Marc Forgione
Marc Forgione | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 16, 1978 |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, Restaurateur |
| Known for | Winner of Food Network's The Next Iron Chef (Season 3) |
Marc Forgione (born December 16, 1978) is a distinguished American chef and proprietor of Restaurant Marc Forgione located in Tribeca, New York City, as well as Peasant in NOLITA NYC and One Fifth in New York City. He gained national recognition by winning the third season of Food Network's The Next Iron Chef in 2010.
Early life
At the age of 16, Marc initiated his culinary journey working alongside his father, Larry Forgione, at An American Place. This experience laid the groundwork for him to cultivate his unique culinary style. Additionally, he is related to Catholic saint Francesco Forgione, who was a great-great uncle to his father Larry.
Forgione completed his studies at the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During summer breaks, he enhanced his skills by working with chef Kazuto Matsusaka in New York City establishments. After graduating, he returned to collaborate with his father and subsequently worked under Patricia Yeo at AZ. He held the position of sous chef at Pazo alongside Yeo and Pino Maffeo before joining Laurent Tourondel’s team as sous chef at BLT Steak.
To expand his culinary expertise, Marc trained in France under Michel Guerard across three regional venues: Le Pres D'Eugenie, Ferme aux Grives, and Le Cuisine Minceur.
Career
Upon returning to New York, Forgione reconnected with Tourondel, who appointed him chef de cuisine at BLT Prime. He advanced to become corporate chef for the BLT Restaurant Group, where he managed recipe creation and ensured quality standards throughout the brand's national growth. Marc played a key role in launching BLT Fish, BLT Market, and BLT Steak locations in cities such as Washington, D.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Dallas.
In 2012, Marc was awarded a Michelin star for his New York City restaurant, marking him as the youngest American-born chef to receive consecutive stars from 2010 to 2012. He also earned a two-star review from Sam Sifton of The New York Times. His establishment was honored as a "Key Newcomer" by Zagat in 2009, featured among "Top 25 Restaurants in NYC" by Modern Luxury, and recognized as an "All-Star Eatery" by Forbes. Additionally, Marc received the "Star Chefs Rising Star of the Year Award" in 2010 and was designated a "Rising Star" by Restaurant Hospitality in 2008.
In January 2012, Forgione revealed plans to open American Cut, a steakhouse situated at Revel Resort & Casino in Atlantic City. The following year, he collaborated with Executive Chef Soulayphet Schwader to establish Khe-Yo, a Laotian-inspired restaurant focused on utilizing local ingredients. That September marked the opening of the flagship American Cut location in New York City.
In April 2014, Marc Forgione published his debut cookbook titled Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories from the Acclaimed Chef and Restaurant, released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.