About me
Growing up a "Navy Brat," Executive Chef Graham Elliot Bowles became a citizen of the world at a very young age. Food experiences from the Philippines to Hawaii, and California to Maryland, have all played a part in forming his passionate approach to cooking. With his strong love of all things food, he pursued his first restaurant job upon moving to Virginia. After a year of working as a busboy and dishwasher, Bowles found himself hopelessly in love with the restaurant way of life, and completed his formal training at Johnson & Wales University at the age of 18.
Upon graduation, Bowles relocated to Dallas to study Southwestern cooking at Star Canyon and The Mansion on Turtle Creek, both of which honed his newly-acquired kitchen skills and opened his eyes to the wide world of fine dining. Always aspiring to reach the next level, he moved to Chicago to work with acclaimed Chef Charlie Trotter. Having experienced the challenge of learning every station in Trotter's five-star kitchen not only refined his cooking techniques, but also inspired his mental and spiritual approach toward culinary excellence.
Chef Bowles' exceptional passion and commitment won him the opportunity to run day-to-day operations at Chicago's TRU Restaurant, as well as assist Chef Rick Tramonto in the creation of his Amuse Bouche cookbook, all by the young age of 23. As Chef de Cuisine of this Relais Gourmand establishment, he continued to develop his own personal relationship with food, where he focused on a minimalist approach that allows pristine foodstuffs to taste like themselves. Bowles describes his style as a blending of equal parts creativity, technique and aesthetics.
After Chef Bowles joined Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago, the restaurant received the coveted four-star rating from Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago magazine, Chicago Social and North Shore Magazine. These extraordinary endorsements established Avenues as one of only two restaurants in Chicago to have received such praise from each of the city's major publications. The fact that Chef Bowles accomplished these multiple four-star rankings before reaching 30 years old makes him the youngest chef from any major U.S. city to have achieved the title of "Four-Star Chef."
In 2005, the Chicago Sun-Times bestowed upon Avenues its highest distinction: "Restaurant of the Year." Additionally, Avenues was awarded the Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence in the category of "Best Fine Dining Restaurant" in February 2006. This recognition is especially meaningful as chefs and other industry peers select the winners. Of particular note, Avenues recently received the 2007 AAA Five-Diamond award, becoming one of only 58 properties to achieve this milestone out of the 60,000 venues AAA annually rates.
Chef Bowles was the focus of national media attention early in his career when Food & Wine magazine selected him as one of its "Top Ten Best New Chefs in America" in July 2004, at the age of 27. He went on to garner more national recognition when he was invited by the James Beard Foundation to prepare a special dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in June 2005. He was subsequently nominated for the Beard Foundation's "Rising Star Chef of the Year Award" in both 2006 and 2007. On top of that, Star Chefs, an organization of culinary insiders, also identified Bowles as one of its "Rising Stars of 2005."
In 2007, Bowles was invited to compete on "Iron Chef America" against Iron Chef Bobby Flay. The secret ingredient was chocolate, and the show aired during the week of Valentine's Day, one of the highest-rated weeks for the Food Network. The training and preparation for the culinary challenge was also chronicled by the Chicago Tribune, and was featured as a cover story for its Sunday Magazine.
In addition to "Iron Chef America," Bowles was invited to showcase his culinary skills on the "The Today Show," where he created dishes using flowers to help celebrate Valentine's Day. His culinary creations were also showcased in the 2007 summer issue of Art Culinaire, a quarterly food magazine praised and respected by chefs the world over.
Awards, Honors and Societies
2005 Restaurant of the Year by Chicago Sun-Times
Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence
2007 AAA Five-Diamond Award
2004 Food & Wine magazine's "Top Ten Best Chefs in America"
2006 and 2007 James Beard "Rising Chef of the Year Award" nominee
Star Chefs "Rising Stars of 2005"
Iron Chef America
The Today Show
United States Chef
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