Howard “Howie” Kleinberg, an alum of Bravo’s Top Chef, has died. He was 46.
The chef’s mother, Susan, confirmed to the Miami Heraldthat he died of a heart attack on July 22. “I am just finding out how many lives he touched,” she said. “He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking.”
Kleinberg appeared on season three of the cooking competition series, finishing in seventh place. During his time on the show, he had a memorable exchange with the late Anthony Bourdain, as seen in the 02:55 mark in the clip below. After being criticized on timeliness and a sense of urgency in the restaurant industry, Kleinberg fired back with an anecdote from Bourdain’s own book about getting a dish right at all costs. “That’s not fair,” Bourdain quipped with a laugh.
After his turn on the Bravo series, the Florida native opened the restaurant Bulldog BBQ in Miami. According to his obituary, Kleinberg went on to pursue more fine dining options and participated annually in the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
A dog lover, Kleinberg is survived by his beloved dog, Skye, and his family asks that donations be made to the rescue organization Bullies-N-Beyond in his memory.