MARCUS SAMUELSSON
Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur & Cookbook Author
Celebrated as one of “The Great Chefs of America” by the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Marcus Samuelsson discovered his passion for cooking at a young age alongside his grandmother. After graduating from the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, he apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria and France before coming to the US. At age 24 he was hired as the executive chef of New York City’s Aquavit; just three months later he received his first of two three-star reviews from the New York Times, making him the youngest person to receive the coveted rating. Samuelsson has also been honored by the prestigious James Beard Foundation on multiple occasions including “Rising Star Chef” (1999) and “Best Chef: New York City” (2003). He has also been named one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson now makes his home in New York City. He draws on this international background to create his distinct and diverse cuisine. His collection of successful cookbooks, including Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine (2003), The Soul of a New Cuisine (2006), and New American Table (2009) have won him numerous awards from The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and the James Beard Foundation.
A frequent and popular guest on both the Early Show and the Today Show, Samuelsson is also a presence in online media with bi-monthly culinary segments on AOL’s KitchenDaily.com. He is also featured on the Kraft Big Fork, Little Fork iPad app. Most notably, Samuelsson beat out 21 fellow chefs on the second season of the television competition Top Chef Masters on Bravo, winning $115,000 for the UNICEF Tap Project.
Samuelsson was honored as a Guest Chef at the White House for the Obama administration’s first state dinner welcoming the Prime Minister of India.
He was also a recent speaker at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, discussing how people connect through food and culture, healthy lifestyles and how a creative workspace can help to foster innovation in the workforce.
Samuelsson’s newest restaurant is Red Rooster in Harlem, which celebrates the roots of American cuisine in one of New York City's liveliest and culturally rich neighborhoods.
He was very honored to cook for President Obama again at Red Rooster Harlem, when the President and the Democratic National Committee hosted an intimate fundraising dinner at the restaurant.
Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur & Cookbook Author
Celebrated as one of “The Great Chefs of America” by the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Marcus Samuelsson discovered his passion for cooking at a young age alongside his grandmother. After graduating from the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, he apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria and France before coming to the US. At age 24 he was hired as the executive chef of New York City’s Aquavit; just three months later he received his first of two three-star reviews from the New York Times, making him the youngest person to receive the coveted rating. Samuelsson has also been honored by the prestigious James Beard Foundation on multiple occasions including “Rising Star Chef” (1999) and “Best Chef: New York City” (2003). He has also been named one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson now makes his home in New York City. He draws on this international background to create his distinct and diverse cuisine. His collection of successful cookbooks, including Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine (2003), The Soul of a New Cuisine (2006), and New American Table (2009) have won him numerous awards from The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and the James Beard Foundation.
A frequent and popular guest on both the Early Show and the Today Show, Samuelsson is also a presence in online media with bi-monthly culinary segments on AOL’s KitchenDaily.com. He is also featured on the Kraft Big Fork, Little Fork iPad app. Most notably, Samuelsson beat out 21 fellow chefs on the second season of the television competition Top Chef Masters on Bravo, winning $115,000 for the UNICEF Tap Project.
Samuelsson was honored as a Guest Chef at the White House for the Obama administration’s first state dinner welcoming the Prime Minister of India.
He was also a recent speaker at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, discussing how people connect through food and culture, healthy lifestyles and how a creative workspace can help to foster innovation in the workforce.
Samuelsson’s newest restaurant is Red Rooster in Harlem, which celebrates the roots of American cuisine in one of New York City's liveliest and culturally rich neighborhoods.
He was very honored to cook for President Obama again at Red Rooster Harlem, when the President and the Democratic National Committee hosted an intimate fundraising dinner at the restaurant.