Booking Todd English

Todd English Biography

The American celebrity chef Todd English was born in 1960 in Amarillo, Texas, but spent his formative years growing up in Connecticut. English initially had aspirations to play professional baseball, and so at first he attended Guilford College on an athletic scholarship. But within a year he’d decided instead to pursue a career in the culinary arts, attending the Culinary Institute of America from 1978 to 1982.

After graduation, Todd English went to work first at La Cote Basque, under the tutelage of chef Jean-Jacques Rachou. He then spent some time working at restaurants throughout Italy before returning to the United States to settle in Massachusetts. Here, he first worked as executive chef for Michela’s, in Cambridge, before opening his own restaurant, Olives, In Boston.

Since opening the first Olives location, Todd English has gone on to open additional Olives restaurants in New York City, Mexico City, and Las Vegas. Additional restaurants by English include: Figs, two pizzerias in Boston; Beso, in partnership with Eva Longoria in Las Vegas and Los Angeles; Kingfish, in Boston; Bonfire, in Boston and New York; BlueZoo, in Orlando, Florida; Da Campo Osteria, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and the Ember Room in New York City.

Over the years, Todd English has authored multiple cookbooks, mostly inspired by the cuisine and recipes at his various restaurants. Todd English can frequently be seen on various cooking shows; his own show, Food Trip with Todd English, premiered on PBS in 2007 and continues to run on the network today.