Chris Santos Biography: Wife, Age, Net Worth, Restaurants, TV Shows, Height, Books

Chris Santos is an American chef and restaurateur who first gained widespread attention as executive chef and owner of The Stanton Social on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. His innovative communal dining concept and bold small-plate menus earned critical acclaim and a devoted following.

Santos has since launched several high-profile restaurants—including Beauty & Essex and VANDAL—and become a familiar face on Food Network’s Chopped as a recurring judge.

Profile

• Full name: Chris Santos
• Date of birth: March 26, 1971
• Age: 54 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Fall River, Massachusetts
• State of origin: Massachusetts
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Chef; restaurateur; television personality
• Parents: MaryLou Dennis Santos (mother)
• Siblings: Two older brothers; one older sister
• Spouse: Taryn Santos (married 2009)
• Children: None
• Relationship status: Married
• Ethnicity: Irish and Portuguese descent
• Net worth: US $8 million

Early Life and education

Chris Santos, now at the graceful age of 54, was born on March 26, 1971, in Fall River, Massachusetts. The youngest of four children, he spent his childhood in nearby Bristol, Rhode Island, in a household enriched by his mother’s Irish heritage and his father’s Portuguese background.

He graduated from Mt. Hope Senior High School in Bristol in 1989, then enrolled at Johnson & Wales University in Providence. Initially planning only a two-year culinary arts course, he earned a fellowship that extended his studies by another two years in restaurant and hotel management, graduating with honors in 1993.

Personal Life

In 2009, Santos married Taryn Santos; details on how they met and their wedding have not been publicly disclosed. The couple does not have any children and maintains a relatively private personal life.

Career

At age 13, Chris Santos began working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant in Bristol, Rhode Island, before moving to the stove and honing his skills through his teenage years. After graduating, he relocated to New York City in 1994 and joined Time Café, becoming its executive chef by age 23.

A year-long culinary tour of Europe in 1999 expanded his palate, and upon returning he held chef positions at Boston’s Cranebook Restaurant, Rue 57, Suba, and Mojo.

In January 2005, Santos opened The Stanton Social on the Lower East Side, introducing his signature experiential communal dining with multicultural small plates; it closed in late 2018 after earning praise from The New York Times and New York Magazine.

December 2010 saw the debut of Beauty & Essex, a dramatic, bi-level restaurant and lounge in a former furniture store, which was soon hailed as one of the hottest U.S. restaurants. In 2016, he partnered with TAO Group to open VANDAL, further cementing his influence in Manhattan’s dining scene.

On television, Santos has appeared as a judge on nearly thirty seasons of Food Network’s Chopped and has guest-judged on shows such as Rachael Ray, The Today Show, and CBS’s The Early Show.

He published his first cookbook, SHARE – Delicious and Surprising Recipes to Pass Around Your Table, in February 2017. Reflecting his lifelong passion for metal music, Santos founded the hard-rock label Blacklight Media in 2016, and in 2023 he expanded his restaurant portfolio with Stanton Social Prime at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Awards

• Star Chefs Rising Star Chef (2007)

Net worth

Chris Santos current net worth estimation is at least US $8 million, accumulated through various career endeavors in the culinary world.

Social Media

• Instagram: @santoscooks
• Twitter (X): @santoscooks

Filmography

• Hitch (2005)

Books

• SHARE – Delicious and Surprising Recipes to Pass Around Your Table (2017)