Carlo Lamagna Carlo Lamagna is the chef and owner of the award-winning modern Filipino restaurant Magna Kusina in Portland, Oregon. He was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2021. Carlo was also a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2022. Experience Carlo Lamagna spent part of his early childhood in Detroit where he did not eat much Filipino food, save for the lumpia and pancit his mother made. That all changed when he went to live in the Philippines at age 11. Carlo came back to the States for culinary school and eventually landed in Chicago, where he acquired fine-dining techniques from the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant North Pond. At Perennial, he began introducing Filipino flavors to some of the dishes. He also hosted his first Twisted Filipino pop-up. When Carlo became the executive chef of Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon, he fully embraced the restaurant's theme of "foreign and domestic" by incorporating more Filipino-influenced offerings on the menu. Carlo started hosting his Pinoy-themed pop-ups in earnest around Portland after leaving Clyde. Their success landed him on Plate's list of "Chefs to Watch," among StarChef's 2018 Rising Star Chefs, and ultimately an opportunity to open the restaurant of his dreams. Education Carlo graduated from Macomb Community College in Michigan with an associate of applied sciences in culinary arts. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where studied personal and culinary services. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.