Chris Santos

Chris Santos is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, Executive Chef, and television personality who graduated with honors from Johnson & Wales University. Santos laid the groundwork for his culinary career by traveling throughout Europe, where he learned various tastes, techniques, and cooking styles from over forty cities. Subsequently, he honed his skills working in several New York City establishments, including Cranebook Restaurant and Tearoom, Rue 57, Wyanoka, The Mexican Sandwich Company, and the award-winning restaurant, Suba.

In 2005, Santos opened his first restaurant, "The Stanton Social", in New York City's Lower East Side, offering multi-cultural cuisine inspired by his European travels. The restaurant received positive reviews from The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Time Out New York. His subsequent culinary venture was the launch of "Beauty & Essex" in 2010, a 250-seat, 10,000-square-foot restaurant, which further solidified his reputation in the food industry. Adding to his portfolio, he is scheduled to open "Stanton Social Prime" at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2023.

Aside from his restaurant enterprises, Santos was named Star Chefs Rising Star Chef in 2007. He released his first cookbook, "SHARE – Delicious and Surprising Recipes to Pass Around Your Table", in 2017. Santos has been a recurring guest judge on the Food Network show "Chopped" since 2008 and has triumphed twice on the show. His television appearances also include "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", "The Martha Stewart Show", "The Rachael Ray Show", "CBS The Early Show", and "The Today Show".

Beyond his culinary endeavors, Santos founded Blacklight Media Records in 2016, a hard rock and heavy metal label in partnership with Metal Blade Records. Currently, he is developing a new television show of his own, demonstrating his versatility as a chef and entrepreneur.