Graham Elliot | |
|---|---|
 Elliot in 2014 | |
| Born | Graham Elliot Bowles January 4, 1977 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Education | Johnson & Wales University |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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Television show(s) | |
Graham Elliot Bowles (born January 4, 1977) is an American chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality. He first gained recognition in the restaurant business as a three-time nominee for the James Beard Award. In 2004, he was named to Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs" list, and became the youngest chef in the United States to receive four stars from a major publication (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times).[1]
Among television viewers, he gained fame as a contestant on the programs Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters, and as a judge on the first six seasons of the American MasterChef and its spinoff, MasterChef Junior.
Elliot was born on January 4, 1977 in Seattle, Washington.[2][3] A self-described "Navy brat", Elliot has traveled the world and all fifty states,[4] sparking an intense interest in food and music, which led him to attend Johnson & Wales University.[3]
In 2004, Elliot was named to Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs" list, and he became the youngest chef in the States to receive four stars from a major publication (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times) before the age of 30.[1]
At the age of 27 he was the youngest four-star chef to be named in any city, also earning himself a spot on Crain's Chicago Business list of "40 Under Forty", alongside President Barack Obama, for whom Elliot cooked on the President's 49th birthday.[5]
In May 2008, he opened his eponymous restaurant, which was the first French casual fine dining restaurant in Chicago.[6]
In 2009, Elliot appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters. In the show, he cooked for The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a charity with which he became associated as a result of his nephew's need for a heart transplant.
In 2010, the series MasterChef premiered, with Elliot as one of the three judges. In 2013, the series spun off a child version of the program, MasterChef Junior, on which Elliot also was featured as a judge. He left the franchise in September 2015, following the completion of season 6 of the parent program.[7]
Graham Elliot Restaurant received three stars from the Chicago Tribune, and two stars in the 2013 Michelin Guide.[9]
He has been nominated for a James Beard Award three times.[10]
In addition to being judge and host of MasterChef and MasterChef Junior from 2010 to 2016, Graham has also been a judge on Food Network's Cooks vs. Cons hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian.[11][12] He also appeared as a special guest in MasterChef Canada Season 2, Episode 9 and MasterChef Italia Season 3, Episode 9.
He has worked as the Culinary Director at Lollapalooza, a three-day music festival in Chicago, every year since 2009, where he has cooked for both the public as well as backstage for the performers.[4]
In June 2012, he opened Graham Elliot Bistro in Chicago's West Loop. The bistro uses traditional techniques and ingredients to showcase its take on classic American cuisine.[13] That same year, Elliot was named Chef of the Year and inducted into the Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame.[14] Additionally, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proclaimed September 19 "Graham Elliot Day" in the city of Chicago.[15]
In 2017, Elliot was in an infomercial for the Gotham Steel Double Grill.[16]
Elliot resided in Morgan Park on the south side of Chicago with wife/business partner and his three children.
Elliot sings and plays guitar.[12] He also collects baseball cards.[17]
In 2013, Elliot underwent weight loss surgery and took up jogging, losing 150 pounds (68 kg) and reducing his weight to 250 pounds (110 kg), explaining the decision as a response to becoming a father.[18][19]
