William Todd English (born August 29, 1960) is an American

celebrity chef A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in printed publications. While television ...

, restaurateur, author, and television personality, based in Boston, Massachusetts. He hosted the TV cooking show, ''Food Trip with Todd English,'' on PBS. In 2005 he was a judge on the PBS show '' Cooking Under Fire''. His life and career received a chapter in '' Super Chef'' by Juliette Rossant, who had written previously about English for the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list. Todd English also works as lead chef for

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

(US).

Early life and career

English was born in

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, grew up in

Sandy Springs, Georgia Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, i ...

and later

Branford, Connecticut Branford is a shoreline New England town, town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, about east of downtown New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven. The population was 28,273 at the 2020 United Sta ...

. He matriculated at

Guilford College Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

on a baseball scholarship but quit and entered the

Culinary Institute of America Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...

in 1978 and graduated in 1982.Cf. Rossant (2004), p.95Atkinson, Kim
"Being Todd English"
, ''Boston'' magazine, May 2006 He worked under Jean-Jacques Rachou at New York's

La Cote Basque LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...

, and then moved to Italy to work at several restaurants there. He returned to the United States at age 25 and served as the executive chef of the Italian restaurant Michela's in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

for three years before opening the original Olives restaurant in 1989.

Personal life

English has been married once to Olivia Disch English, his classmate at the Culinary Institute of America, but they divorced; the couple has three children. He was engaged to Erica Wang in 2009, but the wedding was called off.

Restaurants

Olives

English's first restaurant, Olives, opened in the Charlestown neighborhood of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in April 1989. The restaurant's name is a tribute to his then-wife, Olivia. The food is "rustic Mediterranean," with a strong influence from

Italian cuisine Italian cuisine (, ) is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp.101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes and List of cooking techniques, cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula and late ...

. The restaurant was named Best New Restaurant by ''

'' magazine and has been honored as Best Food and Top Table by ''

Gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, of ...

'' magazine. Olives is known for two signature desserts – a

molten chocolate cake Molten chocolate cake is a dessert that consists of a chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate core. It is named for that molten center, and it is also known as chocolate ''coulant'' ("flowing"), chocolate lava cake, or simply lava cake. It sho ...

and a

vanilla bean Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla ('' V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from which ...

soufflé A soufflé is a baked egg-based dish originating in France in the early eighteenth century. Combined with various other ingredients, it can be served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word soufflé is the past participle of t ...

– which must be ordered with the main meal. The Health Department has cited Olives for sanitation discrepancies and animal waste hazards. In October 1998, Olives opened in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas; It closed in 2019. In May 2010, Olives was closed due to damage done by a

grease fire In fire classes, a Class B fire is a fire in flammable liquids or flammable gases, petroleum greases, tars, oils, oil-based paints, solvents, lacquers, or alcohols. For example, propane, natural gas, gasoline and kerosene fires are types of Class ...

. This was the third time the Charlestown eatery was closed due to fire damage since 2001. In May 2012, the Charlestown Olives reopened. In June 2013, the Charlestown Olives closed for good. A second Olives was opened in 2001 at

W New York - Union Square The W New York Union Square is a 270-room, 21-story boutique hotel operated by W Hotels at the northeast corner of Park Avenue South and 17th Street, across from Union Square in Manhattan, New York. Originally known as the Germania Life Insura ...

Union Square Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, but was closed in 2015. In February 2013, Olives opened in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. The remaining Olives are the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...

and the Ritz-Carlton Canal (hotel and resort) in

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

. In 2021, Olives opened in Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

Figs

Figs is the name of two pizzerias in the Boston area, one in the Beacon Hill neighborhood and another in Charlestown. Figs offers authentic

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

-style pizzas with very thin crusts, served on inverted sheet pans, as well as

salads A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

and pastas. Figs won the "Hot Concept" award from '' Nation's Restaurant News'' magazine.

Other restaurants

English's other restaurants include: * The Beast by Todd English, at AREA15 in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. * Bonfire, a

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...

in Boston and New York * Todd English, an alternative restaurant aboard the luxury

RMS Queen Mary 2 RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' (also referred to as the ''QM2'') is a British transatlantic ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of Cunard Line since succeeding ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' in 2004. As of 2022, ''Queen Mary 2'' is the only ocean liner ...

, and MS Queen Victoria * BlueZoo, a restaurant at the

Walt Disney World Dolphin The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a resort hotel located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is the sister resort of the Walt Disney World Swan. Both hotels were designed by Michae ...

Hotel in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

* Da Campo Osteria, in the Il Lugano Hotel in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, featuring views of the intracoastal waterway * Todd English, P.U.B in the Aria Casino in

. * Todd English, P.U.B. in the Uptown Entertainment District in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. * Fig's at The Macys at the Gardens Mall,

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida, 77 miles north of downtown Miami. , the population was 59,182. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6 ...

* Plaza Food Hall at the

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, a ...

* Figs at 29 Fair in

Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

* Tuscany at Mohegan Sun Casino in

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

* Ember Room in

* Taylor Sine's Pool Noodle House * Ça Va at the

Intercontinental Hotel Intercontinental is an adjective to describe something which relates to more than one continent. Intercontinental may also refer to: * Intercontinental ballistic missile, a long-range guided ballistic missile * InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG ...

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

, New York * MXDC, a Mexican restaurant in downtown

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

* The Food Hall, formerly Todd English Food Hall Manila or Food Hall by Todd English, in

SM Aura SM Aura Premier is a large upscale shopping mall located along McKinley Parkway corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Metro Manila, Philippines, owned by SM Prime Holdings, the country's largest mall developer. It is the 13th SM S ...

Taguig City Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

** Flatterie ** The Grill ** Hook ** Pound * The Pepper Club in the downtown Las Vegas Arts District

Books

English has authored or co-authored four cookbooks: ''The Olives Table'', ''The Figs Table'', ''The Olives Dessert Table'', with Sally Sampson, and ''Cooking in Everyday English'', published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

and Time Home Entertainment Inc.

Net Worth

The net worth of Todd English is $18.5 million, and he is the 9th highest-earning chef in the world as of 2020.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:English, Todd American television chefs American male chefs 1960 births Living people American food writers American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Texas Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni Writers from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Amarillo, Texas People from Boston People from Sandy Springs, Georgia James Beard Foundation Award winners