About Chef Grant Achatz

[Jonathan Day]

Grant Achatz is a partner and chef at Evanston's Trio restaurant -- click here to view their website.

Trio describes itself as "Progressive French with a wide range of global influences". But that scarcely begins to describe this innovative restaurant. eGullet members who have dined there praised its outstanding service and its "tour de force" menu that brings over 20 courses to the table and features dishes such as lobster served with rosemary vapor.

Chef Achatz, though only 27 years old, has already won numerous awards including a nomination for the Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef award. Food and Wine magazine selected Achatz as one of America's best chefs in 2002, commenting that "his imaginative combinations, such as foie gras with roasted bananas in a chocolate-sweet onion sauce, aren't just risky; they're delicious, too." Before coming to Trio, Achatz worked at the French Laundry for four years, rising to sous-chef; he has also cooked at Charlie Trotter's and completed a stage at el Bulli.

Grant generously reached out to eGullet, offering to answer questions in a thread on the Heartland forum. A lively conversation emerged on this thread; we've captured that in "The story so far" thread, posted in this forum. Please read this early Q&A before posting, so that you don't repeat questions that have already been asked and answered.

Grant Achatz has agreed to answer roughly 10 questions per day, so we ask that members limit themselves to one question. If there's time later on, we will invite further questions. Let's not have follow-up questions, at least in the first few days of the forum. Grant is one of the country's most interesting chefs, and all members should have an opportunity to ask him questions. As with Symposium and other eGullet Q&As, this Q&A will use a moderators' queue.

(Edit, on Wednesday: follow-ups are now OK. Please be reasonable in the length and number of follow-up questions).

Edited March 5, 2003 by Jonathan Day (log)