Andrew Zimmern

Born and raised in New York, Andrew Zimmern began his culinary adventures when he was still attending the prestigious Dalton School. After graduating from Vassar College, he worked as executive chef at a number of highbrow restaurants but fled in 1992 to escape a life destroyed by substance abuse. As part of his rehab in Minnesota, Zimmern found himself washing dishes at a Minneapolis restaurant. When one of the line cooks called in sick, Zimmern briefly took over and caught the attention of the owner who soon agreed to partner in what would become the nationally acclaimed restaurant Café Un Deux Trois. Zimmern left the restaurant in 1997, determined to be a part of the growing trend of culinary features in media, and ended up with a radio show, a TV show and a magazine column. After a number of unsuccessful pitches to the Food Network for a national show, Zimmern sparked to the idea of the as yet unexplored travel/food show, and his idea was adopted at the Travel Channel. "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" (Travel Channel, 2006-) premiered in 2006, following Zimmern as he explored cultures around the world through their food. The show was a quick success and Zimmern became a food personality appearing in or hosting shows like "Dining with Death" (Travel Channel, 2010), and "Andrew Zimmern's Driven By Food" (Travel Channel, 2016). Zimmern was awarded the James Beard Award for Outstanding TV Food Personality in 2010 and 2013.