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Houses That Food Built: Homes of Chefs and Restaurateurs

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Restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow might not be a household name like Emeril Lagasse or Gordon Ramsay—don't worry, they're coming up in this roundup, too—but he's profited handsomely in the restaurant biz. Through his holding company, China Grill Management, Chodorow owns more than 20 restaurants around the world, including NYC's Bar Basque and China Grill, and has made enough cash to afford a sprawling apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower. The 3,700-square-foot, three-bedroom pad underwent a number of improvements during Chodorow's tenure, including the replacement of some 40 windows to improve the view. "El Chod," as he is known around the Eater universe, paid $5.35M for the three units and is now asking $18.8M for the combination.

? Fiery-tempered British chef Gordon Ramsay has made a career out of cooking—and yelling at people about cooking—on television. His successful string of TV programs helped Ramsay weather the economic crisis while some of his famous restaurants foundered. Well, it seems it's back to the good times for this hot head, who scooped up a $6.75M mansion in the tony Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air. Better yet, this doesn't seem to be a permanent home for the Hell's Kitchen star, but rather just a U.S. pied-a-terre.

? One of the pioneers of the celebrity chef phenomenon, Emeril "Bam" Lagasse turned the profits from his restaurant empire, TV appearances, and line of cookware into a lavish townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The 6,900-square-foot townhouse boasts five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two terraces, four fireplaces, and skylit solarium on the top floor. The lavish home might have been too much for Legasse, however, as he now has it listed for $13.5M.

? The former New York Times dining critic Sam Sifton leads a far more modest life than some of the celebrity chefs whose restaurants he evaluated. He paid a little more than $1M for this two-family townhouse in the up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook back in 2007. Apparently, Sifton rented out the large three-bedroom unit (pictured above) while occupying the garden apartment below, but tired of that arrangement and offloaded the house last August for $1.25M.

? The preppy culinary experimenter Christopher Kimball, publisher of Cook's Illustrated magazine and creator and host of the PBS series America's Test Kitchen, lives in a Boston townhouse befitting his bow-tied appearance. The ivy-covered brick house, located in the city's revitalized South End, has five floors, seven bedrooms, and, naturally, a chef's kitchen, all done up in very traditional fashion. Beantown's favorite food guy, who is notoriously difficult to work with, has his home listed for $2.575M.

? Iron Chef Michael Symon, the Cleveland food scene reviver and television personality, recently purchased a home in NYC from another foodie, London restaurateur Laurence Isaacson. The SoHo penthouse, built by hotelier and developer Andre Balazs, features two bedrooms, a marble kitchen, and a roof terrace with space for dining and an outdoor shower. Symon paid $3.05M for the place, down from its early asking price of $3.25M.

? Restaurateur Stephen Starr, who is credited with raising the caliber of Philadelphia's restaurants, heads up a 26-restaurant conglomerate that includes cash cows Morimoto and Buddakan. His successful food empire may have afforded him this Philadelphia townhouse, a brick six-bedroom classic with landscaped rear garden and a rare two-car garage. This place, which he was rumored to have purchased earlier this month, is a far cry from his previous, super-modern home, but they cost about the same. Starr listed his last place for $2.5M and purchased this one for $2.375M.


· Restaurateur Jeff Chodorow's Glassy Trump Pad Hikes Price [Curbed NY]
· Inside Chef Gordon Ramsay's Mean New California Abode [Curbed National]
· 158 East 61st Street [GHK]
· Food Critic Sam Sifton Sells Red Hook Home for $1.25 Million [Curbed NY]
· Foodie Christopher Kimball Cuts South End TH Tag by $54K [Curbed Boston]
· Celeb chef Michael Symon buys Soho penthouse [The Real Deal]
· Is This Stephen Starr's New Kitchen (and House)? [Curbed Philly]
· Stephen Starr's Kitchen (and House) Is for Sale for $2.5 Million [Curbed Philly]