Tanya Holland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tanya Holland

Born	(1965-07-14) July 14, 1965 (age 59) Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Cooking style	New Soul
Education	University of Virginia, La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine
Spouse	Phil Surkis (2007–2016)
Previous restaurant(s) Brown Sugar Kitchen, Oakland, California (2008–2022) B-Side BBQ, Oakland, California (2011–2015), Brown Sugar Kitchen, San Francisco, California (2019–2020), Town Fare, Oakland, California (2021–2022)

Tanya Holland (born July 14, 1965) is a famous American chef, restaurant owner, and writer. She also hosts a podcast and writes cookbooks. Tanya is especially known for her amazing soul food dishes. You might recognize her from Bravo TV's show Top Chef, where she was a contestant on the 15th season. She used to own a popular restaurant called Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California, which won many awards.

Tanya has written two cookbooks, "New Soul Cooking" and "Brown Sugar Kitchen." Her third book, "California Soul," came out in 2022. She is also part of the James Beard Foundation, which celebrates great food and chefs. Tanya often speaks about making the food industry fair for everyone. In 2020, she started her own show called Tanya’s Table Podcast.

Early Life and Learning

Tanya Holland was born on July 14, 1965, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, Annette and Hollis Holland, loved to cook. When Tanya was two, her family moved to Rochester, New York.

Her parents really helped her love for cooking grow. Her dad was from rural Virginia and her mom from Louisiana, which influenced their cooking. When Tanya was eight, her parents started a cooking club with friends. They would try foods from all over the world, like French, Mexican, Indian, and Southern dishes. This helped Tanya learn about many different types of food early on.

Tanya finished high school in 1983. She then went to the University of Virginia, where she studied Russian Language and Literature and graduated in 1987. Later, she went to a special cooking school in Burgundy, France, called La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine. She earned a Grand Diploma there in 1992.

Starting Her Cooking Journey

Tanya began her career in restaurants in New York City. She worked as an assistant manager at places like Cornelia Street Café. She also managed catering, helped with wine, and served food. Eventually, she decided she wanted to be a chef in the kitchen.

While in France, she trained with famous chefs like Michel Sarran and Jean-Michel Bouvier. This helped her learn advanced cooking skills.

Becoming a Chef

In 1994, Tanya returned to work as a cook at Mesa Grill. She also helped with food styling, making food look great for magazines like Food and Wine.

She spent time cooking at restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard Island and in Boston. She became an Executive Chef at The Delux Café in Boston and The Victory Kitchen in Brooklyn, where her cooking received good reviews.

Cooking in California

In 2002, Tanya moved to Berkeley, California, to work as a Creative Director. Since 2003, she has lived in Oakland, California. In 2008, she opened her first restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen, in West Oakland. It quickly became famous for dishes like chicken and waffles, oyster po’boys, and BBQ shrimp & grits.

After 10 years, Brown Sugar Kitchen moved to a new spot in Downtown Oakland in 2019. It closed in 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tanya also owned a barbecue restaurant called B-Side BBQ from 2011 to 2015. She opened another Brown Sugar Kitchen location in the San Francisco Ferry Building in 2019, which was open until 2020. From 2021 to 2022, she ran Town Fare, a cafe inside the Oakland Museum of California.

Her Restaurants

Here are some of the restaurants Tanya Holland has owned:

• Brown Sugar Kitchen (2008–2019; moved), Oakland, California
• Brown Sugar Kitchen (2019–2022), Oakland, California
• B-Side BBQ (2011–2015), Oakland, California
• Brown Sugar Kitchen (2019–2020), San Francisco, California
• Town Fare (2021–2022), Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California

Writing and Podcast Work

Tanya has written for many magazines, including Food and Wine and Signature Bride. She has also been featured in major publications like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and O Magazine.

In 2020, she launched her podcast, Tanya's Table Podcast. On the show, she talks with interesting guests like other chefs, musicians, and actors. Some famous guests have included Samin Nosrat, Questlove, and Alice Waters.

Sharing Her Knowledge

Tanya loves to teach others about cooking. In 1998, she taught at the Cambridge Culinary Institute in Massachusetts. She still teaches at cooking schools across the country, including places like Whole Foods.

She has even been a "Culinary Diplomat" for the United States, teaching classes in countries like Kazakhstan and Mexico. Tanya also helps design menus for Stanford University's dining halls.

TV Appearances

Tanya Holland has appeared on many TV shows. In 2017, she was a contestant on Top Chef, where she finished 9th. In 2020, she hosted her own show on the OWN network called "Tanya's Kitchen Table."

Here are some of the TV shows she has been on:

• MasterChef (2021)
• Tanya's Kitchen Table (2020)
• Selena + Chef (2020)
• Iron Chef (2017)
• Top Chef (season 15, 2017–2018)
• Home & Family (2015–2017)
• CBS This Morning (2016)
• The Talk (2013–2015 & 2020)
• The Chew (2013)
• My Momma Throws Down (2012)
• Eye on the Bay & Check Please! Bay Area (2008–2010)
• Soul Cities (2009)
• G. Garvin's Road Tour (2008)
• Byron Allen's Every Woman (2005)
• The Wayne Brady Show (2004)
• The Jane Pauley Show (2004)
• Sara Moulton's Cooking Live (2001)
• Emeril's Holiday Special & Ready Set Cook (2001)
• Melting Pot Soul Kitchen (2000–2003)
• Today Show (2000)

Awards and Recognitions

Tanya Holland has received many awards for her cooking and restaurants:

• "Bib Gourmand" from the Michelin Guide (2010 and 2018)
• "Michelin Recommended" from the Michelin Guide (2012)
• "Best Soul Food" from Oakland Magazine (2009 and 2010)
• "Best Southern/Soul Food" from East Bay Express (2009 and 2010)
• "Best New Barbecue in America" from Food & Wine Magazine (2012)
• "Best New Barbecue in USA" from Travel & Leisure Magazine (2013)
• "Woman Entrepreneur of the Year" by Women's Initiative (2013)
• "Best Barbecue in America" by Ebony Magazine (2014)

The mayor of Oakland, Jean Quan, and the city council even declared June 5, 2012, as "Tanya Holland Day." This was to celebrate her important role in making Oakland a famous place for food.

Tanya was also named "2013 Restaurateur/Chef of the Year" by the California Travel Association. In 2013, she became a co-president of a special cooking group called Les Dames d’Escoffier in San Francisco. She was also given the Key to the City of Oakland by Mayor Jean Quan in 2014.