Stephen Starr

Stephen Starr is a restaurateur and head of Starr Restaurants. His honors include "Restaurateur of the Year" accolades from both Bon Appétit and Zagat.Travel + Leisure noted that "Starr creates complete environments with an artistic, almost cerebral approach".USA Today identified him as "the 'It' guy of the city’s food scene", while Restaurant Hospitality reported his winning the annual Richard Melman Innovator of the Year award in 2013 and cited his popular restaurants in Philadelphia as "arguably the key reason for the city’s revitalized culinary scene". The Harvard Observer recognized Starr "for making contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of restaurant hospitality over the whole of his career"

A lifelong devotee of music and pop culture, Starr began his career at the age of 21 with Grandmom Minnie’s, a converted diner serving food by day and comedy by night, in Philadelphia’s Old City. He next opened Starr’s, a cabaret that featured then-emerging acts such as Jerry Seinfeld and Pat Benatar, and later Ripley Music Hall, a venue that showcased acts like U2, The Eurythmics, Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen. He founded The Concert Company to bring large-scale stadium acts to Philadelphia, and was responsible for many memorable shows in the city, including Madonna, Lionel Ritchie and George Michael. His company was purchased by Electric Factory Concerts in 1990, giving Starr the opportunity to explore the hospitality industry full-time. In 1995, he opened his first restaurant, Continental Restaurant & Martini Bar in Old City.

Today, Stephen Starr oversees more than 30 restaurants in five states.

Stephen was the guest judge on the Restaurant Wars episode of Top Chef: Season 5.

Le Diplomate - opened April 2013, located at 14th & Q Streets, NW, in Logan Circle. Executive Chef Michael Abt.

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