Bryan Voltaggio, at left, with his brother, Michael Voltaggio

Chef brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio shot to the front of the celebrity chef pack in 2009, when they were the top two finalists of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” program.

Before appearing on “Top Chef,” Bryan already had achieved critical acclaim as the chef at Volt, a fine-dining restaurant in the Voltaggios’ hometown of Frederick, Md.

Michael, meanwhile, was the first chef at The Bazaar, José Andrés’ Los Angeles concept. He has spent the past year working on his own restaurant, ink., also in Los Angeles, which is about a month old.

Although they live on opposite coasts, the brothers work together on their celebrity chef careers, making TV appearances and promoting their new book, Volt ink., while also running their restaurants.

In a two-part interview, Nation’s Restaurant News senior food editor Bret Thorn spoke with the Voltaggio brothers.

RELATED: Q&A Part II: Bryan and Michael Voltaggio

Bryan, what do you call the food at Volt?

Bryan Voltaggio: I call it “modern American.” We’re trying to be responsible with our ingredients, we’re trying to apply modern techniques, if you want to call them modern.

I had an amuse-bouche there, a macaroon with foie gras, but it was lighter than a macaroon. How did you make that?

Bryan: We use egg-white powder and methylcellulose, which is a hydrocolloid that gels when heated and then crisps when it cools and helps maintain the macaroon’s shape. It’s a little snack that we’ve been doing for a long time. It’s a nice little first bite.