Grant Achatz

Grant Achatz is a celebrated American chef and restaurateur known for his contributions to molecular gastronomy and progressive cuisine, with his Chicago restaurant Alinea achieving significant global recognition. After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 1994, Grant Achatz honed his skills in Chicago at Charlie Trotter’s and later for four years as sous chef at The French Laundry in Yountville, California, under Thomas Keller. In 2001, Achatz became Executive Chef at Trio in Evanston, Illinois, where he significantly elevated its reputation, helping the restaurant earn a prestigious fifth star from the Mobil Travel Guide by 2004. Building on this success, Achatz co-founded Alinea in Chicago’s Lincoln Park with Nick Kokonas in 2005.

In 2007, Achatz navigated significant personal challenges, including a battle with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma, making a full recovery the same year. Despite this, he continued to innovate, authoring the acclaimed cookbooks Alinea (2008) and Life, On The Line (2011). In 2009, Alinea designed a menu for Ikarus in Salzburg, Austria. He also coached for the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition and, in 2012, held a Dutch auction for Next tickets that raised over $275,000 for charity.

Achatz was featured in Dan Waldschmidt’s book Edgy Conversations in 2014. In 2016, he temporarily closed Alinea for renovation and launched successful pop-up experiences in Madrid and Miami, concurrently opening Roister. Achatz has brought his expertise to a wider audience through various media appearances, including a feature on Netflix’s series Chef’s Table season two in 2016. He later appeared as a judge on Netflix’s competition series The Final Table in 2018.

Most recently, Achatz made a cameo appearance in the season three finale of FX’s critically acclaimed series The Bear in 2024, continuing to contribute to and influence the culinary landscape across multiple platforms.