Add another celebrity chef to the area, who held an opening party smack in the middle of–but not related to–the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival weekend.
On Saturday night, internationally known Chef Todd English welcomed diners to his latest venture, Todd’s, in a renovated space (formerly Jereve’s) inside the EmKo building on West Palm Beach’s Dixie Highway. It’s three blocks south of Clay Conley’s Grato, and the south-facing side of the building has been decorated with geometric art work.
Todd’s will have a menu debut in mid-January. Reservations are being accepted now for New Year’s Eve.
The James Beard award-winning English has other restaurant branches all over the world. He first entered the Palm Beach County market with Figs at The Gardens Mall, which opened in 2008 and closed in 2016. He expanded rapidly with three other restaurants: Wild Olives by Todd English opened at CityPlace in 2010 as a joint venture with Lirim Jacobi, the owner of Taverna Opa, City Pizza and Wild Ginger Asian Bistro, and is now closed. Then Wild Olives in Boca Raton opened in 2009 and closed in 2011. In its place opened The English Tap & Beer Gardens, now closed.
(Photo by Lynn Kalber)
Let’s hope the fifth time is a charm.
English is a TV producer and host (an “Iron Chef” alum), a cookbook author, and he was named one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful People back in the day. His Bluezoo at Walt Disney World’s Dolphin Hotel is still popular. He tried venues called Todd English on the Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, and he was co-owner of Beso, a Hollywood steakhouse, with actress Eva Longoria. Those are closed now.
His PBS series “Food Trip with Todd English” brought two James Beard awards and an Emmy nomination. He’s a cookbook author and has a line of cookware and lifestyle products. He’s very involved with charities: Susan G. Komen, Big Brother, Boys & Girls Club, Feeding America and more.
In 1991, the James Beard Foundation named him the National Rising Star Chef, and then Best Chef in the Northeast in 1994. He opened his first restaurant, Olives, in 1989 in Charlestown, Mass.
I’m looking forward to trying Todd’s as it gets up and running. (With official opening a month away, maybe someone can correct the spelling on the sign about the “dining event.”)
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