Graham Elliot | |
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![]() Elliot in 2014 | |
Born | Graham Elliot Bowles January 4, 1977 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Education | Johnson & Wales University |
Culinary career | |
Previous 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]