Marcus Samuelsson

Chef and Proprietor - Aquavit, Riingo, AQ Café
Cookbook Author and Television Host
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Director - Townhouse Restaurant Group

At the age of 36, Marcus Samuelsson has received more accolades than many chefs receive in a lifetime. A graduate of the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Samuelsson apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria, France and the U.S. In 1995 he was hired as Aquavit's Executive Chef. Just 3 months later, Aquavit received a three-star review from The New York Times. Samuelsson was honored with the James Beard Foundation Award for 'Rising Star Chef' in 1999 and 'Best Chef, New York' in 2003. He was recognized in Crain's New York Business' annual "40 under 40", and was celebrated as one of "The Great Chefs of America" by The Culinary Institute of America. Samuelsson has been featured in numerous national publications and television programs and was the third chef to write for The New York Times' "Chef's Column". Marcus Samuelsson is the co-founder and chief creative director of Townhouse Restaurant Group, a restaurant management and consulting company with projects in the US and Europe, including New York City's Aquavit, Riingo, AQ Café and August. He is the author of four successful cookbooks, including Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine (2003), Aquavit c/o New York (2004), En Smakresa med Marcus Samuelsson (2002), and Street Food (2004). His cookbook, The Soul of a New Cuisine - A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa, was released in October 2006, and has received accolades from publications such as The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post. He is the host of "Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson," a cooking series on the Discovery Home Channel that premiered the fall of 2005. Additionally, "The Continental Chef," a food blog launched on Food.Yahoo.com in November of 2006. Samuelsson serves on the Board of Directors of Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), and is an ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. In 2005, Samuelsson was appointed Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts, and received an honorary degree from Johnson & Wales University as Doctor of Culinary Arts in 2006.