Tyler Florence
Chef, TV Host, Cookbook Author
If you’ve ever seen Food 911, Tyler’s Ultimate or How to Boil Water on the Food Network, you’ll know where the expression “good looking and good cooking” comes from. But Tyler Florence is much more than a pretty face – he’s a professionally trained chef who has the credibility as well as the charisma to cook the finest cuisine and help home chefs elevate their culinary abilities.
His first job in the food service business was at the age of 15, washing dishes at a restaurant in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. He was so impressed by the chef that he decided to pursue a culinary career, and in 1991 graduated with honors from the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University. The following year he moved to New York and had the opportunity to work with some of the best chefs in the city, eventually becoming executive chef at Cibo in 1995. In 1998 Florence opened Cafeteria, a restaurant located in Manhattan that was critically acclaimed and nominated as “Best New Restaurant”.
After several guest appearances on the Food Network, his own show Food 911 premiered in 1999. In addition to now co-hosting How to Boil Water, he has also hosted Tyler’s Ultimate, All American Festivals, and Planet Food. Florence has been acknowledged as one of America’s leading chefs by publications such as Food & Wine, USA Weekend, and the Wall Street Journal, and has regularly appeared on NBC’s Today show.
His first book, Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen: An Indespensible Guide for Anybody Who Likes to Cook, was published in 2003, and the bold, unfussy recipes stay true to his philosophy to use great, simple ingredients and let the natural flavors speak for themselves. Real Kitchen Cookware, a line of affordable, professional-quality cookware was launched in early 2004. Florence’s new restaurant Agridolce (sweet agriculture), which is scheduled to open by Christmas 2004, will combine a sit-down restaurant with a series of markets where customers can purchase the fresh ingredients that meet his high quality standards.
Tyler Florence traveled the country nearly 300 days last year, developing a unique understanding of how people everywhere like to cook and what they like to eat. He has listened to what they have to say, and been inspired by their basic desire to enjoy simple, real food with their friends and family. They asked for his help, and he answered their call, by showing how to use fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques that result in food that is amazingly flavorful, beautiful, and real.
