Grant Achatz (born 1974) is an American chef and restaurateur who is considered to be on the cutting edge of the forward-thinking movement of menu item construction often referred to as molecular gastronomy or progressive cuisine. Achatz has won numerous awards from prominent culinary institutions and publications including the "Rising Star Chef of the Year Award" for 2003 from the James Beard Foundation. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Molecular gastronomy is the application of science to culinary practice and more generally gastronomical phenomena. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and educational opportunities to cooking hopefuls. ...

Early life and career

Achatz' early culinary career included time spent working in his parents' Michigan restaurants as a teenager, followed by enrollment in the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Following graduation, Achatz continued to move up the food chain, ultimately landing a position at Thomas Keller's highly acclaimed gastro-Mecca, The French Laundry, in Yountville, California. Achatz spent four years at The French Laundry, rising to the position of sous chef. In 2001, he moved to the Chicago area to become the Executive Chef at Trio, in Evanston, Illinois, which, at the time of his arrival, had a four-star rating from the Mobil Travel Guide. Over the next three years, with Achatz at the helm, Trio's reputation soared and in 2004 the restaurant was rewarded with a fifth star from Mobil, becoming one of just 13 restaurants so honored at the time. Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... The Culinary Institute of America is a training institute for culinary arts in the United States, and is regarded as one of the worlds top culinary schools. ... Hyde Park is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. ... This article is about the chef. ... The French Laundry is a 62-person gourmet restaurant located in Yountville, California, in Napa Valley. ... Center of town Yountville is a town in Napa County, California, United States. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Windy City, The Second City, Chi Town, The City of Big Shoulders, The 312, The City that Works Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Incorporated March 4, 1837  - Mayor... Cooks in training in Paris Chef is a term commonly used to refer to an individual who cooks professionally. ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alinea

In 2005, Achatz went out on his own, opening Alinea at 1723 North Halsted Street in Chicago's Lincoln Park district. The restaurant is located up the block from the famed Steppenwolf Theater Company and is housed in a modest gray brick building which bears no external markings beyond its street number. Inside, the restaurant has no bar, no lobby, and seats just 64 guests. Achatz serves diners a choice of two small-course tasting menus, running 12 or 24ish courses. After less than two years of operation, the Mobil Travel Guide bestowed its Five Star Award on Alinea, reaffirming its approval of Achatz and making Alinea one of just 16 restaurants nationwide to rate five stars for 2007. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alinea is a restaurant in Chicago which opened in 2005. ... Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company in Chicago, Illinois. ...

In October 2006, Gourmet magazine named Alinea the best restaurant in America in its feature on "America's Top 50 Restaurants". Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Gourmet magazine, a publication of Condé Nast, which also produces its sister publication Bon Appetit, first started publication in 1941. ...

Awards

• Best New Chefs, Food & Wine Magazine, 2002
• Rising Star Chef of the Year, James Beard Foundation, 2003
• Top Service Award (Chicago), Zagat Survey, 2006
• Best Restaurant in America, Gourmet Magazine, 2006
• AAA Five Diamond Award, AAA, 2007
• Mobil Five Star Award, Mobil Travel Guide, 2007
• Jean Banchet Award - Best Celebrity Chef, 2007
• Jean Banchet Award - Best Fine Dining, 2007

External Links

• Alinea's Web Site