Michael Schlow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Schlow (born c. 1964,[1] Brooklyn[2]) is an American chef and restaurateur. Partnered with restaurateur Christopher Myers, the pair launched Boston restaurants Radius, Via Matta, and Tico.[3][4][5] He was a master contestant on the first episode of Top Chef Masters.[6] In 2018, his roster of restaurants was reported as 12 establishments, largely located Boston and Washington, D.C.[7]
Life
Schlow was born in Brooklyn, then was raised in Somerville, New Jersey, where he graduated from high school.[8] His parents are Ned and Judy Cohn.[9] He gave up a baseball scholarship to attend the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey.[10]
In 2012 he married Andover restaurateur Adrienne Pappadopoulos in May 2012.[9]
Career
Schlow began his career in New York City, and then Long Island, before moving to Boston.[11] He relocated to Boston in 1995 to re-open Boston restaurateur Christopher Myers' Café Louis.[12] Three years later, he and Myers opened Radius, followed by Via Matta, then Tico,[3][4][5] now defunct.[13] After 13 years, Schlow replaced Via Matta with the Doretta Taverna and Raw Bar.[4] He has also helmed six Washington, DC-area restaurants, now defunct.[14]
Schlow has appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America,[4] Today, CBS This Morning, Nightline, the Rachael Ray Show, and Food Network.[2]
He opened Pine at the Hanover Inn, overlooking the Dartmouth College Green, in New Hampshire, in 2013.[15] In Washington, DC, Schlow opened a second Tico's in 2014,[16] launched The Riggsby at the Carlyle Hotel, in 2015,[17] then Alta Strada trattoria, in March 2016,[18] and So Casolare Italian restaurant, that May, at the Glover Park Hotel.[19] By 2019, Schlow had opened a second Alta Strada and the Nama sushi restaurant in DC.[20]
In partnership with Clint Mansour and hotelier Kenny Koza; Schlow opened Japanese-inspired Adachi restaurant at the Ford-Peabody Mansion in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham, in August 2018.[7] He launched Pan-Asian family restaurant Zao Jun, in neighboring Bloomfield, in May 2019.[21] That year, Schlow also opened his first fast-casual Italian eatery, Prima, in Bethseda, Maryland.[20]
In 2024, he opened Seamark Seafood & Cocktails at the Encore Boston Harbor with partner, Sean Christie's Las Vegas-based Carver Road Hospitality.[22] The restaurant's workers voted to unionize in February 2025; Schlow departed that August.[23]
In early 2026, he committed to opening a new restaurant at the Royal Sonesta Washington DC Dupont Circle hotel.[24]
Bibliography
Awards and honors
- James Beard Foundation Award,[6] Best Chef, Northeast, 2000
- Radius was named “Best New Restaurant” by Food & Wine[6]
- Radius ranked “Best Restaurant” and “Best Power Lunch” by Boston Magazine
- Radius named one of the “25 Best American Restaurants” by Gourmet[25]
- Via Matta was named one of the “Best New Restaurants in America by Gourmet and Esquire magazines[25]
- Great Bay opened in 2003 and that same year was voted “Best Seafood Restaurant in Boston” by Boston Magazine, with co-owner Schlow as executive chef[25]