Michael Tusk
| Michael Tusk | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Eric Tusk 1964 New Jersey, U.S. |
| 🏫 Education | Tulane University, Culinary Institute of America |
| 💼 Occupation | Chef, restaurateur |
| Known for | Quince (2003–present) |
| Movement | Farm-to-table |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Lindsay Tusk |
| 🏅 Awards | James Beard Award: Best Chef: Pacific (2011), James Beard Award: Outstanding Chef (2026) |
| 🌐 Website | www |
Michael Tusk (born 1964) is an American chef, and restaurateur based in San Francisco, California.[1] He is the co-owner and executive chef of the Michelin three-star restaurant Quince, as well as its sister restaurants, Cotogna and Verjus.[2][3] His restaurant group is Quince & Co.
Early life and education
Michael Tusk was born in 1964, in New Jersey.[4][5] He studied art history at Tulane University in New Orleans, before enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he graduated in the class of 1989.[2][6][7]
Career
After graduating, Tusk worked in kitchens in Europe, including Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Northern Italy.[8] Tusk's cooking emphasizes farm-to-table with local, seasonal ingredients sourced from Northern California producers and farmers' markets.[3][9] His restaurants maintain a partnership with Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas, California.[10]
Tusk moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and worked at several notable restaurants, including Jeremiah Tower's Stars, Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and Oliveto in Oakland.[11][12][13]
In 2003, he and his wife Lindsay opened Quince in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, and at their first location they only had 50 seats.[14] The Quince menu was inspired by Italian and French cuisines.[14] The restaurant relocated to the Jackson Square neighborhood in 2009.[15] Quince earned its first Michelin star in the inaugural San Francisco Michelin Guide and it received a second star in 2014, and a third star in 2017.[16][17] The Quince restaurant also holds four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle.[18] In 2020, Quince received a Michelin Green Star for sustainability.[19]
In 2010, the Tusks opened Cotogna, a casual Italian restaurant located adjacent to Quince at 490 Pacific Avenue.[20] In 2018, they opened Verjus, a wine bar and restaurant in the same neighborhood.[2] Verjus was recognized by Bon Appétit as one of the best new restaurants in the country, and was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant.[2]
Awards and recognition
Tusk won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Pacific in 2011.[21][22][23] In 2026, he won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef.[24][25][26]
Personal life
Tusk is married to Lindsay Tusk, his business partner and co-owner of their restaurant group. In 2020, the couple founded Feed the Need, a nonprofit organization that provided meals to food-insecure families in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Kelley, Shannon (November 27, 2013). "15 Minutes with Quince's Michael Tusk". 7x7 Bay Area (interview). Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Michael Tusk '89". The Culinary Institute of America. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Chef Michael Tusk: bio, restaurants, and recipes". Fine Dining Lovers. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Three stars, fresh pasta and local farms: the story of Michael Tusk". Reporter Gourmet. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ "Rising Star Mentor Michael Tusk of Cotogna". StarChefs. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Eats! Michael Tusk". San Francisco Examiner (profile). December 14, 2005. p. 20. Retrieved 2026-06-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Michael Tusk". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Michael Tusk - Chef Spotlight". Ment'or. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Dunn, Jancee (December 2020). "In response to the pandemic, three-star chef Michael Tusk has chosen to temporarily relocate his Quince restaurant from San Francisco to Hudson Ranch in Napa Valley. Now closer to his suppliers, he tells us about this reimagined culinary experience". Le magazine de Relais & Châteaux. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ Saria, Lauren (September 16, 2024). "The hippie farmer at the heart of SF's most elegant restaurant empire". SF Standard. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ "4 Michael Tusk Recipes to Cook Like a James Beard Award Winner". Yahoo Life. 2026-06-16. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ "Best Restaurants: San Francisco Chef Secrets". Condé Nast Traveler. 2013-08-21. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Oliveto gets Bertolli". Oakland Tribune. April 7, 1995. p. 41. Retrieved 2026-06-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Turmoil continues for Two B on Second Street (cont.)". San Francisco Chronicle. November 19, 2003. p. 70. Retrieved 2026-06-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "In new digs, Quince remains fresh". Oakland Tribune. 2009-12-25. p. 72. Retrieved 2026-06-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The First Day I Got My Michelin Stars: Quince's Michael Tusk". Michelin Guide. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Quince Is the Only Three Michelin Star Addition of 2017". Eater SF. 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Michael Tusk". Napa Truffle Festival. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Going Green at Quince". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Meet Cotogna, Quice's rustic sis". San Francisco Chronicle. September 16, 2010. p. 41. Retrieved 2026-06-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Palmer, Karen (June 16, 2026). "After a 4-year losing streak, SF finally wins at the James Beard Awards". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ↑ "Foodspotting: Our hometown winner!". James Beard Foundation. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Michael Tusk". Food Network. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Here Are the Bay Area's Biggest Winners at the 2026 James Beard Awards". Eater SF. 2026-06-17. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "San Francisco chef, bartender win coveted James Beard Awards". NBC Bay Area. 2026-06-17. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Fegan, MacKenzie Chung (June 17, 2026). "It's been 22 years since a Bay Area chef has won this prestigious award. Here's who broke the curse". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
External links
- Michael Tusk on IMDb
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