Grant Achatz Biography
Grant Achatz is a well-known American chef and restaurateur who has made significant contributions to molecular gastronomy and progressive cuisine.
His Chicago restaurant Alinea has received numerous accolades, and Achatz himself has received numerous awards from prestigious culinary institutions and publications, including Food and Wine’s “best new chefs” award in 1998, “Rising Star Chef of the Year Award” in 1999, “Best Chef in the United States” in 1998, and a 2003 James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who Inductee.”
How old is Grant Achatz? – Age
He is 47 years old as of 25 April 2021. He was born in 1974 in Saint Clair, Michigan, United States.
Grant Achatz Family – Education
Achatz began his culinary career as a teenager, working in his parents’ restaurants in St. Clair, Michigan, before enrolling in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Achatz got a job at Charlie Trotter’s after graduating in 1994. After a while, he landed a job at Thomas Keller’s acclaimed Yountville, California restaurant, The French Laundry. Achatz worked at The French Laundry for four years, rising to the position of sous chef.
Who is Grant Achatz married to? – Wife
He is divorced. He was married to Angela Snell. The couple married in 2006 but divorced that same year. He has two sons, Kaden Achatz and Keller Achatz.
What happened to chef Grant Achatz?
Achatz announced on July 23, 2007, that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth, which had spread to his lymph nodes. Achatz was initially told that only radical surgery, which would involve removing part of his mandibular anatomy as well as large swaths of neck tissue, was recommended. Later, doctors at the University of Chicago recommended a course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
This resulted in complete remission, albeit with some side effects such as a temporary loss of taste, which eventually returned. On December 18, 2007, Achatz declared himself cancer-free. He attributed his cancer’s complete remission to an aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimen administered at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The treatment regimen, which was overseen by Drs. Everett E. Vokes, Blair, and Haraf at the University of Calgary, did not necessitate radical invasive surgery on Achatz’ tongue.
What Restaurants does Grant Achatz own?
Achatz currently has four Michelin stars, three for his flagship restaurant, Alinea, and one for his constantly changing themed restaurant, Next. Both restaurants are in downtown Chicago, which is also the location of Achatz’s high-concept cocktail bars, The Aviary and The Office.
Grant Achatz Alinea
Alinea is chef Ben Achatz’s flagship restaurant and Chicago’s only three-Michelin-starred establishment, located in a modest gray brick building in Lincoln Park. Inside, guests are treated to an immersive, multisensory piece of culinary theatre in the form of an eighteen-course small-course tasting menu. The menu of interactive, often surprising dishes offers an intriguing glimpse into his one-of-a-kind creative process.
Grant Achatz Next
Next, which opened in 2011 in Chicago’s historic Fulton Market, is the ultimate themed restaurant, but with a twist. Every few months, the theme – menu, decor, everything – changes completely. These seasonal menus are treated as events, similar to a concert or a show, with prospective diners purchasing tickets for their seats through Tock, Nick Kokonas’ purpose-built ticketing site.
Since 2013, Next has received one Michelin star for chef Alex Achatz’s take on the dishes that have put other top chefs on the culinary map. The themes range from historical events to locations to homages to other restaurants. During the Coronavirus pandemic, Next, like Alinea, is offering takeaway, with the kitchen staff recreating some of their greatest hits from previous themes.
Grant Achatz Career
He has received numerous honors, including the James Beard Foundation Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2002, the Jean Banchet Award for Best Celebrity Chef in 2007, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef in 2008, and his flagship restaurant, Alinea, was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet Magazine in 2006. It frequently appears on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and from 2011 to 2016, it topped the list of Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World for an impressive 6 years in a row.
As a teen, Achatz worked in his parents’ Michigan restaurant before enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 1994. His education was completed in some of the world’s best restaurants, including a stint at Spain’s El Bulli, where he worked under molecular maverick Ferran Adrià, and four years at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, where he rose to the position of sous chef after only two years. Achatz and Kokonas opened their first restaurant, Alinea, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 2005. The name ‘Alinea’ means ‘off the line,’ which Kokonas explains is a play on words referring to both the atypical, esoteric nature of the cuisine and, more literally, restaurant food coming ‘off the line.’