Stephanie Izard Biography
Stephanie Izard is a famous American chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality from Stamford, Connecticut. She is famous for being the first woman to win the Bravo’s reality show “Top Chef, ” in 2008 in its fourth season. Izard is also the co-owner and executive chef of five popular restaurants in Chicago: Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, and Sugargoat. Additionally, she is the author of cookbooks titled “Girl in the Kitchen” and “Gather & Graze.” Moreover, Izard will be competing in “Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational”, which premieres on August 16, 2023. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
Stephanie Izard Age | Birthday
Izard was born on October 30, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois. She is 46 years old as of August 2023. Izard celebrates her birthday on the 30th of June each year.
Stephanie Izard Parents
Chef Izard was born in Evanston, Illinois to her parents. She was born to Susan Izard (mother) and Robert Izard (father). She grew up in Stamford, CT.

Stephanie Izard Nationality and Ethnicity
Izard is an American of French and Irish descent.
Stephanie Izard Height
Izard stands at a height of 5 feet and 5 inches (approximately).
Stephanie Izard Husband
Chef Izard is married to Gary Valentine, a craft beer consultant and former bar owner. They met in 2011 and got engaged in 2013. Izard and Gary Valentine tied the knot in October 2013 in a rustic wedding ceremony in Chicago. They have a son named Ernie, who was born in May 2016.
Stephanie Izard Education
Izard attended Stamford High School. She developed an interest in cooking from a young age and often helped her mother in the kitchen. After graduating from high school in 1994, she enrolled at the University of Michigan, where she majored in sociology. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998. Furthermore, Izard attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale, and graduated in 1999.
Stephanie Izard Sorority
Izard was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and she participated in various campus activities.
Stephanie Izard Culinary career
After graduating with a degree in culinary arts from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona, Izard moved to Chicago to start her professional career.
She worked as a sous chef at La Tache, a French bistro, and then as a chef de cuisine at Spring, a contemporary American restaurant.
In 2004, Izard opened her own restaurant called Scylla, which specialized in Mediterranean seafood dishes. The restaurant received rave reviews from critics and customers alike and was named one of the best new restaurants by Chicago magazine. However, in 2007, she decided to close Scylla and take a break from the restaurant business. Chef Izard traveled around the world for a year and visited countries like Vietnam, Thailand, India, and Peru. She learned about different cuisines and cultures and gained new inspiration for her cooking.
Stephanie Izard Top Chef
In 2008, Izard competed in the fourth season of Top Chef, a competitive cooking show on Bravo. She was one of the 16 contestants who competed for the title of Top Chef and $100,000 prize money. She impressed the judges with her creativity, versatility, and consistency throughout the season. Izard won four elimination challenges and three quickfire challenges and never placed in the bottom three.
Chef Izard made it to the finale in Puerto Rico, where she faced off against Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes. She prepared a four-course meal that consisted of scallops with crushed pistachios and white wine sauce; quail with roasted cherries and shiitake mushrooms; lamb medallions with braised pistachios and blackberries; and ricotta pound cake with tropical fruits. The judges praised her dishes for being flavorful, balanced, and well-executed. Izard was declared the winner of “Top Chef” Season 4 and became the first woman to win the show.
Stephanie Izard Restaurants
After winning Top Chef, Izard became a celebrity chef and a household name. She used her prize money to open her own restaurant called Girl & the Goat in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood in 2010. The restaurant features an eclectic menu of small plates that showcase her signature style of blending global flavors with local ingredients. The restaurant was an instant hit and received numerous accolades from critics and customers alike. It was named one of the best new restaurants by Food & Wine magazine and one of America’s best restaurants by GQ magazine.
In 2012, Izard opened a second restaurant called Little Goat, which is located across the street from Girl & the Goat. Little Goat is a diner-style eatery that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks. It also has a bakery, a coffee shop, a bar, and a private event space.
In 2016, chef Izard opened her third restaurant called Duck Duck Goat, which is inspired by her travels to China. Duck Duck Goat is a Chinese-style restaurant that offers dishes such as hand-pulled noodles, dim sum, Peking duck, and Sichuan chicken. The restaurant was named one of the best new restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine and one of the best Chinese restaurants by Eater.
In 2019, Izard opened her fourth restaurant called Cabra, which is located on the rooftop of The Hoxton hotel. Cabra is a Peruvian-style restaurant that features dishes such as ceviche,
skewers, empanadas, and pisco cocktails. The restaurant was named one of the best new restaurants by Esquire magazine and one of the best rooftop bars by Thrillist.
Chef Izard also owns Sugargoat, which she opened in 2020. Sugargoat is an imaginative sweets shop and bakery.
Izard’s restaurants, Girl & the Goat and Cabra, are also located in downtown Los Angeles.
Stephanie Izard TV Shows
Besides running her successful restaurants, Izard has also made several appearances on television as a guest judge, host, or contestant. She has appeared on shows such as Top Chef Masters, Top Chef All-Stars, Top Chef Duels, Iron Chef America, The Chew, The Talk, and Good Morning America.
In addition, Izard also has her own web series, The Dish, whose production is by Food & Wine magazine. The series features her interviewing other chefs and celebrities and cooking with them in her restaurants.
Stephanie Izard Guy’s Grocery Games
Izard is a contestant on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational. She will compete against seven other chefs in a series of challenges that involves shopping for ingredients and cooking dishes in a supermarket setting.
“Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational” premieres on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at 9 pm on Food Network. Eight chefs will be vying for a chance to win up to $75,000 in prizes and the coveted trophy.”
Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational Cast
The other contestants of “Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational” on Food Network are:
- Nate Appleman
- Karen Akunowicz
- Jose Garces
- Ilan Hall
- Mei Lin
- Shota Nakajima
- Jonathon Sawyer
Stephanie Izard Net worth
Chef Izard has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of 2023. She earns most of her income from her restaurants, television appearances, book sales, and endorsements. Izard owns five restaurants; Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, and Sugargoat. She is also the author of cookbooks titled “Girl in the Kitchen” and “Gather & Graze.” Additionally, Izard has her own line of sauces and spices, This Little Goat.
Chef Izard’s Instagram handle is @stepanieizard, with over 203K followers as of August 2023.