Tyler Florence is one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network. He’s the host of the show “The Great Food Truck Race,” and he’s been on more than his fair share of other shows, too. He’s a chef, a host, a cool person to watch, and so much more. But, most people simply see him on television and think that his entire life is cooking and food, but we’d like to say that we are almost positive he’s got more going on that just that. Not that just that is a bad thing, but we know he’s deeper and more interesting than just his amazing career. So, let’s get to know him a bit better.
1. He’s Educated
This is a man who was good about going to college, getting his degree, and make the most of his time as a young person without any adult responsibilities. He went o the College of Culinary Arts in Charleston, South Carolina. This institute is part of the Johnson & Wales University. He graduated in 2001, and they were also awesome to give him his own honorary doctorate degree to recognize his outstanding abilities in the culinary world. We agree.
2. He’s Married
Sorry, ladies. He’s a taken man, and he has been for some time. He married his lovely wife back in 2006. They have three children, and they are very happy with their life. They seem to keep their marriage and their family very private, which is not always easy when you are on the television all the time. Their privacy is something that is tremendously important to them, and they value that above many things. We appreciate that about them.
3. He’s Been in the Restaurant World Since he was 15
Some people are older when they realize that they have a gift in the kitchen, but Tyler Florence is not one of them. He’s been working in restaurants since the age of 15 when he was working as a dishwasher. However, it wasn’t until he was 19 that he decided he would give cooking a try for his career. He went to Paris, discovered a love of it, and he was done pursuing any other career path at that point.
4. He Worked Hard in NYC
When he got his start in the world of celebrity chef-ing, he did so in New York City, which is a culinary hotspot across the world. He graduated from college in 1991, and that’s when he left for the city. He was able to find work in some of the most famous restaurants in the world, including Aureole, a Charlie Palmer’s restaurant.
5. He’s No Longer in NYC
Though he and his wife spent many years in the New York City area working and living and raising their kids, they didn’t stay. They ended up moving to an area near San Francisco, and they’ve been there many years. It’s a bit of a culture shock to make a move like that one, but they did it and they were very happy to do so. We love that they made this choice, and we know he did it for work-related purposes.
6. He Was Young When He Opened his First Restaurant
That’s ambitious, but it worked. He opened up the New York’s Cafeteria in Chelsea in New York City when he was only 27. He was young, he was green, and he was ready to make it work. He’s done that, too. It’s been more than 20 years, and it’s still one of the most popular restaurants in the Chelsea area. People come from all over the world to eat there, and we can see why having been there ourselves.
7. He’s Got a California Restaurant, Too
He opened his first restaurant in NYC in 1998, but he was ready to start over on the other side of the country only 12 years later. It was 2010 when he made the decision to go to California and open a very upscale restaurant called Wayfare Tavern. It’s in San Francisco, and it’s one that draws a lot of people from all over the world.
8. He’s From South Carolina
If you were wondering what made him go to culinary school in South Carolina of all places, it was because that’s where he was raised. He’s a man who lived in Greenville most of his life. As a whole, we also know that Charleston is a wonderful place to eat, and it has some of the most amazing restaurants in the world. There is no question why he chose to go that way when he was growing up.
9. He Has a Food Truck Opinion
Not only does he love them, he has a strong opinion about the growth and the popularity of them. He feels that the 2008 recession was hard on the culinary world. Restaurants began to go out of business because people simply could not afford to go out to eat. The world stopped spinning for so many, and they could not afford the millions it takes to open a new restaurant and hope it worked. They did something else instead. They opened food trucks. Florence said it takes about $50k to open one up, and chefs were able to sell their food, to move around, and to maximize their profits by working hard and making sure they were able to sell food to those who wanted it. We think he’s probably right about that.
10. He is Gluten Free
Many people make it a lifestyle choice to avoid Gluten, but he is not one of those people. He has to avoid it because he is intolerant. We don’t want to say that he suffers from celiac disease, but we do know he has made it very clear he is gluten-intolerant, so he and his entire family are the kind who simply don’t eat it. They all go through this so that they don’t have to deal with different recipes and whatnot (we assume).
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