Elizabeth Terry facts for kids
| Born | Elizabeth Bennett 1942/1943 (age 82–83) Salem, Ohio |
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| Cooking style | Cuisine of the Southern United States |
| Spouse | Michael H. Terry (deceased) |
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Elizabeth Terry is a famous American chef. She was best known for her restaurant, Elizabeth on 37th. This popular restaurant was located in Savannah, Georgia. She was the owner and head chef there.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Terry was born in Salem, Ohio. She was the first of six children. Her parents were Gordon Flagg and Nanee Gibbs Bennett. Elizabeth often remembered her grandmother's cooking. Her grandmother lived in Louisiana and made delicious home-cooked meals. These meals influenced Elizabeth from a young age.
In 1966, Terry graduated from Lake Erie College. She earned a degree in psychology. While at college, she met Michael H. Terry. He was studying at a nearby school, Kenyon College. They got married in 1966. After their wedding, they moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Michael was studying at Harvard University at that time.
Elizabeth Terry's Culinary Journey
Before college, Elizabeth Terry had jobs selling bridal clothes. She also worked as a dressmaker in a fabric store. While her husband studied, she worked as a probation officer. She also worked as a lab assistant. After Michael finished his studies, they moved to Atlanta. Their first daughter was born there.
Her husband encouraged her to try something new. Elizabeth started working in a cheese and wine shop. Later, she opened her own lunch shop. It was called Thyme For You. The couple traveled to France six times. Elizabeth learned many cooking techniques from different chefs there.
In 1980, they moved to Savannah. Elizabeth planned to open a sandwich shop. This idea grew into a full restaurant. It was located on the ground floor of a mansion built in 1900. Elizabeth and her family, including a second daughter, lived upstairs.
Opening Elizabeth on 37th
The restaurant, Elizabeth on 37th, opened on May 14, 1981. Before opening, Elizabeth researched old recipes. She found them at the Georgia Historical Society. These were historical recipes from local families.
A year after opening, Atlanta Magazine praised the restaurant. They called it "the finest restaurant anywhere in coastal Georgia." The restaurant won several awards. In 1995, Elizabeth won the James Beard Foundation Award. This was for Best Chef Southeast. She won because she "redefined Southern cuisine" for the 1990s.
Elizabeth Terry was featured in many magazines. These included Food & Wine and Lear's. She was also in Delta Air Lines SKY magazine. In 1996, she wrote a cookbook. It was called Savannah Seasons. She wrote it with her daughter, Alexis. Some of her recipes were in newspapers before. One recipe, for boned shad, was in a book by Craig Claiborne. She had cooked it for him in 1987.
In 1998, the Terrys partnered with Gary and Greg Butch. They were brothers and long-time employees. In the early 2000s, Elizabeth was a visiting chef. She gave cooking demonstrations in New York. She also taught at the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University. By 2005, Elizabeth Terry had retired. The Butch brothers continued to run Elizabeth on 37th. They still used some of Elizabeth's original recipes. After her husband passed away in 2012, Elizabeth moved to the West Coast. She lives near her daughter now.
Awards and Recognition
Elizabeth Terry received several important awards for her cooking.
- 1995 - James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southeast
- 2005 - Barbara Tropp President's Award, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs
