Tom Colicchio
Tom Colicchio is a chef, cookbook author and food-access advocate, known to viewers as the head judge and executive producer of Top Chef.
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Latest
Tom’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Bravo
Clarkson Potter
Overview
- From
- Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Work
- Chef, restaurateur, author and television judge
- Restaurant breakthrough
- Co-founded Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in 1994
- On screen
- Top Chef head judge since its 2006 debut
Mini bio
How it started.
Growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom cooked a stuffed eggplant recipe from Cuisine magazine at 13. Early jobs included a swim-club food concession and Burger King before he worked his way into New York restaurant kitchens.
Building a reputation.
He opened Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in 1994, then launched Craft in 2001. Its focus on carefully prepared ingredients helped define his cooking. Craft won the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award in 2002; Tom received Outstanding Chef in 2010.
Beyond the dining room.
Top Chef brought him to television in 2006. His work also includes cookbooks and the 2013 hunger documentary A Place at the Table, which he executive produced. He helped found the Independent Restaurant Coalition and advocates for affordable, nutritious food.
What’s new.
His 2024 memoir and cookbook Why I Cook pairs personal stories with home recipes. A 25th anniversary edition of Think Like a Chef followed in 2025. In June 2026, he closed Craft’s New York flagship after a quarter century.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2025Think Like a Chef, 25th Anniversary EditionAuthor
- 2024Why I CookAuthor, with Joshua David Stein
- 2003Craft of CookingAuthor
- 2000Think Like a ChefAuthor
Screen
- 2024The Pantry, season 2Host
- 2013A Place at the TableExecutive producer and participant
- 2006–presentTop ChefHead judge and executive producer
Awards
Quotes
It's my belief that cooking is a craft.Tom Colicchio, official website
His website introduces his approach to cooking through technique and understanding ingredients.
Trivia
- His first recipe was stuffed eggplant from Cuisine magazine, cooked when he was 13.
- Away from the kitchen, he gardens on Long Island’s North Fork, fishes and plays guitar.
- Why I Cook combines 10 memoir chapters with 60 recipes.
Find Tom
Follow Tom for cooking, restaurant life and food-policy conversations.
Are you Tom Colicchio?
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