Dan's ClambakeMTK Co-Host Profile: Eden Grinshpan

At 29 years old, Eden Grinshpan has attended one of the most prestigious cooking schools in the world, worked in the best restaurants, traveled far and wide to do volunteer and outreach work and started her own television series. Despite her extensive accomplishments, Grinshpan remains down-to-earth and eager to talk shop. Along with Marc Murphy, Grinshpan will co-host Dan’s ClambakeMTK at Gurney’s Montauk on Saturday, July 30.

Originally from Canada, Grinshpan was an avid viewer of Canada’s Food Network. “I became obsessed with it in high school,” she says. “The [various chefs] really inspired me to get into the kitchen, and when it came time to go to university, I had zero interest. So I went to culinary school!”

Grinshpan enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. “I was excited about being in another country,” she recalls. “But I was more intimidated to go to culinary school—of not knowing as much as I needed to know when I went…when you go to [Le Cordon Bleu], you work with so many different walks of life. My closest friend was a 47-year-old woman who was just there to learn to cook. I was like, ‘Where am I?’” She laughs.

After graduating, Grinshpan went on another long-distance adventure, to India and Southeast Asia. “I had an opportunity to volunteer, and there was this café [at Ramanas Garden orphanage] that had been donated, so I decided to open and run it for them,” she says. Opening the cafe turned out to be a pivotal decisions in Grinshpan’s life. “I taped the process,” she explains. “I eventually moved to New York City and found an editor to cut all that footage together. That video was basically my resume. I used it to network around the industry, and that video was how I met my agent.”

Grinshpan now hosts Eden Eats on the Cooking Channel. “It’s a definite dream come true,” she says. “Being in food is my passion, meeting new people is my passion, traveling is my passion, I’ve always loved TV and performing is something I’ve loved my whole life. It was a dream come true. For sure.”

A fan of the East End, Grinshpan is looking forward to ClambakeMTK and spending time in Montauk with her husband, Ido Nivron. “You know, my husband will try to get me on a boat. That’s his favorite activity. I get severely motion sick so it starts off being the best day ever and ends as kind of a nightmare,” she says with a laugh. “But I love the culture behind it. I might go fishing for stripers, and I’m definitely spending as much time at the beach as possible.”

While Grinshpan loves seafood, she admits to not being a fan of one particular thing. “I love oysters, clams, mussels, lobsters…no seafood I won’t try,” she says before pausing. “Well, maybe not shrimp. One of the first kitchens I ever worked with gave me this obscene amount of shrimp to clean. I’ve cleaned enough shrimp in my life,” she chuckles.

Grinshpan can’t wait for Dan’s ClambakeMTK. “I just love being able to go to a venue that’s welcoming and everyone is in such a great mood. It’s a treat to be in the Hamptons and Montauk and around people who are enjoying their summer.”

Dan’s Taste of Summer kicks off with Dan’s GrillHampton hosted by Adam Richman on Friday, July 22 and continues on Saturday, July 23, with Dan’s Taste of Two Forks presented by Farrell Building Company hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, both on the waterfront at Fairview Farm at Mecox in Bridgehampton. VIP tickets for GrillHampton are $185 and offer early access to the event beginning at 7 p.m. General Admission, from 8 p.m.–10:30 p.m., is $135. VIP tickets for Taste of Two Forks are $295 and offer early access beginning at 6:30 p.m. General Admission, from 7:30 p.m.–10 p.m., is $185.

The oceanfront food and drink fest ClambakeMTK at Gurney’s Montauk hosted by Marc Murphy and Eden Grinshpan premieres on Saturday, July 30. General Admission for ClambakeMTK, from 7:30 p.m.–10 p.m., is $150. VIP tickets are $250, and include access to the after-party from 10 p.m.–12 a.m.

Dan’s Harvest East End, the can’t-miss food and wine classic, hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, is Saturday, August 20, at McCall Vineyard and Ranch in Cutchogue. VIP tickets for Harvest East End are $285 and offer early access beginning at 6:30 p.m. General Admission, from 7:30 p.m.–10 p.m., is $135.

A portion of this year’s ticket proceeds from GrillHampton and Taste of Two Forks will benefit All For The East End (AFTEE), a 501(c)(3) that showcases and provides support to the more than 1,000 charity organizations in the five East End towns. A portion of proceeds from Harvest East End benefits Long Island Farm Bureau and HRHCare.

To purchase tickets and get more info on all Dan’s Taste of Summer events, visit DansTaste.com!