One of the most decorated, respected, and charismatic chefs in the world, Todd English has enjoyed a staggering amount of accolades during his remarkable career. His accomplishments include recognition by several of the food industry’s most prestigious publications, establishing one of the best-known restaurant brands in the nation, publishing three critically acclaimed cookbooks, and being recognized as one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.”
In Spring of 1991, English caught the culinary world’s eye when the James Beard Foundation named him their National Rising Star Chef. English followed through on that promise, as the James Beard Foundation subsequently named him Best Chef in the Northeast in 1994. Nation’s Restaurant News named English one of their “Top 50 Tastemakers” in 1999. In 2001, English was awarded Bon Appetit’s Restaurateur of the Year award and was also named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. Todd has recently been named to the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America.”
Todd is currently the chef and owner of Olives in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Olives opened in April of 1989 as a 50-seat storefront restaurant. It has drawn national and international applause for English’s interpretive rustic Mediterranean cuisine. Olives now occupies a larger space down the street from its original location in Charlestown, Massachusetts. In recent years, English has established Olives as one of the most prestigious names in the nation by opening other locations around the world: Olives New York in the W Hotel in Union Square, Olives Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Olives DC in the heart of Washington, DC, and Olives Aspen at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, Colorado.
English also has three Figs restaurants in the greater Boston area and two locations at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Figs serves traditional and eclectic pizzas and handmade pastas. Among English’s other restaurants are Tuscany at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, which serves Italian inspired foods and pays homage to his Italian roots; Bonfire, a steakhouse in Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel that is a celebration of ranch cooking around the world from the U.S. to Australia; and KingFish Hall, Todd’s first seafood concept, in Boston’s Historic Faneuil Hall. Todd’s second seafood concept, Fish Club, at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront opened in the spring of 2003. In early 2004 Todd added two more locations to his repertoire: the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 welcomed the restaurant Todd English, and Orlando hosts BlueZoo at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Dolphin Hotel. Todd’s first addition for 2005 is another New York establishment called English is Italian in Manhattan. The restaurant is a prix fixed, menu-less concept where diners can sample an array of Italian cuisine for one price.
Like English himself, his restaurants have received numerous accolades. The original Olives opened to immediate acclaim, as it was voted Best New Restaurant by Boston Magazine. Since then, it has been honored as Best Food and Top Table by Gourmet Magazine and is consistently named Boston’s #1 Favorite Restaurant by Zagat. Figs was given the “Hot Concept” award from Nation’s Restaurant News. KingFish Hall was named “Best of Boston” by Travel & Leisure Magazine.
Todd English began his cooking career at the young age of 15 when he first entered the doors of a professional kitchen. At 20, he attended the Culinary Institute of America and graduated in 1982 with honors.
He continued to hone his craft with Jean Jacques Rachou at New York’s La Cote Basque and then relocated to Italy.