Chef Allen Susser is a James Beard award-winning chef. He has a passionate commitment to local fresh ingredients. The New York Times called Allen the "Ponce De Leon of New Florida cooking." His landmark restaurant Chef Allen's forever changed the way people ate in Miami and affected how America eats today. Food & Wine magazine named Chef Allen "One of the Best 10 Chefs in America." 

Chef Allen’s Consulting is a boutique sustainable restaurant and hospitality consulting firm, providing strategic initiative, culinary resources, and innovative direction for the industry. Allen is the consulting chef to Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, helping to create one of the most dynamic culinary destinations in the Caribbean. This includes pioneering Emerald Estate Vintage Chocolate, a bean-tobar authentically handcrafted organic chocolate from Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Susser is currently a Culinary Ambassador for the Monterey Bay Aquarium for its sustainable seafood watch. Allen recently was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his farm-to-table community involvement with Slow Foods.

He received an honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, as well as the President’s Award for community service from Florida International University. He was recognized as the humanitarian of the year by Share Our Strength for his commitment to End Childhood Hunger.  Chef Allen has taken great personal involvement in the challenge of helping to feed the homeless, hungry and the homebound elderly. Chef Allen has a succinct answer when explaining his philosophy; once again drawing from the ever present and important balance he has nurtured since childhood: "I love to cook; and so food is my life, my profession, my charity and my diversion."

Allen is the author of New World Cuisine and Cookery, The Great Citrus Book, The Great Mango Book, and his latest release, Green Fig and Lionfish, a new cookbook featuring recipes using lionfish, an invasive species which threatens sea life and reefs.

Listen to the Friday Night Book Club Podcast interview with Chef Allen Susser.
Watch Chef Allen Susser's interview at the 2020 Miami International Boat Show on CBS 4 Miami.