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Andrew Gruel
American chef, television personality, and politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Andrew Gruel (born July 12, 1980) is an American chef, television personality, and politician based in Orange County, California. He appeared as a judge on Food Network's Food Truck Face Off and as a host of FYI's Say It to My Face!, and is the founder of Slapfish,[1] a seafood restaurant franchise that he launched in 2012 and sold to Mac Haik Enterprises in 2022.[2] He is the founder, CEO and executive chef of Calico Fish House, a casual seafood restaurant in Huntington Beach, California.[2] He has been a member of the Huntington Beach City Council since March 18, 2025, when he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the council.[3][4]
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Early life and education
Gruel was born and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey[5] and graduated from the Pingry School in 1998.[6] He said that his affinity towards cooking started at an early age, when he would fake sick to stay home from school and watch cooking shows on public-access television.[7] While attending Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, he worked in lobster restaurants in the area.[8][9] He received his culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University's College of Culinary Arts.[10]
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Career
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Cooking
Gruel began his career working in fine dining restaurants, hotels and diners in New Jersey, as a cook at the Ritz Carlton in Boston[10][11] and at Jack's of New London in New London, New Hampshire.[10] He left the East Coast in 2009 to work as director of Seafood for the Future, a nonprofit program at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.[5][12]
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced many restaurants to shut down, Gruel started a fund in December 2020 to raise money for out-of-work restaurant industry employees, raising over $230,000 in the first three weeks.[13][14][15] The fund, called 86 Restaurant Struggle, is a nonprofit charity that helps struggling and unemployed restaurant workers.[16]
Television
Gruel's first television appearance was on the BBC show The Endless Feast in 2007.[12] He served as a judge on the Food Channel's Food Truck Face Off[7] and Chopped Junior,[17] and also appeared on Eat St. on the Cooking Channel,[18] Today on NBC,[19] and On the Rocks on the Food Network.[5] In 2015, Gruel starred as a host on season one of the reality television show Say It To My Face!' along with Chef Anthony Dispensa.[20] Since 2020, he has been a frequent guest on various national news programs.[16]
Radio
Gruel hosted a culinary radio show called Cooking with Gruel in 2015.[7] He co-hosts the weekly The SoCal Restaurant Show on KLAA, which launched in 2012.[21]
City council
On March 18, 2025, Gruel was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Huntington Beach City Council that was previously held by Tony Strickland, who was elected to the California State Senate.[3][4]
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Television appearances
Personal life
References
External links
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