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FLOYD CARDOZ

Floyd Cardoz and was born October 2nd, 1960 in Bombay, India. Cardoz is a celebrated Chef, cookbook author and winner of Bravos’ Top Chef Masters (Season Three). Cardoz is the Executive Chef of North End Grill, the forthcoming restaurant from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group set to open late 2011 in Battery Park City, NYC. His culinary philosophy is straight from the heart, “good food and cooking are not only about how good the food looks and tastes, but also how good it makes you feel cooking it; how good it makes the guests feel who are eating it.” America Live On Tyson

Early Life and Career

Named after the boxer Floyd Patterson, Cardoz was raised by loving parents in his native Bombay. His father was an artist whose work made him a leader in the advertising industry while his mother stayed at home to rear Cardoz and his five siblings. The Cardoz family is of Goan descent, and his upbringing focused on the importance of a rigorous education, hard work, discipline and respect for one’s self and others. An avid reader from an early age, Floyd enjoyed playing tennis & soccer in his youth. Cardoz attended St. Andrews High School and went on to study at St. Xaviers College in Bombay where he graduated with degrees in both Zoology & Bio Chemistry.

While at St Xaviers, Cardoz happened upon Arthur Hailey’s “Hotel,” a book that would change his life. It transported him into another world, that of hospitality it, and he knew immediately it was his calling. Feeling little passion for his degree topics, he decided to pursue a course in Hospitality Management in Bombay. His first apprenticeship was in the Kitchens of the Taj Hotels, where he spent days on end peeling 200 kilograms of onions, shrimp, and so on. He earned a stipend of Rs 100 (USD $2) per month. He was hooked.

Cardoz graduated at the top of his Hospitality Management class and was selected for multiple chef training programs, and he chose to join the Taj Group of Hotels as a chef trainee. For two years he worked 15 hour days, 6 days a week – and absolutely loved it. In order to broaden his knowledge of classic culinary technique, Cardoz moved to Switzerland to attend Les Roches, a Hotel Management Culinary School in Bluche. His evenings were spent cooking in Italian, French and Indian establishments. He received his diploma in Hotel Restaurant Management and Administration from Les Roches and moved back to India where he took the position of Sous Chef at the Oberoi Group of Hotels.

Ironically, his European training instilled in Cardoz the desire to begin experimenting with traditional Indian cuisines. A visionary, Floyd wanted to take European and American cuisine to new heights by introducing Indian spices. He was disheartened to find most Indian chefs resistant to his modern ideas, so he made a decision to move somewhere he believed gastronomic experimentation was widely encouraged – New York City.

Initially he faced difficulty in his job search, having no local experience. Disillusioned and contemplating a return to India, he was approached by a group of Indian businessmen to run their restaurant. After this serendipitous first break, he moved on to work in the kitchens of many restaurants - sometimes working three jobs to learn the business and make ends meet. After just two years cooking in New York, Cardoz met Gray Kunz, chef of New York’s venerable Lespinasse. Chef Kunz became his mentor, sharing Cardoz’s passion for infusing top-notch ingredients with exotic flavors and encouraging the use of Indian spices in his own kitchen. Cardoz spent 6 ½ years working at the world-famous 4 Star restaurants, rising from Salad cook to Chef de Cuisine.

In 1997, Cardoz partnered with restaurateur Danny Meyer to open Tabla, a groundbreaking restaurant situated on Madison Square Park that fully celebrated the sensual flavors and spices of his native land. Cardoz he introduced his pioneering New Indian cuisine that incorporated Indian ingredients with Western techniques to much fanfare. The restaurant was an immediate success, and became one of the city’s most beloved culinary gems.

Cardoz was the Executive Chef/Partner of Tabla for the entirety of its 12 year lifespan. Tabla received numerous accolades from the media including The New York Times – Three Stars, Bon Appetit - “Our Favorite Places: Asian,” Gourmet – “Personal Favorite”, Reader’s Choice - Best Newcomer (NY), Time Out New York – Best Indian (1999-2002), Forbes Magazine – Three stars (2000-2010), and New York Daily News – Four Stars. In addition, Bon Appetit named Cardoz as one of “The Innovators” in its 2003 Annual Restaurant Edition. Cardoz has received four nominations by The James Beard Foundation for “Best Chef NYC” (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007). In February 2010, Tabla received Four Stars from Time Out New York.

In April of 2008, Cardoz and Tabla were approached by FreshDirect to develop a line of marinated meats, microwaveable meals and fully cooked entrees for the online grocer, which landed in the home kitchens of thousands of New Yorkers. In April of 2009, along with his partner Danny Meyer, Cardoz helped conceive El Verano Taquería (an authentic taquería paying homage to the wonders of Mexican street foods and tacos) at Citifield, home of the New York Mets.

Cardoz’s latest restaurant venture with Union Square Hospitality group is North End Grill, located in Manhattan's Battery Park City. The menu will feature seasonal American dishes, with a strong emphasis on seafood. The restaurant boasts a rooftop garden on which many of its ingredients will be grown. In addition, the menu will highlight food from local sources. North End Grill is slated to open in December, 2011. In 2011, Cardoz was named among the Top 50 Most Influential Global Indians by GQ Magazine.

True to his life’s work, Cardoz is very fond of quoting the poet Robert Frost…

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

--Robert Frost