Todd Gray (chef) facts for kids

Todd Gray is a well-known American chef. He is the head chef and co-owner of two restaurants in Washington, D.C.. One is called Equinox on 19th, and the other is Manna. Manna is a special restaurant located inside the Museum of the Bible.

About Chef Todd Gray

Todd Gray was born in Washington, D.C.. When he first went to college at the University of Richmond, he studied art. But he soon realized his true passion was cooking! So, he decided to switch his studies to the culinary arts. He went to a famous cooking school called the Culinary Institute of America.

After cooking school, Todd worked as an intern in many popular kitchens. An intern is someone who learns on the job from experienced professionals. He spent four years learning how to cook French food from a chef named Robert Greault. Then, he spent seven years learning Italian cooking from another chef, Roberto Donna. This experience helped him become a very skilled chef.

Todd Gray has been nominated five times for the James Beard Award. This award is like the "Oscars" for chefs in America. He also wrote a cookbook called The New Jewish Table with his wife, Ellen Kassoff Gray.

In 2018, Chef Gray started serving a unique food at his restaurant, Manna. It was a sweet resin, which is a sticky substance, from plants found in the Middle East. Many people believe this resin is the same "manna" mentioned in the Bible. It was a very interesting idea for a restaurant!

Todd Gray on TV

Chef Todd Gray has appeared on several TV shows. He was the host of an episode of a show called Chefs A' Field. He also appeared as a guest on Tyler's Ultimate.

In 2016, he was a contestant on the cooking competition show Beat Bobby Flay. He competed against other chefs, but he lost to Bobby Flay in the second round. He also appeared on an episode of "Guy's Grocery Games," another fun cooking show.

Awards and Special Recognition

Todd Gray has received many awards and honors for his amazing cooking. Here are some of them:

• James Beard Foundation: He was nominated 5 times for Best Chef.
• Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Association
• Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY Award: He won for Best Fine Dining Restaurant and Chef of the Year.
• Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants
• DiRoNA Award for Fine Dining
• Washington Post’s Top 50 restaurants
• Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
• Town & Country’s Best Restaurant in Washington, DC
• Conde Nast’s 60 Hot Tables
• Bon Appetit’s Top Tables
• Esquire’s Best New Restaurants
• Gourmet’s America’s Top Tables, Newcomer