Nilou Motamed is an Iranian-born American magazine editor and television personality. She was born on April 19, 1971, in Iran. She is a recurring judge on the television series '' Iron Chef''. Motamed is the former Editor-in-Chief of ''

Food & Wine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and season ...

'' magazine and Condé Nast's ''

Epicurious ''Epicurious'' is an American digital brand that focuses on food and cooking-related topics. Created by Condé Nast in 1995, it is headquartered at the One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, where it is part of the publisher's Foo ...

.''

Early life

Motamed was born in Tehran and spent her childhood in Iran. Her family fled to Paris after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

, then to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

when she was a teenager. She attended

Binghamton University The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public university, public research university with campuses in Binghamton, New York, Binghamton, Vestal, New York, Vestal, and Johnson City, New Yor ...

in upstate New York and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, earning dual degrees in Political Science and Philosophy. Motamed is fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Persian.

Career

In 2000, Motamed joined the staff at ''

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly Wyndham Destinations, Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation) is an American timeshare company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It develops, sells, and manages timeshare properties under several vacation ownershi ...

'' as Associate Editor; she was soon promoted to Food Editor and ultimately to Features Director & Senior Correspondent. For 14 years Motamed also directed Travel + Leisure's culinary and restaurants coverage. She was the instigator of the magazine's annual "Food & Travel" issue, along with the "Eat Like a Local" special. Her ''Travel + Leisure'' food coverage was nominated for eight James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. In collaboration with CNN, she created ''Travel + Leisure's'' "Eat Like a Local" special, combining print, digital, social, and broadcast in a global food platform. She has hosted several TV series, including the restaurant review show ''Reservations Required'' and Travel Channel's undercover series ''Travel Spies'', appearing on outlets ranging from CNN to NBC's '' Today'' and '' CBS This Morning''. In 2013, Motamed was named editor-in-chief of ''

'', Condé Nast's digital food site. In 2015, she became the first-ever Director of Inspiration for Conrad Hotels & Resorts, where she reimagined the guest experience and concierge programs for 24 luxury hotel properties around the globe Motamed created and curated the brand's "1/3/5" collection of local experiences. In 2016, Motamed took charge of Time Inc.'s ''

'', overseeing editorial operations and content for an audience of more than 12 million. As editor-in-chief, Motamed managed all of F&W's tentpole franchises and partnerships, including the annual Best New Chefs showcase and the millennial food site FWx. Beginning with Season 5 in 2008, Motamed has appeared often as a guest on Bravo's award-winning series '' Top Chef''. For Season 16, set in Kentucky, she took on a more official role as recurring judge.

Recognition

Motamed has been a panelist for the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards since 2007. She has been profiled in '' The New York Times''. and was named one of AdWeek's "30 Most Influential People in Food".

Personal life

Motamed met her husband magazine journalist Peter Jon Lindberg in 2000 while both were working at ''Travel + Leisure'' magazine.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Motamed, Nilou American chefs Binghamton University alumni American women chefs People from New York City People from Tehran College of Sorbonne alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American magazine editors Women magazine editors Iranian expatriates in France Iranian emigrants to the United States 21st-century American women Iranian chefs