Tony Maws is an American chef and restaurateur

Restaurateur

A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...

. Maws is the chef/owner of Craigie on Main (formerly called Craigie Street Bistrot) in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

.

Early years

After graduating from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 with a BA in Psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

 and uncertain what he wanted to do, Maws traveled to Europe for a year and upon returning to New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 quickly got a job as a waiter in Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....

. While working as a waiter Maws wrote to chefs around the U.S. and was hired by Chris Schlesinger to work at the original East Coast Grill.

Craigie on Main

In 2003, Maws opened Craigie Street Bistrot in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is considered one of the top restaurants in Boston, winning several awards and recognitions. In late 2008 Maws moved Craigie Street Bistrot to a larger venue on Main Street in Cambridge and added a bar. He also renamed it Craigie on Main.

Awards

James Beard Award - Best Chef Northeast, May, 2011

James Beard Award Finalist - Best Chef Northeast, March, 2010

James Beard Award Finalist - Best Chef Northeast, March, 2009

“Best Chef,” Boston Magazine (Best of Boston), 2008

“Best New Chefs Hall of Fame,” Food & Wine Magazine, 2008

“Best Chef,” “Best French Restaurant” and “Best Pasta Dream Meal” (Gnocchi Parisienne), Boston Magazine (Best of Boston), 2006

“One of America’s 10 Best New Chefs” (Tony Maws), Food & Wine, 2005

Boston’s top rising chef” (Tony Maws), Stuff@Night, 2004

"Best up-and-coming chef,”Boston Magazine (Best of Boston), 2003