Marc Murphy is the owner and executive chef of Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy and Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy. Murphy has lived a little everywhere — Milan, Paris, Villefranche, Washington DC, Rome and Genoa — “and that’s before I turned 12.” Murphy attended the Institute of Culinary Education. Following graduation, he apprenticed at restaurants in France and Italy before returning to New York where he landed a job as a line cook at Terrance Brennan’s Prix Fixe. He stayed there for almost two years, worked every station in the kitchen and forged a bond with Brennan’s Sous Chefs Joseph Fortunato and David Pasternak. Eager to return to Europe, Murphy flew to Paris and landed a position at the one-star Le Miraville, then at the famed Louis XV in Monte Carlo with Executive Chef Alain Ducasse. Next he returned to the states to work at Le Cirque with Sylvain Portay, and continued growing his culinary expertise with more restaurants. Finally in March 2004, Murphy opened his first solo enterprise with Landmarc [Tribeca]. Following its success, Murphy opened Ditch Plains in the West Village in 2006 serving casual, beach-style cuisine.  In 2007, Murphy opened another Landmarc restaurant in the prestigious Time Warner Center.  Ditch Plains has also expanded with an outpost in the newly renovated Brooklyn Bridge Park and in spring 2011 with a new Upper West Side location.  Today, Murphy’s involvement in the industry moves beyond the restaurants as well, with a regular role as a judge on The Food Network’s highest rated hit, Chopped. He is the vice president of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association, a board member of City Harvest, Culintro, Passport NYC at the 92nd Street Y Culinary Camp and is both the official spokesperson and a member of the Leadership Council for Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.