Who is Liz Sanderson? Meet chef Michael Symon’s wife

OVER the years, celebrity chef Michael Symon has become one of the most famous members of the culinary scene, growing his empire one recipe at a time.

When he is not opening up new restaurants or filming episodes for shows on the Food Network, the Cooking Channel, and ABC, he can often be found at home, spending time with his wife, Liz Sanderson Symon.

Who is Michael Symon’s wife, Liz?

Michael’s career began in the early 1990s after he got a job at a 40-seat restaurant called Players.

His now-wife, Liz Sanderson Symon, also worked at that restaurant and managed the front of the house.

“I was impressed by the way she carried herself,” Michael told The New York Times in 2018.

“She was very pretty and has a presence,” he added.

After meeting at the restaurant, the pair formed a friendship that later became something more after he got her a job at a new restaurant a few years later.

“We’d get done with work, the staff would go out together, we’d get drinks, then we’d make out and think, ‘That was a bad idea, we should just be friends,’” Michael continued.

“Then a week would pass, we’d go out again, and the same thing would happen.” 

After two years of dating, he proposed and they tied the knot on November 1, 1998.

“This is my second marriage, but this is the first time I’ve been able to breathe,” Liz told the New York Times.

“Michael is very chill and non-confrontational,” she added.

“When you’re around that, it gives you the ability to trust and gain confidence.”

“We have a heightened sense of connection, communication and passion,” Michael said.

“If you don’t look at your wife as the most special person in the world, why are you with her?” he added.

Since they married, Liz has collaborated with Michael on nearly all of his restaurant endeavors.

She was previously vegan, but according to Michael’s Instagram, has since resumed eating meat in moderation.

Do Michael and Liz have kids?

Since getting married, Michael and Liz have dominated the culinary industry by opening up several successful restaurants.

While Michael might not have any children of his own, he is the stepfather of Liz’s son Kyle, who she welcomed during her first marriage.

When the duo married in 1998, Kyle was 11 years old.

He is now all grown up and has two children of his own with his wife, Krista.

In 2017, Kyle opened a gourmet coffee and donut shop, Grindstone Coffee and Donuts, in Sag Harbor, New York.

“[Liz and I] been in the restaurant business for our whole lives, but to see Kyle do it and to do it with him and just help him through the process, to me that’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in my life,” Michael said during a 2017 interview with USA Today.

Who is Michael Symon?

Michael Symon was born on September 19, 1969, in Cleveland, Ohio.

He is of Italian, Greek, and Eastern European descent.

In 1990, a few years after picking up a part-time job at Geppetto’s Pizza and Ribs, Michael graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

Over the years, Michael has been able to amass a fortune due to the success of his culinary career.

As of June 2024, his net worth is an estimated $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

This estimate comes from the success of his restaurants as well as his television ventures.

Symon’s restaurants include:

• Mabel’s BBQ (Cleveland)
• Mabel’s BBQ (Las Vegas)
• Bar Symon (Cleveland)
• Bar Symon (Philadelphia)
• Angeline (Atlantic City)

He also previously opened – and closed – Parea, Lolita, Symon’s Burger Joint, Roast, BSpot, and his original, flagship restaurant, Lola.

Michael previously hosted Thre Chew on ABC, Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel, and several shows on Food Network, including:

• Iron Chef America
• Burgers, Brew, and ‘Que
• Food Feuds
• The Best Thing I Ever Ate
• BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Symon
• Dinner: Impossible
• Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out
• Throwdown!

Michael is also a regular contributor for Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Saveur, Esquire, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Some of Michael’s net worth is also due to his cookbooks, product line, and endorsements.

Michael has released several books, both on his own and collaborations with other chefs, including:

• Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen (2009)
• The Chew: Food. Life. Fun. (2012)
• Michael Symon’s Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers (2012)
•  in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners (2013)
• 5 in 5: 5 for Every Season (2015)
• Michael Symon’s Playing with Fire (2018)
• Fix It with Food: More Than 125 Recipes to Address Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation: A Cookbook (2019)
• Fix It with Food: Every Meal Easy: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Anyone with Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation: A Cookbook (2021)

Michael previously partnered with Weston Products to create the Michael Symon Live to Cook Collection by Weston, a specialty kitchen product line.

He’s also collaborated with cookware companies Vitamix and Calphalon.

In 2019, Michael was diagnosed with discoid lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, inspiring him to release his Fix It with Food series, filled with recipes meant to alleviate autoimmune and inflammation symptoms.