Grant Achatz, Alinea Chef, Discusses His Cuisine Being Misunderstood (VIDEO)

"I think the cuisine we do here at Alinea is oftentimes misunderstood," says chef Grant Achatz. "It's not about being buttoned up in a tight tie and sitting upright with great posture. It's about kicking back and remembering your childhood and laughing with your dining companions and having fun."

Grant Achatz's food can be hard to describe. When fine dining meets whimsy, people aren't sure what box to put it in. Perhaps that's the problem in the first place -- labels are restrictive. "We describe our cusine as progressive American because basically we are trying to think forward. We are trying to use all the tools available to the modern chef and create an experience that is evocative. Something that tells a story and people are willing to sit there for four hours and enjoy."

Achatz's forward-thinking includes thinking beyond the plate and serving unexpected dishes such as an edible balloon. Learn more about his philosophy, and see some of Achatz's "progressive American" dishes in the clip below.

Comments

[Redpenmaster]

11:40 AM on 03/15/2012

It's totally unfair to this chef, who is surely a genius, but his appearance makes me think he's trying to play up the smart guy image. That's what turns me off personally. Not fair or intellectual of me, but I'm just being honest.

[plasmaorb]

01:02 PM on 03/15/2012

A lot of the new chefs today have a bit of a rock star look to them... tattoo sleeves, mohawks, piercings, etc... Food has become the new punk rock when it comes to putting things on their ears and not going with the standard issue. Gordon Ramsay has mussed up hair also like Grants, but I give it up to Grant for fighting back after Tongue Cancer and doing what he is doing today. Even the chef at Bleeding Heart bakery in Chicago looks like like a rock/punk girl, but her food stands up beyond her look.

[Redpenmaster]

01:35 PM on 03/15/2012

When they do it right, it's great. But sometimes Guy Fieri happens. Anyway, I admit to the shallowness of my reaction to this chef's appearance. It would be better if I tried his food and restaurant.

[plasmaorb]

10:48 AM on 03/15/2012

Grant is Americas version of Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria... which is not a bad thing at all...
I think people are confused by it cause they are used to the standard fair that everyone else puts out. Grants food and thought process is more cerebral than most chefs. America is still behind when it comes to pushing the culinary envelope compared to Europe.

[Mark Slater]

11:50 AM on 03/15/2012

It still impresses me more as food for bored rich people than anything else. Over manipulated, chemically altered and "whimsical" may be fine for a laugh. I prefer food that looks like what it is: food. After 30 years in the upper end of the fine dining business, this has come to be my opinion.

[plasmaorb]

12:57 PM on 03/15/2012

Its more of an experience than anything... dining out is supposed to be an experience, not just sitting there and being served a steak. That's just eating, nothing more. Experiences are something you remember. Have you eaten at Alinea, Next or any of his places? if no, you should, the food is truly mind blowing. Trust me... I like the standard cooking and presentation stuff also, but even Wylie Dufresne is coming up with things to change the way you eat and think about food. Its about evolving into something new and different. I think Molecular Gastronomy has its place in the culinary world, as long as its done right, not just for gimmicky purposes.

[DandaPanda]

03:49 PM on 03/15/2012

i agree......food taken out of context..ie food is life ; seems to trivialize the most basic element of survival...and turning food into whimsy when there are people who struggle to scrape up 50 bucks a week for groceries just seems sort of and this is the best word I can come up with here..lame.