Allen Susser established Chef Allen’s restaurant in 1986. After earning a degree from New York City Tech, Florida International University and the Cordon Bleu, he worked at the Bristol Hotel in Paris and went on to cook in the fabled kitchens of Florida and New York, most notably that of Le Cirque.

Chef Allen’s cross-cultural tropical cuisine, which started with new world cuisine more that 20 years ago, has been constantly evolving. His vision of what the future holds is a culinary fusion of cultures that share similar landscapes and tropical ingredients. The cuisines derived from the Caribbean, Latin America, the Pacific Rim and the tropical Mediterranean are ideal for fusing into sweet, spicy and aromatic harmony. They all fit together very well, though each offers a diverse spice box full of exotic flavors. Chef Allen’s new Palm Tree Cuisine is fresh and flavorful, like a tropical vacation on a plate.

Chef Allen’s many honors include: Share Our Strength’s Chef of the Year for 2006; an honorary doctorate of culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University; the Torch Award for Leadership from Florida International University; the prestigious Best Chef - James Beard Foundation; Zagat Surveyed-Best Restaurant for Food in Miami (4 years in a row - including 2005); Gourmet magazine’s Top Table Award in South Florida; and The New York Times called Allen the “Ponce De Leon of New Florida cooking.” He has also been featured in Time Magazine, Bon Appétit, Food Arts, and Wine Spectator. Furthermore, Allen has appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” as well as CBS’ “Early Show,” WPBS and the Food Network.

He is the original author of New World Cuisine and Cookery (Doubleday, 1995), The Great Citrus Book (Ten Speed Press, 1997) and The Great Mango Book (Ten Speed Press, 2001).

Allen is currently an advisory member of the James Beard Foundation, The Florida Commissioner's Seafood and Aquaculture Committee, and serves on the National Board of Directors for the American Institute of Wine and Food as well as on the Board of the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Chef Allen has been a tireless advocate for Share Our Strength and the fight to end hunger for nearly two decades. In 1988, he was one of first in the country to recognize the magic of Taste of the Nation, and helped his city raise more than $10,000 in its first year. Sixteen years—and more than one million dollars later—this chef is still working hard to insure that the event and SOS remain on the forefront of people’s minds. Three years ago he teamed up with the Greater Miami Visitor’s and Convention Bureau to create the Summer of Share Our Strength—a series of events, which culminates in a restaurant dine-out program—Miami Spice Month.

Professionally, he sits on Share Our Strength’s National Culinary Council and was instrumental in educating the Miami restaurant community about Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation, and our goals.

Govind Armstrong | David Gilbert | Dewey LoSasso | Tracy Miller | Matial Noguier | Allen Susser