Gail Simmons has turned her taste buds into an illustrious career.
The culinary expert, food writer, and television personality got her start writing restaurant reviews for
The McGill Tribune
. A Toronto native, Simmons attended the Peter Kump New York Cooking School and was an apprentice at famed restaurants Le Cirque and Vong. She also served as
Food & Wine
's special projects director.
Simmons has been a judge on Bravo's Top Chef since its premiere in 2006. She also hosted its spinoff,
Top Chef: Just Desserts
.
Off screen, Simmons' first cookbook,
Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating
was nominated for an International Association of Culinary Professionals award and features recipes inspired by her world travels-all made with accessible ingredients and simple techniques. Her memoir,
With My Mouth Full
, was published in 2012, and her upcoming book, Guesting, will be released in 2026.
As a self-proclaimed "proud Jew," following the October 7 attacks, she wrote on her Instagram, "We account for only 0.2% of the world population, and I feel compelled to use my voice."
What was the last book you read?
Previously read:
This Is How It Always
Is by Laurie Frankel.
Currently reading:
Life Blood
by UK author and journalist Mina Holland.
What's your all-time favorite movie?
Back to the Future
(parts one and two).
What's your favorite Jewish food?
Too many to choose. Matzah ball soup, full sour dill pickles, my mom's latkes, Montreal bagels, and smoked meat.
What are you listening to these days?
Podcasts:
Smartless
,
Good Hang
,
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
,
The Sporkful
, and
This Is TASTE
.
Music: Caamp, Maggie Rogers, Haim, Bon Iver, and Zach Bryan, but the list totally changes when I am with my kids.
Who was the last person you texted on your phone?
Top Chef
Host Kristen Kish.
If you could invite three people to a Shabbat dinner, who would they be?
Michelle Obama, Adam Sandler, and Scarlett Johansson.
If you could have any other occupation, what would it be?
Zoologist. Assistant to the late, great Jane Goodall studying primates.
Who are two of your biggest role models?
My older brother, Eric, and his wife, Kim. Also, my incredible network of women besties, too numerous to name, who constantly support, guide, inspire, and encourage me on everything from how to be a social activist and businessperson, to how to be a better parent, friend, and member of my community.
What are you currently binging on TV?
Simultaneously and in no particular order (and almost done with all of them):
The Bear
Season 4, Y
our Friends & Neighbors
,
The Studio
, and
Too Much
.
If you could offer the teen version of yourself one piece of wisdom, what would it be?
Life is a series of phases, heartbreaks, celebrations, challenges, and temporary circumstances. Savor each one as best you can, knowing that even when you are at what feels like an impasse, that you will get through it and come out stronger. It's only a matter of time.
