Born in Chicago, Jeff Mauro was a ham on a roll from the very beginning. Raised in a large family with four kids, he competed for attention not by making his sisters cry, but by making his family laugh. Jeff’s flair for the stage was discovered early, and from that point on, he immersed himself in the performing arts. When Jeff discovered the power of food, all bets were off. After graduating from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., he opened up Prime Time Deli & Catering in Westmont, Ill., with his cousin and instantly fell in love with cooking. During the day, Jeff would craft sandwiches, soups and salads; at night, he satisfied his performing bug playing the role of Tony in Chicago’s Tony and Tina's Wedding. With his professional cooking knowledge and his acting and improvisation skills polished, he moved to Los Angeles in an attempt to meld his two loves — cooking and comedy. After a few years in Hollywood, he upped the ante and enrolled in the Le Cordon Bleu culinary program to refine his cooking skills. Jeff graduated valedictorian, packed and returned to Chicago, where he taught cooking lessons, was a successful private corporate chef and sandwich artist, and performed on stage during the weekends. He won Season 7 of Food Network Star and is the host of the Emmy-nominated series Sandwich King. He's also a co-host on The Kitchen. Jeff lives in Chicago with his wife, Sarah, and their son, Lorenzo, and Jeff's favorite color is pastrami.