Tim Love

Career

Love's career as a chef began in a kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he worked to earn extra money while completing his degree in finance and marketing at the University of Tennessee. Love began volunteering in various kitchens between shifts in an attempt to gain experience and knowledge. After running his first kitchen at Kiva Grill, an upscale southwestern restaurant in Knoxville, Love prepared dishes at the Knoxville Radisson and hotels throughout the Southeast. After moving to Colorado, he became a chef at the Uptown Bistro in Frisco and won the Taste of Breckenridge Grand Award three years running and the Taste of the Mountains every year. Prior to opening the Lonesome Dove in 2000, Love served as Executive Chef at Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth and as a chef at Reata, one of Fort Worth's premier restaurants.

Love opened two restaurants in 2006, Duce in Fort Worth and Lonesome Dove Western Bistro NYC in Manhattan's Chelsea district. Lonesome Dove Western Bistro NYC closed in March 2007 after six months, which included unfavorable reviews by the New York Times and New York magazine. Duce is sold in 2008 to a Chicago chef.

Love is a frequent participant on the national food festival circuit with annual appearances at events such as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. In 2012, he was one of the inaugural partners for the Austin Food & Wine Festival, and is the official chef at Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Through a partnership with Sodexo which began in 2012, Love's dishes are offered at Texas Christian University's Amon G. Carter Stadium, providing catering services for all the luxury suites as well as general concessions. [1]

Television, film, and radio

Love frequently appears on television programs such as NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America. Love also defeated Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in "Chile Pepper" battle on Food Network's Iron Chef America in 2006. In 2009, he appeared on Top Chef Masters, but came in third in his first heat, thus ending his run on the show. In addition to broadcast, Love has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, New York Post, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, Texas Monthly Magazine, CNN, D Magazine, Southern Living and has received a James Beard Foundation nomination for his Food Network documentary, "Cowboys on the Trail."

From 2014-16, Love hosted "Restaurant Startup" on CNBC with Joe Bastianich.

Trail drives

In 2003, Love celebrated his James Beard House invitation as a "Rising Star" and the 100th birthday of the late James Beard with his first annual trail drive. He traveled from Fort Worth to New York City with his horses and crew, stopping at local farmer's markets along the way to pick up local ingredients, which he used to prepare the dinner at the James Beard house.

In 2004, Love set out again for his second annual trail drive, during which he participated in the American Express Celebrity Chef Tour. Love and his kitchen crew stopped in various cities along the way to visit local farmers markets and prepared dinners benefiting Spoons Across America, a charity supporting children's culinary education. The drive was filmed by the Food Network for a one-hour special, "Cowboys on the Trail," moderated by Country Music artist Trace Adkins.

Personal life

Born in Denton, Texas, Love is married to Emilie Love, whom he met working in Colorado at the Uptown Bistro in Frisco. They have three children: A son,Tannahill, and two daughters. Twin girls, Ella and Anna. The family lives in Fort Worth, Texas. When away from the kitchen, Love can be found coaching his son's baseball team and hunting on his ranch in Gordon, Texas.