Graham Elliot facts for kids
Elliot in 2014
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| Born | Graham Elliot Bowles January 4, 1977 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| Education | Johnson & Wales University |
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Graham Elliot Bowles, born on January 4, 1977, is a famous American chef. He is also a restaurateur, meaning he owns and manages restaurants. You might know him from TV!
Graham Elliot became well-known in the cooking world. He was nominated three times for the James Beard Award, which is like the Oscars for chefs! In 2004, Food & Wine magazine called him one of the "Best New Chefs." He was also the youngest chef in the U.S. to get a "four-star" rating from big newspapers like the Chicago Tribune.
On TV, he competed on shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters. He is most famous for being a judge on the first six seasons of the American MasterChef and its fun spin-off, MasterChef Junior.
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Early Life and Food Journey
Graham Elliot was born on January 4, 1977, in Seattle, Washington. He describes himself as a "Navy brat." This means his family moved a lot because his parent was in the Navy. Traveling to all fifty states and around the world made him very interested in food and music. This passion for food led him to study at Johnson & Wales University, a famous culinary school.
Becoming a Top Chef
In 2004, when Graham Elliot was still quite young, Food & Wine magazine named him one of the "Best New Chefs." He was also the youngest chef in the United States to get a "four-star" rating from major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. This happened before he even turned 30!
At just 27 years old, he was the youngest chef in any city to earn a four-star rating. He was also featured on Crain's Chicago Business list of "40 Under Forty." This list highlights successful people under 40 years old. He was on this list alongside former President Barack Obama. Graham Elliot even cooked for President Obama's 49th birthday!
In May 2008, he opened his own restaurant in Chicago. It was a special kind of restaurant that offered "French casual fine dining." This means it served fancy French food in a more relaxed, comfortable setting.
TV Appearances
In 2009, Graham Elliot appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters. On this show, he cooked to support The Heart and Stroke Foundation. He chose this charity because his nephew needed a heart transplant, which made the cause very important to him.
In 2010, the TV series MasterChef started, and Graham Elliot was one of the three main judges. In 2013, a version for kids, MasterChef Junior, was created. Graham Elliot also became a judge on this show. He left both shows in September 2015 after the sixth season of MasterChef finished.
In 2016, he joined another popular cooking show, Top Chef, as a judge.
Awards and Special Recognition
Graham Elliot's restaurant, named "Graham Elliot," received three stars from the Chicago Tribune. It also earned two stars in the 2013 Michelin Guide. The Michelin Guide is a very famous guide that gives out stars to the best restaurants in the world.
He has been nominated for a James Beard Award three times. These awards are considered some of the highest honors for chefs in America.
Other Projects and Collaborations
Besides being a judge on MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, Graham Elliot has also been a judge on Food Network's Cooks vs. Cons. He also made special guest appearances on MasterChef Canada Season 2 and MasterChef Italia Season 3.
Since 2009, he has worked as the Culinary Director for Lollapalooza. This is a huge three-day music festival in Chicago. He cooks for both the public attending the festival and for the performers backstage.
In June 2012, he opened another restaurant called Graham Elliot Bistro in Chicago. This bistro uses classic cooking methods and ingredients to create its own version of American dishes. In the same year, Graham Elliot was named "Chef of the Year" and joined the Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame. Also, the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, declared September 19 "Graham Elliot Day" in the city!
In 2017, Graham Elliot appeared in a TV commercial for a cooking product called the Gotham Steel Double Grill.
Personal Life
Graham Elliot used to live in Chicago with his wife, who is also his business partner, and their three children.
Outside of cooking, Graham Elliot enjoys singing and playing the guitar. He also has a hobby of collecting baseball cards.
In 2013, Graham Elliot decided to make a big change for his health. He had weight loss surgery and started jogging. He lost about 150 pounds (68 kg), reducing his weight to around 250 pounds (113 kg). He explained that he made this decision because he became a father and wanted to be healthier for his children.
