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Marcus Samuelsson
Culinary legend
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
The Ethiopian-born Swedish-American chef Marcus Samuelsson has built a body of work that moves between continents, kitchens, and cultural histories without losing its footing in the trade. Red Rooster Harlem in New York City is the best-known expression of that work, but the throughline is broader: restaurants used as vehicles for place, memory, and ambition.
The Path
Apprenticeship at Restaurant Aquavit in the United States, beginning in 1994, gave Marcus Samuelsson a first pass at the discipline of the line. That starting point led to executive chef at Aquavit in New York City, where the progression from apprentice to executive chef reads less like a leap than a steady accumulation of kitchen authority. Ownership followed in 2003, when Marcus Samuelsson became co-owner / restaurateur at Riingo in New York City. The shift matters: it moved him from running service and product to helping shape the restaurant’s identity from the ground up. He later extended that work as restaurant concept partner at Kitchen & Table in Sweden and Norway, 2012–2014, carrying the same restaurant-thinking across borders. Academic work sits alongside the dining room in his profile. Marcus Samuelsson serves as visiting professor of International Culinary Science of Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts, a post that reflects the study side of the profession as much as the practical one. At the same time, he has kept an active hand in restaurants: head chef of Red Rooster since 2010, restaurant founder of Streetbird Rotisserie since 2015, restaurant partner of Marcus' since 2015, restaurant founder of Marcus at MGM National Harbor since 2016, and restaurant founder of Marcus B&P since 2017. The sequence shows a chef who keeps building while still holding onto the core work of running a kitchen.
The Work Today
His current restaurant footprint includes Red Rooster Harlem in New York City, Red Rooster Overtown in Miami, Hav & Mar in New York City, and Marcus DC in Washington, DC. Different cities, different rooms, same authorial signature: each project sits in a distinct place, but the body of work remains recognizably Marcus Samuelsson’s.
Signature
Marcus's signature dishes include Gingery Creamed Kale and Swediopian. The names themselves point to a useful range in the work: one rooted in the directness of greens, the other in a blending of identities and references. Together they read as shorthand for how Marcus Samuelsson has approached cooking—distinct, specific, and tied to his own history without reducing it to a single note.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Marcus
Where did Marcus Samuelsson work before?
Marcus Samuelsson's earlier career included Restaurant Aquavit, Aquavit, and Riingo.
What recognition has Marcus Samuelsson received?
James Beard Foundation award for Writing and Literature related to food for Yes, Chef (2012).
