His name is synonymous with the food world. At only 37 years of age Grant Achatz has received more media coverage than anyone else in the food industry. If you haven't heard of the gastronomic destination that is Alinea, you're living under a rock. His techniques have inspired chefs all over the world. What is the most important aspect of all of this, though, is his incredible story of how he got there.
Life, on the Line explains in full detail the life of Grant Achatz. I first learned of Chef Achatz back in 2004, before he had become the widely popular chef he is today. As a writing assignment for my last culinary school class, the professor had asked us to write a letter requesting employment from a restaurant. Many of my classmates had written letters addressed to the best restaurants in New York City, including Daniel, Le Bernardin, and Jean-Georges. I, however, after doing a little research, learned of a young chef making a name for himself in the small town of Evanston, Illinois. His name was Grant Achatz, and at age 29, earned himself four stars from the Chicago Tribune at Trio.
It wasn't just the four star rating which gained my attention and appreciation for Grant Achatz. It was all the awards he was gathering for himself. Five diamonds from Mobil, the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef, one of the ten Best New Chefs from Food & Wine Magazine. The young chef who looked no more than 16, standing there on Trio's website in full chef whites, arms crossed, and a warm smile, had it all to me. It was then I started doing research on him.
Grant Achatz basically grew up around food. His parents owned a diner which was called The Achatz Depot. He was a mere five years old when he started washing dishes in his parents' restaurant, standing on a milkcrate over the three-compartment sink. Throughout the years he spent the weekends at the diner, and by age ten, finally graduated to working the line, flipping eggs for plenty of customers. He explains this as being the favorite time of his life. He loved every aspect of working in a kitchen.
At the age of 19, Grant knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, and that was cook. After receiving blessings from his parents, he did just that. After a painstaking wait, his acceptance letter from the Culinary Institute of America finally came in 1993. He was on his way to achieving greatness.
