Chef Jeff Mauro has entertained and informed on the Food Network for many years. Last night, he delighted a crowd at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, about 30 minutes west of Chicago.

A native Chicagoan, Mauro worked in a deli in his teens before opening a deli with his cousin. He also honed his acting, comic and musical skills before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his passions. Eventually he moved back to Chicago, enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and graduated as valedictorian.

After multiple attempts, Mauro was cast for Season 7 of Food Network Star in 2011. He beat 14 other contestants to win, going on to host the Emmy-nominated show Sandwich King, which aired for five seasons from 2011 to 2014. Since then, he has co-hosted The Kitchen.

Mauro shared a video presentation of his journey as he supplied humorous commentary. He ended the presentation by making a sandwich. Not just any sandwich, it was a 6-foot Italian sub made the Mauro way.

Although obviously a skilled chef, Mauro is known for his sandwich-making skills. One of his favorite mottos is, “You can make any meal into a sandwich and any sandwich into a meal.”

Upon the conclusion, Mauro stayed for photo ops. Fortunately, I was second in line, because it looked like all 800 or so attendees were in line to meet Mauro.

— John Wroblewski, online writer