Bravo‘s Top Chef contestant Howard “Howie” Kleinberg has died at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack this past weekend. Kleinberg, a South Florida native, competed in Top Chef Season 3 in 2007, finishing in seventh place.
His mother, Susan Kleinberg Ratner, confirmed the news to the Miami Herald, saying: “I am just finding out how many lives he touched. He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking.”
“The Top Chef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three,” Bravo said in a statement. “Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends.”
Kleinberg had a memorable moment with the late Anthony Bourdain during his time on Top Chef. When Bourdain pressed the importance of delivering a dish on time to the contestant, Kleinberg hit back with a quote from Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential about making sure a dish was right above anything else.
“Oh, that’s unfair, man…” Bourdain laughed in response.
Following his appearance on Top Chef, Kleinberg opened his restaurant, Bulldog Barbecue, in Miami and regularly participated in the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. He also contributed to charitable organizations, including “Taste of the Nation” (a group dedicated to raising funds to combat childhood hunger) and groups dedicated to supporting animal shelters.
According to Kleinberg’s obituary, the restaurateur had a rescue dog named Skye at the time of his death. He is survived by his mother, stepfather Ken Ratner, sister Amy Wildstein, her partner, William Wildstein, and their three children Whitney, Lindsey, and Phillip.
Kleinberg’s loved ones are asking that donations in his memory be made to Bullies-N-Beyond Rescue or Feeding South Florida.
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