Graham Elliot

Graham Elliot^[1] (born Graham Elliot Bowles, January 4, 1977)^[2][3] is an American chef, based in Chicago, Illinois.

Early life

Graham Elliot Bowles was born in Seattle, Washington, as a self-described "Navy brat".^[4][5] He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and started out in the food business as a dishwasher and bus boy.^[3] He attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University.^[5]

Career

Elliot's first position following culinary school was at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, a five diamond/five-star property in Dallas, working under Chef Dean Fearing. He then went to The Jackson House Inn & Restaurant in Woodstock, Vermont. It was there that he was named one of the ten Best New Chefs of 2004 by Food & Wine Magazine.^[6][7] Elliot then moved to Chicago to work under the famed Charlie Trotter and Rick Tramonto at TRU. He later worked at Avenues at The Peninsula hotel, also in Chicago, where he received numerous accolades. Under Elliot, Avenue earned a four-star rating from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago magazine as well as a AAA Five Diamond Award.

In 2007, Elliot faced off against Iron Chef Bobby Flay on the TV show Iron Chef America, with the secret ingredient of chocolate. Elliot narrowly lost to Flay by a total score of 49-47. He afterwards appeared on Today.^[4]

In May 2008, he opened his first restaurant, the eponymous Graham Elliot, which was the first bistronomic restaurant in Chicago.^[7] It received three stars from the Chicago Tribune and two stars in the 2013 Michelin Guide.^[8] The restaurant is one of just three restaurants in the city to currently hold two Michelin stars. (Only two Chicago restaurants have received the top honor of three stars.) In 2009, he appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters. In the show, he cooked for The Heart and Stroke Foundation due to his nephew needing a heart transplant.

He has been nominated for a James Beard Award three times.^[9]

In 2010, Elliot became a judge on the US version of the reality show MasterChef, along with Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich. He also opened his second Chicago restaurant, Grahamwich. He appeared as the Culinary Ambassador at Lollapalooza 2010, a three-day music festival in Chicago, where he cooked for both the public as well as backstage for the performers. Chicago Magazine published an article in which writer Cassie Walker, based on samples served at what had been intended as a tasting party for members of the media, unflatteringly described Elliot's menu offerings.^[10] Elliot responded by delivering a profane tweet^[11] insulting the magazine.^[12] Despite this incident, Elliott was invited to serve Lollapalooza again in 2011.^[13]

In 2013, he was also a judge for the cooking competition television series Junior MasterChef.^[14]

Elliot opened Primary Food & Drink in the highly affluent New York suburb of Greenwich, CT in December 2013. The restaurant received a Good rating from the New York Times and was closed in June 2014, barely open for half a year. ^[15]

Personal life

Elliot and his wife Allie have two sons, Conrad and Jedediah Lindsay.^[16] Elliot has another son, Mylo, from a previous marriage.^[17]

In the summer of 2010, he changed his name professionally "after a lifetime of confusion and typos", according to his publicist.^[1]

In 2013, Elliot underwent weight loss surgery, which allowed him over the following year to drop 150 pounds (68 kg), going from over 400 lb (180 kg) to 255 lb (116 kg).^[18]

In October 2014, he and his wife ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. They both finished with 6:00:40 elapsed times. It was the first marathon for both.

References