Tyler Florence is an American chef, TV personality, author, and restaurant owner. He is best known as the anchor of several food shows like Food 911 and Tyler’s Ultimate which aired on the Food Network. We bet so many would love to get their hands on Tyler Florence’s invaluable recipes especially seeing as the popular cook has been working in restaurants since he was 15. He has close to two decades of experience working with the Food Network. Tyler Florence is the author of 11 bestselling cookbooks. His books all relate to his occupation as a chef.
Tyler Florence Biography
Tyler Florence is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, he was born on March 3, 1971. As a teenager, Tyler worked at a restaurant in his hometown, where he did the dishes and adored the chef of the restaurant like a god. He liked the chef’s flashy lifestyle and the people he associated with. Those things made Tyler picture his life as a chef. When he was 19, he went on a trip to Paris, his adventure in the fashion capital only helped fuel the fire of his burning ambition to become a professional cook.
In order to achieve his goal of becoming a chef, Tyler then attended the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from the university in 1991 and was later honored with an honorary doctorate degree from the college for his achievement in culinary arts.
After graduating from the university, Tyler left South Carolina and moved to New York in order to pursue his dream of becoming a renowned chef. While in New York, he worked with some of the best chefs in the city, Charlie Palmer, Rick Laakonen, and Marta Pulini.
Florence opened his first restaurant in 1998, in New York when he was 27 years old. Even though he initially anticipated just a single restaurant, a couple of years on, he opened three more. The most prestigious of his four restaurants is the Wayfare Tavern, which he opened in 2010, in San Francisco. The restaurant is rated 4-star.
His TV Shows
Tyler Florence has anchored several shows on the Food Network, like Food 911, How to Boil Water, Tyler’s Ultimate, and The Great Food Truck Race.
Food 911
Food 911 is a cooking show which premiered in 1999 with Tyler Florence as its presenter. The show aired on Food Network for 30 minutes per episode. The idea behind the show involved the host touring around the United States and assisting individuals to prevail over their difficulties in cooking.
How to Boil Water
How to Boil Water originally began to broadcast in 1993 with Emeril Lagasse as its host. The show has had a number of hosts up until 2003 when it was co-hosted by Tyler Florence and Jack Hourigan. It portrayed a chef teaching a student or sometimes someone with no cooking experience. The food cooked on the show was basic meals that someone with little or no knowledge of cooking would easily understand.
Tyler’s Ultimate
The show premiered on the Food Network on March 13, 2003. Unlike How to Boil Water, it involves making an “ultimate” version of common delicacies. Tyler would take a trip around the world to know how popular foods were prepared in different ways, in order to get an ultimate version of the meal in particular.
The Great Food Truck Race
The Great Food Truck Race is a reality cooking series that premiered on the Food Network on August 15, 2010, with Tyler Florence as the anchor. From its premiere date to its late-season finale on August 30, 2018, it has had 51 episodes across 9 seasons. In each season, 6-8 food truck teams would be given a “seed money” which enables them to compete in a race where they must cook, sell and overcome different challenges with the sole aim of winning the $50,000 prize money. The show has always been held between August and September, save for the just concluded season which started in July and ended in August.
Tyler Florence Net Worth
As a TV host, writer of about eleven books, chef, and restaurant owner, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Tyler’s net worth stands at $15 million. His house at Mill Valley is worth $1.99 million. Although his salary is not yet disclosed, we believe he is paid handsomely too.
Wife, Children
Tyler has been married twice; his first wife was Christie Lear but he is currently married to Tolan Florence whom he first met in 2004. They were introduced by famous chef Rocco DiSpirito after which their relationship got serious and on December 6, 2006, they had their wedding ceremony. Tolan was the Wyoming delegate for the 1994 Miss USA.
Tyler has 3 kids, his first child, Miles Florence was born in 1996, he had him while he was married to his first wife Leer. He had the other two with Tolan; Hayden Florence on May 23, 2007, and his only daughter Dorothy Tyler Florence, on August 8, 2008. The family lives together in Mill Valley, north of San Francisco, where Tyler owns a business he named a retail kitchen store.
Other Facts You Should Know
In 2003, he was named Sexiest Chef Alive by People magazine.
He is the author of 11 cookbooks.
His hobbies are beekeeping, winemaking, and riding his motorcycle.
He was on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show during his search for the best sandwich from around the United States.
