{{Short description|Armenian-American celebrity chef}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox chef | name = Geoffrey Zakarian | image = 10.12.12GeoffreyZakarianByLuigiNovi1.jpg | caption = Zakarian at the 2012 New York Comic Con | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|25}} | birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = | spouse = {{marriage|Margaret Anne Williams|2005}} | children = 3 | style = | education = Worcester State University | ratings = <!-- {{plainlist| }} --> | restaurants = | prevrests = <!-- {{plainlist| }} --> | television = {{plainlist| * ''Chopped'' * ''Chopped Junior'' * ''Cooks vs. Cons'' * ''The Kitchen'' * ''Kitchen Sink'' * ''Top 5 Restaurants''}} | awards = <!-- {{plainlist| }} --> | website = {{url|geoffreyzakarian.com}} }}
'''Geoffrey Zakarian''' (born July 25, 1959) is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is the executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City, and Miami.<ref name="Reason">Gillespie, Nick and Amanda Winkler (2013-11-25) [http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/11/25/iron-chef-talks-food-and-liberty-at-reas Iron Chef Geoff Zakarian Talks Food, Freedom, and the Future of American Cuisine], ''Reason.com''</ref> He is featured on several television shows on the Food Network, including ''Chopped'' and ''The Next Iron Chef.'' In 2011, on ''The Next Iron Chef'' he won an opportunity to join ''Iron Chef America''.<ref name=Reason/>
==Early life and education== Zakarian was born July 25, 1959, in Worcester, Massachusetts to an Armenian-American father, musician George Zakarian, and a Polish-American mother, Viola (née Hekowicz).<ref name=Reason/><ref>{{cite news|title=Why Chef Geoffrey Zakarian Wears a Tailored Tom Ford Suit When He's in the Kitchen|url=http://people.com/food/geoffrey-zakarian-chopped-kitchen-suit/|work=People|date=7 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fabricant|first1=Florence|title=Geoffrey Zakarian Drops Out of Donald Trump's New Hotel|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/dining/donald-trump-dc-hotel-project-loses-geoffrey-zakarian.html|access-date=29 December 2016|work=The New York Times|date=9 July 2015}}</ref> Zakarian has a sister, Virginia, and a brother, George.<ref>{{cite news|title=George H. Zakarian - Obituary -|url=http://www.currentobituary.com/member/obit/29186|access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> Geoffrey graduated from Burncoat High School in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|title=1977 Burncoat High School yearbook|url=http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Burncoat-High-School/124008?page=66|website=classmates.com|access-date=6 March 2016}}</ref> He earned a degree in economics from Worcester State University and then went to France, where he decided to be a chef.<ref name=Reason/>
He began his culinary career with an associate degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.<ref name="wedding" /><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/z/geoffrey_zakarian_/index.html |title=Geoffrey Zakarian |year=2010 |access-date=7 August 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times | first=Frank | last=Bruni}}</ref> As an apprentice chef, he began his work under chef Daniel Boulud at ''Le Cirque'', where he was named a "Chef de Cuisine" from 1982 to 1987.<ref name="Wannabe">{{cite web|url=http://wannabetvchef.com/blog/?tag=geoffrey-zakarians-towncountry-150-recipes-for-life-around-the-table|title=ICA Morimoto vs. Zakarian|publisher=Wannabe a TV Chef.com|access-date=7 August 2010|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225349/http://wannabetvchef.com/blog/?tag=geoffrey-zakarians-towncountry-150-recipes-for-life-around-the-table|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Career== In 1990, he became the executive chef at 44 in the Royalton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. William Grimes of ''The New York Times'' described Zakarian as "the reason that 44 in the Royalton Hotel was always a lot better than it needed to be" in 2001.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Grimes|first=William|date=2001-05-02|title=Midtown Elegance, One Floor Down|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/dining/restaurants-midtown-elegance-one-floor-down.html|access-date=2023-01-22|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Previously in 1992, ''44'' had received only two stars from ''New York Times'' columnist Bryan Miller.<ref name="NY Times" />
In 1996, he was hired to oversee Old Navy's ill-fated coffee bar and coffee cart division with David Brody of Z100 WHTZ. He then went on to work for the Blue Door of the Delano Hotel in South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida.<ref name="Cherries">{{cite web |url=http://www.choosecherries.com/experts/geoffreyZakarian.aspx |title=Geoffrey Zakarian, Chef/Proprietor, TOWN |year=2007 |access-date=7 August 2010 |publisher=choosecherries.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506042725/http://www.choosecherries.com/experts/geoffreyZakarian.aspx |archive-date=6 May 2010 }}</ref> In 1998, he became the executive chef at Patroon in Manhattan, which was awarded three stars (excellent) by ''New York Times'' critic Ruth Reichl. In the spring of 2000, Zakarian worked with Alain Passard, a renowned French chef at the three-Michelin star restaurant Arpège in Paris.<ref name="NY Times"/>
In the 2000s, Zakarian owned two Manhattan restaurants, Town and Country, both of which were rated three stars by ''The New York Times.'' Town was located on the East Side of midtown Manhattan in the Chambers Hotel and opened in spring 2001 but closed in 2009.<ref name="Chef DB">{{cite web |url=http://www.chefdb.com/nm/3917 |title=Geoffrey Zakarian |year=2010 |access-date=7 August 2010 |publisher=ChefDB}}</ref> Country was located in the James New York – NoMad near Madison Square Park and opened in 2005 but closed in 2008. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Star. Zakarian is now a consultant at the Water Club in Atlantic City and executive chef at the Lamb's Club in New York City.<ref name="Chef DB"/> The Lamb's Club restaurant is not connected in any way to the historical theatre club The Lambs (known as The Lambs Club since 1874). In the spring of 2006, Zakarian released his first book, ''Geoffrey Zakarian's Town / Country''. It was quoted as being "one of the best (cookbooks) of 2006" by ''The New York Times'' columnist Amanda Hesser.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmhc.org/donate/special-events/savor/the-chefs |title=The Chefs |year=2010 |access-date=7 August 2010 |publisher=GMHC.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617025549/http://www.gmhc.org/donate/special-events/savor/the-chefs |archive-date=17 June 2010 }}</ref> The book features 150 recipes for family, friends, and "Life Around the Table".<ref>{{cite book |title=Geoffrey Zakarian's Town/Country: 150 Recipes for Life Around the Table |year=2010 |isbn=978-1400054688 |last1=Zakarian |first1=Geoffrey |publisher=Crown Publishing }}</ref>
He is chairman of the City Harvest Food Council, a food rescue organization dedicated to fighting hunger in New York City.
His style is described as "modern" with roots in French cuisine, or as he describes it, "dynamic American".{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
==Legal issues== In spring 2011, Zakarian filed for personal bankruptcy in response to a class action lawsuit filed against him by former employees. The employees sued for back pay and alleged he violated labor laws. Two of his partners in the related restaurant supported the workers' claims but his publicist denied the claims.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/dining/27zakarian.html |title=Star Chef, Facing a Suit, Files for Bankruptcy |access-date=2020-04-04 |work=The New York Times |first=Nick |last=Fox |date=26 April 2011}}</ref> The matter was settled out of court.
In July 2015, Zakarian withdrew from a planned restaurant called The National in the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. after Donald Trump’s comments about illegal immigrants. Zakarian responded by saying Trump's statements "do not in any way align with my personal core values".<ref name=Bennett9July>{{cite news|url= https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/whos-gonna-wear-a-toque-for-the-donald-119868 |work=Politico |date=July 9, 2015 |access-date=2020-04-04 |first=Kate |last=Bennett |title=Another top chef dumps Donald Trump}}</ref> Zakarian was expected to lose a $500,000 lease deposit.<ref name=Bennett31July>{{cite news|url= https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-lawsuit-against-chef-jose-andres-washington-120873 |title=Donald Trump delivers on promise to sue chef José Andrés |first1=Kate |last1=Bennett |first2=Daniel |last2=Strauss |date=July 31, 2015 |access-date=2020-04-04 |work=Politico}}</ref> Trump sued Zakarian in August 2015 for a sum "in excess of $10 million" claiming the chef violated their contractual agreement causing lost rent and other damages.<ref name=Sidman5Aug>{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/blog/20678523/trump-sues-celebrity-chef-geoffrey-zakarian-for-backing-out-of-hotel-restaurant-deal |work=Washington City Paper |date=August 5, 2015 |access-date=2020-04-04 |title=Trump Sues Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian For Backing Out of Hotel Restaurant Deal |first=Jessica |last=Sidman}}</ref> The matter was settled out of court in April 2017.
==Television== He has appeared numerous times on Food Network's ''Chopped'' series as a judge with fellow restaurateurs Scott Conant, Chris Santos, Aarón Sánchez, Amanda Freitag, Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy, Maneet Chauhan, and Alex Guarnaschelli since the show began. He appeared in the Food Network's series ''24 Hour Restaurant Battle'', also as a judge. He has been on Top Chef as a judge and appeared on Hell's Kitchen.<ref name="Wannabe" />
Zakarian competed as a challenger on Iron Chef America in May 2010 facing Masaharu Morimoto and lost with a score of 57 to 43.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eater.com/archives/2010/05/03/on-iron-chef-america-geoffrey-zakarian-bites-off-morimoto-than-he-can-chew.php |title=Geoffrey Zakarian Bites Off Mor(imoto) Than He Can Chew on Iron Chef America |last=Brion |first=Raphael |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=7 August 2010 |publisher=eater.com}}</ref> Zakarian was named the winner of The Next Iron Chef in December 2011, defeating Elizabeth Falkner in the season finale. In January 2014, he became a co-host on the Food Network's series ''The Kitchen'' along with Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid, and Sunny Anderson.<ref>[http://www.foodnetworkgossip.com/2013/12/food-networks-kitchen-more-information.html Food Network Gossip: Food Network's 'The Kitchen' - More Information About The Show<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Zakarian has also appeared on ''Cutthroat Kitchen'' as a judge ("Well, Hot Clam!") and a contestant ("Judging Judges"). In 2016, he began hosting the Food Network series ''Cooks vs. Cons;'' on the show, judges try to determine if a winning dish was made by a professional chef or a home cook.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016|title=Television Show: Cooks vs. Cons|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5569062/|website=IMDb}}</ref> Zakarian competed on ''Wildcard Kitchen'' in 2025 for an episode where Chopped judges competed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chopped Battle |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/wildcard-kitchen/episodes/chopped-battle |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Food Network |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Zakarian married Margaret Anne Williams, a marketing executive, in 2005.<ref name="wedding" /> They have three children. He was previously married to Heather Karaman for approximately ten years.<ref name=wedding>{{cite news|title=Margaret Williams, Geoffrey Zakarian|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/fashion/weddings/margaret-williams-geoffrey-zakarian.html|date=July 31, 2005|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *{{official website|http://www.geoffreyzakarian.com}} *{{IMDb name|3455205}} *{{NYTtopic|people/z/geoffrey_zakarian_}}
{{The Next Iron Chef}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zakarian, Geoffrey}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:American restaurateurs Category:American television chefs Category:American libertarians Category:Food Network chefs Category:Writers from Worcester, Massachusetts Category:American people of Polish descent Category:Worcester State University alumni Category:Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni Category:Reality cooking competition winners Category:Judges in American reality television series Category:Businesspeople from Worcester, Massachusetts Category:Chefs from Massachusetts Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American businesspeople