Barbara Lynch (restaurateur) facts for kids
Lynch in 2015
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| Born | South Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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Award(s) won
James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur
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Barbara Lynch is a famous American restaurateur, which means she owns and manages restaurants. She is known for her amazing cooking and for creating successful places to eat. In 2017, Time magazine named her one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People of the Year." This was because of her work in the food world and her efforts to help local communities.
In 2014, Barbara Lynch received a special honor. She was the second woman ever to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. This award celebrates restaurant owners who set very high standards for their businesses.
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Early Life and First Jobs
Barbara Lynch grew up in South Boston. She was the youngest of six children and was raised by her single mother.
When she was 13, Barbara got her first job in a kitchen. She made meals for priests at a church near her home. This experience, along with help from a home economics teacher, made her want to become a chef. Barbara did not finish high school. She believed that if she could cook, she would always have a job.
At 15, Barbara started working as a waitress at the St. Botolph Club in Boston. The chef there, Mario Bonello, was an expert in classic French cooking, like the famous chef Auguste Escoffier. He made people happy with his food. Barbara realized then that she wanted to do the same. She wanted to create wonderful dining experiences for people.
Building a Culinary Career
Barbara Lynch began working with chef Todd English in 1989. In the early 1990s, she became an executive chef for the first time at Rocco's, an Italian restaurant in Boston.
After traveling through Italy to learn more about food, she came back to Boston. She became the executive chef at Galleria Italiana, an Italian restaurant called a trattoria. Soon after, Food & Wine magazine named her one of the “Ten Best New Chefs in America.”
In 1998, Barbara Lynch opened her very first restaurant, No. 9 Park. It was located near the Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House.
In 2006, she opened a store called Plum Produce. It sold fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Barbara Lynch Gruppo is her group of businesses. It has about 220 employees and earns a lot of money each year. Barbara oversees several popular restaurants and a catering company. These include:
- No. 9 Park, a well-known restaurant.
- Sportello, a place famous for pasta.
- Drink, a bar known for its special cocktails.
- B&G Oysters, a seafood restaurant.
- The Butcher Shop, which is a meat counter and a cafe.
- Menton, a fancy dining spot.
- Stir, a kitchen where she teaches cooking classes.
Barbara Lynch also helps different groups in Boston. For example, in 2011, she and her team started a program. It taught healthy eating habits to students in schools that needed extra support.
In October 2024, it was announced that all of Barbara Lynch's restaurants would close by the end of the year.
Awards and Special Honors
Barbara Lynch has won many important awards for her work in the food world. These include several James Beard Awards:
- In 2013, she won for being a "who's who" in American food and drink.
- In 2012, No. 9 Park won for its excellent wine program.
- In 2003, she won "best chef in the Northeast" for her work at No. 9 Park.
After No. 9 Park opened, Bon Appétit magazine called it one of the “Top 25 New Restaurants in America.” Food & Wine magazine also named it “Best New Restaurant.”
Barbara Lynch is the only female "grand chef" in North America for Relais & Châteaux. This is a group of very fancy hotels and restaurants around the world.
In 2009, she received the Amelia Earhart Award. This award honors women who have achieved great things.
Her first cookbook, Stir: Mixing It Up in The Italian Tradition, won an award in 2009 for being the best chef cookbook in the U.S. In April 2017, Barbara Lynch released a book about her life called "Out of Line, A Life playing with Fire."
Personal Life
Barbara Lynch lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She is a first cousin of Stephen Lynch. He is a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.
Images for kids
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Lynch in 2015
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No. 9 Park overlooks Boston Common
