Catherine De Orio
Former Check, Please! TV host, food writer, and culinary consultant
Known to many Chicagoans as the long time host of the Emmy award-winning dining review show Check, Please!, Foundation for Culinary Arts’ executive director, Catherine De Orio, also travels the country to dish on the food scene. Appearing on behalf of her own company, Culinary Curator, and various corporations, she writes articles relating to food, travel, and lifestyle for various publications, develops recipes, consults on events, and speaks at high-level engagements around the country. Zagat named her one of the “10 Chicago power players you need to know now,” and New City included her in the 2013-2015 “Big Heat” List of Chicago’s most influential culinary figures.
Catherine is a former attorney who has expertly combined her skills from both litigation and culinary school to create a full-time brand as a lifestyle expert, media spokesperson, journalist, web editor, and public speaker. She has worked as a spokesperson for major corporations and brands including Sara Lee Corporation, Ballpark hot dogs, Jimmy Dean, Gallo Salame, Earthgrains Bread, Bryan Foods, Hillshire Farm, Aidell’s, Senseo Coffee, Godiva Coffee, Revolution Tea, ConAgra Brands, Disney, and Crate & Barrel. She has appeared on every major network, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW and WGN, with recurring spots on The Today Show, Better TV, The Rachael Ray Show, Good Day LA, Bringing it Home, and the Cooking Channel. She has also been a guest on more than 250 radio shows, including What’s Cooking? and Martha Stewart Living Radio. She has written for, amongst others, Time Out, CS, Brides, Daily Candy, Huffington Post, Wynn, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, and Michigan Avenue.
