Aaron McCargo Jr. (born July 22, 1971) is an American chef, television personality, and television show host who is best known as the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's reality television show, The Next Food Network Star.[1]
Early life and education
McCargo was born and also grew up in Camden, New Jersey, and is one of six children. He became interested in cooking at age four, when he began baking cakes in his sister's Easy-Bake Oven. He began cooking in his family's kitchen at age seven. He was encouraged by his father, Aaron McCargo, Sr., who is a fine cook, and his mother, Julia, who has a preference for food with a great deal of flavor. He first studied cooking in a home economics class at Pyne Poynt Middle School in Camden and began cooking as a Junior Volunteer in the kitchen of Cooper University Hospital in Camden at age 13. He took further cooking classes at Camden High School, graduating in 1989.[2]
Following his graduation from high school, McCargo took a month-long cake cooking class at Wilton Cake in Audubon, New Jersey, and began selling cakes and cookies throughout Camden. He has worked in nine restaurants in New Jersey (some while doing on-the-job training during his year at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College), including T.G.I. Friday's, Steak 38, Holmes Lounge, the Marlton Tavern, the former Harbour League Club in Camden, and the Armadillo Steakhouse & Saloon in Edgewater Park, as sous chef; he also worked at the Armadillo Steakhouse & Saloon in Barrington. Aaron was introduced to the Burlington County area when he opened Citrus in Westampton Township with Ian Russo.[3]
Professional life
Aaron McCargo Jr. opened his own restaurant, McCargo's Creative Cuisine, in 2003. The restaurant was located across from the U.S. Federal Courthouse on Cooper Street, near Rutgers University in Camden, and closed in 2005. He worked as an executive chef, including at the catering division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he oversaw approximately forty jobs per day. He left his job there on June 6, 2008, due to his demanding television schedule.
Building his career as a renowned American chef, TV host, restaurateur, culinary products expert, and consultant, Aaron competed on and won season four of The Next Food Network Star, winning his own Food Network television show. Big Daddy’s House ranked as the number one “In the Kitchen” weekend show during its initial six-episode run. Food Network renewed the show for five more seasons. On Big Daddy’s House, Aaron shared his passion for big, bold flavors, fun, and family cooking while bringing a down-to-earth vibe and warm smile to the kitchen.
Aaron has made numerous appearances across many of the top television talk shows and food shows including, the Today Show, The Talk, Steve Harvey, Rachel, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, Queen Latifah Show, and hit Food Network shows such as The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Guy’s Grocery Games. Most recently, Aaron served as a regular expert on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue and the spin-off show Back to the Bar and shared his culinary products expertise on QVC with their Cook’s Essentials brand. Outside of television, Aaron is the author of the cookbook, Simply Done, Well Done and has his own spice and sauce line, The Sauce / The Spice. Aaron is also the founder of the nonprofit organization, PlayToWin, a mentoring program that provides services to at-risk male youth ages 14-24. Aaron is a father of three and currently resides in South Jersey.
Personal life
McCargo lives in Southern New Jersey and is the father of 3 children.
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