Gabrielle Hamilton

Gabrielle Hamilton is a chef, author, and restaurateur recognized for her influence on food culture and culinary writing.

Hamilton is focused on writing and teaching, having released her second memoir, "Next of Kin," teaching creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania, and running her former restaurant, Prune, as an exclusive private concept by appointment.

Hamilton was the chef and owner of PRUNE Restaurant in New York City's East Village, known for its straightforward, home-style cooking and intimate setting. PRUNE closed during the pandemic in 2020 and never reopened.

Before opening PRUNE, Hamilton started a catering business in New York and later earned a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing at the University of Michigan. Her experiences cooking and traveling in France, Italy, and Greece informed both her culinary approach and her writing.

Hamilton is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, "Blood, Bones and Butter," published by Random House, which received a James Beard Award for Writing and Literature and has been translated into multiple languages. The memoir explores her early life and career in catering kitchens before founding PRUNE. She also published the cookbook "Prune," featuring annotated recipes used in her restaurant.

Hamilton has received multiple James Beard Foundation Awards, including Outstanding Chef. She has appeared on television programs with Martha Stewart, Mark Bittman, and Mike Colameco, and won an episode of "Iron Chef America" on Food Network. Hamilton earned an Emmy Award for her role in Season 4 of the PBS series "Mind of a Chef."

Her writing has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Food & Wine, Afar, Travel and Leisure, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Elle, and House Beautiful. She received a James Beard Award for journalism for her article "Into the Vines" in Afar, documenting Sicilian wines and winemakers.

Hamilton's feature for The New York Times Magazine, "My Restaurant Was My Life for 20 Years. Does the World Need It Anymore?" was selected for The Best American Essays Series. She guest edited "The Best American Food Writing" and served as a monthly columnist for The New York Times Magazine. Her memoir, "Next of Kin," further explores her experiences in the culinary and literary worlds. Hamilton is known for her candid perspective and contributions to the intersection of food, writing, and restaurant culture.