Ask chef Marc Murphy where he grew up and he’ll fire off a list of cosmopolitan destinations: Milan, Paris, Villefranche, Washington, D.C., Rome and Genoa. For some, growing up the son of a globetrotting diplomat might have been stressful, yet for Marc this dizzying list of hometowns served as an excellent education in French and Italian cuisine, and afforded him the luxury of learning from a young age just how much he loved the world of cooking and restaurants. Since then, Marc has logged more than 20 years in the restaurant business, working in some of the world’s most highly esteemed kitchens, including Le Miraville in Paris, Alain Ducasses’ Louis XV in Monte Carlo and Le Cirque in New York. He was also the executive chef at Cellar in the Sky at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center, La Fourchette and Chinoiserie.
In March 2004, Marc opened his first solo enterprise with Landmarc [Tribeca], which won rave reviews both for its eclectic French and Italian menu as well as its highly untraditional wine list. Now executive chef and owner of all the Benchmarc restaurants, which includes Landmarc (at the Time Warner Center, opened May 2007) and Ditch Plains (opened May 2006), Marc is hoping to continue growing his empire. His involvement in the industry extends beyond the restaurants as well, with a regular role as a judge on the Food Network’s newest weekly hit, Chopped, as well as appearances on Iron Chef America, Hot Chefs, The Martha Stewart Show, Make My Day and the Today show.
Marc is the vice president of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association, a member of City Harvest’s Food Council and on the advisory boards of Culintro, Passport NYC at the 92nd Street Y and the Institute of Culinary Education. Marc is also an avid supporter of Share Our Strength, The R.E.S.T. Initiative, The Clinton Foundation’s Haiti Relief Efforts UNICEF, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and The Food Bank of New York City.
