Originally from Washington, D.C., Timothy Dean became known as the chef and owner of Prime Steak House. He’s spent working on and off under the tutelage of great chef, Jean-Louis Palladin for 12 years at the Watergate Hotel and later at Palladin in New York City. He rose from his first job in the kitchen as a dishwasher, until he has worked notable names in the culinary scene, such as Alain Ducasse, Roberto Donna, Guenter Seeger and Patrick Clark.
After graduating from Howard University, he was named the university’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. His favorite dishes are Maine lobster with mac and cheese and shaved black truffles and pan-seared Hudson Valley foie gras with rhubarb and 20-year-old Port wine sauce. He soon joined the ranks of the 17 chefs competing on the seventh season of Bravo’s Top Chef. He hasn't had much luck with his business afterwards though, having filed for bankruptcy in 2010. He faced several financial problems when he was evicted from Maryland's National Harbor at the time.