking Mexico premiere in Detroit
  - June 1, 2000- Keith Famie’s Adventures in Cooking cookbook release party
  - June 18, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures in rice- rice incident on Survivor II
  - Nov. 21, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures premiere episode from Africa
  - Sept. 12, 2002- Keith Famie’s Adventures in Greece
  
  
• The Detroit Free Press
  - July 4, 1989- Michigan Dinner in Paris
  - August 23, 2000- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking Australia premiere
  - May 1, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  - Nov. 11, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures Africa premiere
  
  
• The Oakland Press
  - Feb. 8, 1995- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking in Northern Michigan
  - May 31, 2001- Survivor II and cookbook review
  - Nov. 11, 2001- Survivor II and Keith Famie’s Adventures Africa premiere
  
  
• Crain’s Detroit Business
  - Jan. 7-13, 2002- 2001 Newsmakers of the Year
  
  
• Visit Detroit
  - Jan. – March, 2002- Survivor II
  
  
• Farmington Observer
  - April 11, 1999- Chef finds rich culture in Vietnam
  
  
• Michigan Vue
  - July/Aug. 1999- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking Vietnam show
  
  
• Metro Times
  - Oct. 13- 19, 1993- Restaurant review of Durango Grill
  - April 9-15, 1997- Restaurant review of Forte
  
  
• Crain’s Detroit Monthly
  - Jan. 1997- Restaurant review of Forte
  
  
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  - Dec. 11, 2001- Survivor II cast introduction
  
  
• Traverse City Record Eagle
  - Oct. 22, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures Northern Michigan mushroom hunt
  
  
• The Islands’ Sounder
  - Oct. 24, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures at Rosario Resort in San Juan Islands
  
  
• Juneau Empire
  - June 17, 1998- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking Alaska episode
  
  
• Reno Gazette-Journal
  - June 6, 2001- Survivor’s perspective on food
  
  
• The Albuquerque Tribune
  - 1998- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking Albuquerque episode
  
  
• The Philadelphia Inquirer
  - March 5, 2002- Keith Famie’s Adventures Philadelphia episode
  
  
• The Commercial Appeal
  - Dec. 5, 2001- Keith Famie’s Adventures Memphis episode
  
  
• Oakland Tech News
  - Jan. 31, 2000- Famie’s Adventures in Cooking Mexico episode
  
  
• The Eccentric
  - Sept. 25, 1997- Michigan Dinner in Shanghai
  
  
• Chattanooga Times Free Press
  - Oct. 10, 2001- Yes I Can Cook Rice and So Can You! Book review
  
  
• Rocky Mountain News
  - April 3, 2002- Keith Famie’s Adventures Denver episode
  
  
  

• WCSX Detroit, MI
• WDRQ Detroit, MI
• WNIC Detroit, MI
• WKQI Detroit, MI
• WOMC Detroit, MI
• WLVQ Columbus, OH
• WKPQ Hornell, NY
• WGRF Buffalo, NY
• WKLS Atlanta, GA
• WVMX Cincinnati, OH
• WYOY Ridgeland, MS
• WKSS Hartford, CT
• WQSX Brighton, MA
• WDCG Raleigh, NC
• KLSY Bellevue, WA
  
  
  

Visionalist Entertainment Productions was founded by executive producer Keith Famie in 1998 and has successfully been producing half-hour and one-hour television shows from around the globe.

Food Network- “Keith Famie's Adventures”- 30 Minute Episodes

16. Ultimate Foods- Ultimate Resorts
17. Philadelphia
18. Cooking with Moms- Mother’s
19. Toronto
20. South Beach
21. Journey to Mexico
22. Denver
23. Cosmopolitan Australia
24. Bangkok to Hanoi
25. Key West
26. Milwaukee
27. Paris
28. Crete