In his athletic prime, Tobias Dorzon was well-known on the gridiron for his turbo speed — which he once displayed as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But in the years since, he’s shifted his focus to cooking for the community he calls home and some of the world’s best athletes and musicians. As the star of his own ESPN+ show, former personal chef to celebrities like Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, and James Harden, and owner of two of Maryland’s hottest eateries (Huncho House and 1123) Dorzon’s journey appeals directly to today’s multi-hyphenate mindset.
To understand this buzzing chef’s trajectory, you should know that Tobias, born Bloi-dei Dorzon, comes from a culinary background. Long before tearing up the turf for the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFL, he was taking out trash, washing dishes, and learning the business of hospitality from his childhood hero: his father. Growing up around Edwin Dorzon’s restaurant, Kendejah, inspired Tobias to cultivate his love of the culinary arts, even as his football career took off. In 2012, two years before he decided to retire from football, he began pursuing the passion that he had developed as a boy by earning the first of his two culinary degrees at the Art Institute of Washington and attending classes during the CFL offseason.
Beginning his cheffing journey on social media, Tobias frequently posted his creations on Instagram, which he notes is a visual platform where chefs can command a lot of eyeballs. These days, he’s frequently flanked by some of the most recognizable actors and musicians in the industry, but in those early days, when he was trying to make a name for himself, one person in particular changed his fortunes — then-Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss.
Soon, the word started spreading in the Redskins locker room and then throughout the sports world that Tobias Dorzon was a game-changing personal chef. His list of athlete clients began to swell, with players from the NFL and NBA, like Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson and All-Star Jameer Nelson, enlisting Dorzon to cook for them. With that success, the dominoes started falling as Chef Dorzon would soon add celebrity entertainers like Chris Brown, Kevin Hart, and Snoop Dogg to his client list.
In 2014, Chef Dorzon began a food truck business called Victory Trucks to help maintain momentum and expand the reach of his dreams. The success of that venture and the continued growth of his celebrity clientele only fueled more wins, spawning appearances on multiple Food Network shows. Most notably, he reached the final four of the Guy Fieri-hosted Tournament of Champions 3rd season, earning him a call from one of his biggest celebrity clients yet.
In 2021, one of the friends Chef Dorzon counted among his many celebrity clients was then-Houston Rockets superstar James Harden. Harden was opening his first restaurant in Houston, Thirteen, and he needed an Executive Chef to create the menu from scratch and helm the project. It was a massive opportunity for Dorzon, who had already proven his mettle in Harden’s home kitchen but had yet to put his skills to the test in a market as big as Houston. The result was two years of critical acclaim before the fleet-footed Executive Chef shifted his focus back to his home state of Maryland.
In 2022, he opened his first restaurant, Huncho House, in Hyattsville, Maryland. At the upscale fusion restaurant, he serves a unique blend of Italian cuisine that reflects his training in Sicily, where he got his second degree from the Italian Culinary Institute, Asian-inspired dishes, and Caribbean fare. With curious diners filling that restaurant most nights, Dorzon’s vision expanded, and he went on to found 1123 in the same neighborhood earlier this year. His latest restaurant’s focus is West African and Asian fusion dishes, allowing the chef to pay homage to his family’s Liberian roots.
Having become a master of various Food Network competitions and after holding down the fort for kitchens in major markets, Chef Tobias Dorzon kicked off 2024 with his two latest career highlights. First, he debuted his own show on ESPN+ and Hulu called Timeout With Tobias, a cooking and culture series in which he shares his culinary chops with big-time athletes like Ahmad Bradshaw and explores who they are beyond sports. It’s a compelling hook that ties the host to his guests.
As for the second major accomplishment that Chef Dorzon added to his resume this year, he was named the Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland. The distinction earned him a Proclamation Day from the Prince George’s County Council for being the first chef from the county to win the honor.
With his ESPN+ show gaining popularity and plans to bring a second Huncho House location to Houston, where he says he has unfinished business to attend to, Chef Dorzon may have left the gridiron, but his star is only rising. Formerly an elusive running back who was hard to get a hold of, now in his second career, it’s clear that Tobias Dorzon has yet to slow down.
