LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Jun 30, 2011) - On Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Executive Chef Kristi Ritchey of Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop -- Southern California's fresh, organic eatery serving all-natural, healthful salads, sandwiches, and hot entrées, with two organic restaurants in Los Angeles in Beverly Hills and Century City -- makes her primetime TV debut in the premiere of Food Network's highly-anticipated new culinary competition, Extreme Chef.
Fiercely dedicated to both her customers and her personal health and fitness, Ritchey makes the ideal competitor in the summertime TV series -- which pushes chefs to their physical and mental limits to adjust to extreme conditions and unexpected curveballs.
"My experience at Extreme Chef really pushed me to think outside the box by taking me out of the kitchen and challenging me to face elements I've never encountered -- like cooking in the pouring rain, using a hot car engine as a stove, or creating a dish out of ingredients I couldn't even identify until I opened the cans," says Ritchey. "At Greenleaf, we take whatever measures possible to get great food onto our guests' plates, but this show really took that idea to the next level. To be a tough competitor, I had to tap into skills I didn't know I had, and I'm very proud with my overall performance."
Featured in USA Today and the Los Angeles Times for her weight-loss triumph -- losing over 110 pounds after a wake-up call that prompted her to adjust her diet and exercise. In June 2008, Ritchey joined friend and former colleague Jonathan Rollo to open his first healthy restaurant in Los Angeles, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Beverly Hills.
ABOUT GREENLEAF GOURMET CHOPSHOP:
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop offers a health-focused menu featuring custom-made gourmet salads, sandwiches, and hot entrées with fresh, locally-grown ingredients, flame-grilled proteins, and countless toppings to maintain an affordable, healthy way of life. The restaurant is helmed by Owner Jonathan Rollo and Executive Chef Kristi Ritchey. Greenleaf has two locations: the flagship organic restaurant in Beverly Hills and a Century City restaurant. Both offer online, to-go, catering, bicycle delivery and are constructed to be eco-friendly with a "Modern Farm Stand" design. More information and menus are available at www.greenleafchopshop.com. Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop is also on Facebook and Twitter.