Thomas McNaughton facts for kids
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| Born | October 9, 1983 Tabernacle Township, New Jersey, United States |
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| Cooking style | California cuisine |
| Education | Culinary Institute of America |
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Current restaurant(s)
"flour+water" (San Francisco, California); "flour+water pizzeria" (San Francisco, California); "penny roma" (San Francisco, California); "flour + water pasta shop" (San Francisco, California)
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Thomas McNaughton (born October 9, 1983) is an American chef, restaurateur (someone who owns or manages restaurants), and cookbook writer. He is a co-founder of the Flour + Water Hospitality Group. This group runs popular restaurants like Flour + Water, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop, and Flour + Water Pizzeria in San Francisco, California.
Thomas works closely with local farmers. He has built strong relationships with them over 15 years. This helps him create menus that use fresh, in-season ingredients. His restaurants are known for these special menus.
Thomas has been recognized many times for his cooking. The James Beard Foundation, which gives out famous awards for chefs, nominated him three times for the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award (2010, 2011, 2013). In 2011, Forbes magazine named him one of the 30 most important people under 30 in the food world.
Contents
Becoming a Chef
Thomas McNaughton was born in Tabernacle Township, New Jersey. He was the youngest of four children. His dad owned a plant nursery, and his mom owned a furniture store.
When he was a teenager, Thomas worked at the Medford Lakes Country Club. He started as a dishwasher but quickly moved up to cook. This is where he discovered how much he loved cooking and being in a busy kitchen. By age 17, he knew that cooking was what he wanted to do.
In 2001, Thomas started studying at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. In 2002, he moved to the Bay Area. He worked with Chef Roland Passot at a restaurant called La Folie. Here, he learned the basics of French cooking. He also got to see the exciting restaurant scene in San Francisco.
After graduating in 2003, Thomas moved to San Francisco for good. He became a sous chef (a head assistant chef) at two well-known restaurants: Gary Danko and Quince.
Thomas also traveled around Europe to learn more about cooking. He worked in France, Germany, and Italy. During his travels, he became very interested in Italian cooking styles. He learned how to cure meat and make pasta in Bologna, Italy. These skills are still a big part of how he cooks today.
His Restaurants
Flour + Water
After his time in Italy, Thomas looked for new opportunities in San Francisco. He teamed up with David White and David Steele to open a new Italian restaurant. They planned the restaurant over the phone while Thomas was still in Bologna.
The restaurant, called Flour + Water, opened in May 2009. Thomas wanted to combine Italian cooking methods with fresh ingredients from Northern California. Even though they expected a quiet start, Flour + Water was a huge hit right away!
Flour + Water has won many awards. The James Beard Foundation nominated it for Best New Restaurant in 2010. In 2011, GQ Magazine said it was one of the 10 best restaurants of the year. Many other magazines and newspapers have also praised Flour + Water.
Penny Roma
After Flour + Water became so popular, Thomas and his partners opened Central Kitchen in May 2012. It was located near Flour + Water. This restaurant focused on new Californian cuisine, using local and sustainable ingredients. Central Kitchen had a menu that changed often. It allowed Thomas to show off his fine dining skills while still using local produce.
Central Kitchen was very popular with both critics and the public. In 2013, GQ Magazine named it one of the 12 most amazing restaurants of the year. It was also mentioned in many other national and local publications.
In October 2021, Penny Roma opened in the same spot. It continues to offer delicious Italian-inspired dishes.
Flour + Water Pasta Shop
The Flour + Water Pasta Shop is a great place for lunch. It's also a shop where you can buy bottles of wine and a space where the team makes pasta. Here, you can see the chefs making fresh pasta, sauces, and more every day.
You can get sandwiches and hot pasta dishes until 3:30 PM. You can enjoy them in the courtyard that is shared with Penny Roma. In the evenings, the space becomes part of the Penny Roma dining room. You can even sit at the counter and watch the team make pasta by hand while you eat!
Awards and Recognition
- Best New Restaurant nominee (Flour + Water), James Beard Foundation, 2010
- San Francisco's Best Pizza, Sunset Magazine, 2010
- Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee, James Beard Foundation, 2011
- One of the 10 Best New Restaurants in America (Flour + Water), GQ, 2011
- One of the 30 Most Influential Personalities in the Food and Beverage World (under 30), Forbes, 2011
- Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee, James Beard Foundation, 2012
- One of the Best Italian Restaurants in the US (Flour + Water), Travel+Leisure, 2012
- Empire Builder, Food&Wine Magazine, 2012
- Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee, James Beard Foundation, 2013
- Top 100 Restaurants in San Francisco (Flour + Water, Central Kitchen), San Francisco Chronicle, 2013
- Best New Restaurant in San Francisco (Central Kitchen), Conde Nast Traveler, 2013
- One of the 12 Most Outstanding Restaurants (Central Kitchen), GQ, 2013
