Chef Grant Achatz reflects ahead of Banchet honor
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Chef Grant Achatz. Photo: Courtesy of the Alinea Group
The Jean Banchet Awards committee is honoring Grant Achatz with a Lifetime Achievement prize on Sunday.
What he's saying: "I have been incredibly fortunate in this career, and it is time to give others opportunities, like the ones I had, to keep moving hospitality forward," the Alinea chef and founder tells Axios.
- "For a long time, the focus was only, 'let's go today, let's create, let's move,' but now it's also, 'OK, remember how it felt to be 25 in this industry, go talk to that person, mentor them.'"
- "And when a committee like Banchet's says what you've done so far has made a major impact on the industry, that's special in a way that's bigger than stars or lists."
On reflection: "When someone says 'lifetime achievement,' it makes you pause and look back at this really dense body of work and ask what it all adds up to. All of the team members over 20 years? The countless guests? The industry? Honestly, I am not really sure. We never allowed ourselves to take notice; we were on a mission, nothing else mattered."
To mark this milestone, we asked Achatz how he'd spend his best day ever in his adopted hometown.
☕️ Breakfast: "Assuming brunch counts, I head to The Loyalist for the quiche Lorraine and almond financier with lots of coffee."
🏃🏽 Morning activity: "My morning workout. It is the one hour in the day I have to myself; the headphones go in, and I allow my mind to drift without forcing myself to focus on any specific thing. It's a luxury."
🐟 Lunch: "Gibsons. I usually get the planked whitefish. It's always cooked and seasoned well, and I like the grilled onions and baked tomatoes that come with it."
🖼️ Afternoon activity: "On my days off, I will usually go to the Art Institute or MCA. I still find a lot of inspiration from other artists' works."
🥡 Dinner: "It varies. My last dinner out was at Ming Hin — we typically go once a month. The usual order is pork belly, salt and pepper tofu, and BBQ duck."
📺 Evening activity: "My wife and I have been into art projects lately, papier-mache taking the lead currently. Or we settle into a compelling show like 'Severance' or 'Pluribus.'"
🎟️ If you go: This year's Banchet Awards are sold out, but the ceremony will be live-streamed on NBC streaming at 6:30pm Sunday.
- Some $150 tickets to the afterparty at Venue SIX10 in the South Loop still remained Thursday afternoon.