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CBS News
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Celebrity chef Curtis Duffy tells story of his trauma, triumphs in memoir
For 25 years, chef Curtis Duffy has been making his mark on the Chicago food scene — earning James Beard Awards, Michelin stars, and celebrity status. Now, for the first time, Duffy is telling his story in his own words — from a traumatic childhood to the top of the culinary world. Duffy's memoir, "Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef," is out on Tuesday. "For me, it's time. It's always about the time, right?" Duffy said. "You can never cheat time. Time allows us to hone our skill, hone everything that we do." Duffy has spent the last 35 years honing his craft. "I've always felt that you have a responsibility to yourself to be great," said Duffy, "and no one else is going to give that to you. No one else is going to force you to do that." It was that mindset that has helped propel Duffy from a childhood defined by chaos in small-town Ohio to becoming one of America's best chefs. He has risen through the ranks of Chicago's most critically acclaimed restaurant — Charlie Trotter's, Alinea, and Avenues — to leading his own, Grace, formerly at 652 W. Randolph St., and now, Ever at 1340 W. Fulton St. The story is spelled out in "Fireproof," written with friend Jeremy Wagner. "It gave me the opportunity to kind of just tell those stories even though I've told them before. But I actually have a place to put them away," Duffy said. "Like now, I feel like I don't have to carry them with me. I have a place to just put it on the shelf. If I want to ever dive back in, it's right there." It is clear from page one that Duffy has had a lot to carry. His parents died by murder-suicide when he was 19 years old. In his memoir, Duffy details the abuse he suffered as a child — but is careful to not paint his father as a monster. "What he was taught is what he was teaching us. He didn't know any better, you know?" said Duffy. "And for me, it was so important to kind of break that cycle as I became a father." How Duffy was able to break that cycle of poverty and abuse started with an understanding, even as a child, that there had to be something else out there. "I had dreamt, like, there's got to more than this. Like I had not seen the world, of course — I was 13 years old — but I knew there was more out there," said Duffy. "When you see a glimpse of light, you chase it. And that's what I did." That light appeared in the form of one incredible middle school teacher and an introduction to cooking. "What I felt at the time was love, you know? It was just pure positivity, and it was so needed at the time," Duffy said. "So I just embraced it so much." When Duffy found cooking, more positive influences found him. But as he poured himself into restaurant work, his father's life was falling apart. "So now at this point, everybody's out of the house — my brother, my sister, my mom, me. And I felt very sympathetic," Duffy said. "I felt very sad… because here he is all alone now, and this is his life — and he couldn't deal with it." Maybe the most surprising twist in Duffy's story is a letter his father wrote him shortly before Duffy's father took his own estranged wife hostage, killed her, and then killed himself. "Curt," it reads, "this is Dad. You're a very special young man and I wish I could tell you how proud of you I am…. You'll be a great chef, no doubt in my mind, you'll be one of the best in the world someday…. Please be a better person than I was. I know you can." Duffy said it haunts him to this day that his father wrote that letter, and there was so much love and wisdom within it. He has to reconcile that person with the person his father had been for most of his childhood. "Well, I often think about, you know, it would have been nice to have that through my life, and that affirmation through my childhood — and the belief and the vision that he sees, and he clearly writes there, verbalized to me as a child, you know? I mean, that letter is pure love," said Duffy, "and, you know, we didn't see that growing up. Very rarely, we got to see the tender, soft side of my father through that. That's why that letter is so special to me." The letter fueled Duffy to keep pushing forward and build a career in Chicago. His ascent was swift, but not without its setbacks — the biggest of which happened in 2017, after a bad investor deal prompted the abrupt and painful closure of his three-Michelin-star masterpiece, Grace. "I try to look at it from a positive side, because I learned a lot from that failure. You know, I learned a lot — and it made me a better chef, a better person, a better leader, a better businessman, a better entrepreneur to now have Ever, After, and The Canvas," said Duffy. "That was a win for me. Whether it was a loss or not, that was a win — because I'm in a much better place than I was before." At 50 years old, Duffy is the happiest he's ever been — thanks in large part to meeting the love of his life, Jennifer. "It is the best time of my life, like the last 10 years. And it's all a hundred percent because of her, and what she brings to the table every single day, you know?" Duffy said. "She makes me a better person." And "better" is what Duffy is chasing every day at his two-Michelin-star restaurant, Ever. "We're just as hungry as we were when we were chasing then," said Duffy, "and I will continue to do what I got to do every day until I get that third star. It's there." Duffy believes it is just a matter of time.
Eater
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Why Alinea Is One of the U.S.'s Most Influential Restaurants
Maximalism and gastronomic creativity rule the day at Alinea, arguably one of the most famous (and most relentlessly blogged about) restaurants in the United States. Chef Grant Achatz, along with then-partner Nick Kokonas, opened the restaurant in May of 2005 in Chicago's Lincoln Park, and immediately intrigued an American food public weary of the routine fine dining choices. Since its opening night, meals at Alinea promised more than two dozen courses that featured wisps of smoke, bites hanging from tightropes, and all manner of flavors (milkweed pods! Dandelion roots and tobacco and lavender!) deconstructed, gelled, foamed, frozen, candied, microplaned, and all painstakingly grafted back together in wholly unexpected ways. Achatz was immediately vaulted into the echelon of the country's most influential chefs; later dishes like the apple taffy floating balloon and painted-table dessert became iconic. In addition to accolades — a 2007 James Beard Award for Achatz for Best Chef: Great Lakes, a 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant, numerous appearances on the World's 50 Best List, 3 Michelin stars — its mark is also felt in countless imitators who embraced the scientific, slightly gonzo approach to dining as an experience. The Alinea Group would expand to seven other concepts — including Next, which rotates its culinary focus every few months, and cocktail bar the Aviary. And many folks who spent time in the Alinea Group have gone on to make their own independent mark on the culinary world: Curtis Duffy, Dave Beran, John Shields, Alex Stupak, Jenner Tomaska, Jeff Pikus. In 2014, Ruth Reichl wrote: 'What makes Alinea such a fabulous experience is the sheer exuberant fun of the place. This is food as performance, food as surprise, food as you've never seen it before.' The restaurant still holds three Michelin stars. Today, Achatz reflects on 20 years at Alinea and considers what lies ahead. I had worked at the French Laundry and El Bulli, and felt there was a gap in fine dining, because prior to 2005, it was mostly [defined as] French cuisine: There were a few French culinarians in the U.S., like Daniel Boulud, but primarily it was showing up in Western Europe. In 2005, we're right at the peak of El Bulli, the Fat Duck — molecular kind of gastronomy. So we felt like it was an opportunity. With us and wd~50, it just migrated over the pond. In Chicago, the whole gastronomy scene was on a reset. Here, you had Schwa, which was basically a garage band doing highly, highly creative, well-executed food. You had a lot of older French restaurants, like Everest. You had Rick Bayless's places that had been around for a long time and were niche and Mexican-focused, and then you had Paul Kahan with Blackbird. An early but undated photo of the Alinea team shows, from left to right: John Shields (now chef-owner of Chicago's Smyth and the Loyalist), Achatz, and Curtis Duffy (now chef-owner of Chicago's Ever). Alinea It was ripe. Chicago was ready. Chicago was a town that embraces innovation and artistry with its history of architecture, music, and medicine. Our opening was really anticipated at that time, because I was blogging prior to the opening on eGullet, back when those forums were popular. That was the moment of the internet foodies. And so the anticipation was really high. We had a lot of attention right off the bat: We had Frank Bruni, then the restaurant critic at the New York Times, in the restaurant on opening night. Having a critic out of New York City at the time was unheard of, certainly on opening night. Achatz calls 'Hot Potato, Cold Potato' one of his favorite dishes served opening night: 'I felt it really embodied the spirit and the ethos of the restaurant at that time.' An elegant culinary game between hot and cold temperatures, it featured a hot ball of potato suspended over a creamy, chilled potato soup; the diner would sip all in one go and experience the same flavor in two temperatures at the same time. Alinea A brand-new 2025 dish called 'Fossil' invites guests to use an archeology toolkit to brush away 'debris' and uncover the food underneath. 'It's inspired by South American archeological finds, and my and the executive chefs' fascination with archeology,' Achatz says. 'We figured out a way to make a 'forest' that gastronomically fit into Argentina, which has the largest concentration of fossils in the world. It's pretty elaborate.' Alinea We were fortunate enough to be pretty popular off the bat. We just got super busy, and honestly, it never stopped. And then, in 2007, I got diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer. A lot of the guests weren't sure if they should even still visit. It was quiet for a bit while I was going to treatment. On the back end of 2008, we started to pick up some momentum. In 2010, the World's 50 Best named us Best in North America. And then in 2011, they did the same. And that really put us on the public diner's map. In 2016, after we were 10 years old, we renovated. With the downstairs dining room came this experimental menu. So that really catapulted our creativity further, and we just never stopped. I don't think we ever will. Thinking back on 20 years, there's an element of maturity that's hard to articulate. When you've had restaurants like Le Bernadin and the French Laundry, restaurants that have been around for 20 years or more, there's a certain intangible maturity. I believe that the employees and their guests can feel that. Looking back, I appreciate our resilience. The pandemic was disastrous for everyone, and the fact that we made it through that, that we kept everybody employed, I'm very proud of. Everything has changed. Wages have changed; rents have changed. There's a lot more reform to do. Here at the restaurant, it's changed tremendously. Back in 2005, there was a cliche of repression, toxicity, 17-hour days; nobody cared, nobody got paid. And now that has dramatically changed. Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Don't Binge ‘The Bear' Season 4 Without Great Takeout
It's here. Season 4 of The Bear — possibly its last (but not officially) — arrives today, June 25. The whole 10-episode season drops on Hulu at 7 p.m.. Anyone brave enough to binge the entire season in a single sitting might need to think this one through: Have you secured the ideal snacks for this lengthy journey? We wouldn't suggest Pizza Hut's tavern-style pizza, unless you plan on locking yourself away in a walk-in to numb the emotional pain. Instead, allow Eater Chicago to guide you through the best takeout and delivery options to pair with the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Season 4, but don't worry; no spoilers here. For more takeout and delivery options, check out this map. Curtis Duffy, behind Michelin-starred Ever — a fictionalized version closed on the TV show, but the real restaurant remains open — is offering a special, Bear -inspired delivery-only menu in partnership with Uber Eats. It's available 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays, from now until Monday, July 28. The menu includes Italian beefs, chicken parm sandwiches, a Boursin omelette sandwich with potato chips, Mikey's Spaghetti, and Marcus's Honey Bun. Order via Uber Eats . The Bear's cast and crew made frequent stops at this iconic Mexican restaurant while filming, but sadly, Birrieria Zaragoza's original location in Archer Heights is closed after a weekend fire. They've set up a GoFundMe to help with repairs. However, a second location in Uptown is open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Don't forget to order the flan. Order via DoorDash . Loaf Lounge remains one of Chicago's mightiest operations, truly a complete restaurant with strong sandwiches, breads, desserts, and drinks. Co-owner and pastry chef Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader was a consultant for Season 1 and created the chocolate cake for the show. The cake is available for pickup or delivery. However, you'll have to plan to order this one in advance because the kitchen takes its final orders at 3 p.m. before the cafe closes entirely at 4 p.m. What are you waiting for? Order via Toast . Sometimes you just need a good burger, and a Happy Meal won't cut it. The Loyalist is the bar underneath the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Smyth. The menu is approachable and features one of the best burgers in town. Get a salad or fries to complement the Dirty Burg. Order via Tock . PQM's head butcher Rob Levitt appears in Season 3 as a culinary figure leading the Chicago's hard-to-navigate dining scene. And for good reason: his crew makes some of the best sandwiches in the city. You can't go wrong there, but if you're in the mood to make your own meal, Publican Quality Meats delivers some of the best sausages and chops in town for the home cook. They also have a modest produce selection and a great selection of gourmet oils and spices. Order via PQM's website . See More:
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After and Mr Lyan Studio Unveils Rotating Seasonal Cocktail Menu Collaboration, Reinvented Come-As-You-Are Bar Experience
"World's Best" Bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana Teams Up With Two-Michelin-Starred Chef Curtis Duffy To Launch Long-Term Cocktail Partnership CHICAGO, March 31, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After, a come-as-you-are neighborhood bar known for delivering unmatched hospitality, today unveils a long-term partnership with London's Mr Lyan Studio, a collaboration between the award-winning creative team of "World's Best Bartender" Ryan Chetiyawardana and Two-Michelin-Starred Chef Curtis Duffy. The After x Mr Lyan Studio Collaboration is inspired by seasonal ingredients and innovative culinary techniques, featuring a rotating beverage menu curated by Mr Lyan himself. Available starting the first week of April, the Spring 2025 menu showcases 12 new cocktails, including four spirit-free selections, carefully crafted to evoke creativity, imagination, and a sense of rebellion. "We strive to create the ultimate guest experience, which is centered around technical elements, leading to a flavorful menu," said Chef Duffy. "By using carefully selected spirits and the highest-quality ingredients, paired with culinary expertise, this collaboration emulates After's focus on the guest experience." Richie Farina returns home as Chef de Cuisine, debuting new shared plates. "After is fun and loud and boisterous. It's rock and roll," said Alex Lawrence, Managing Director of Venues at Mr Lyan Studio. "Like a music collab, this partnership allows us to each take our expertise to the next level, push the envelope, and constantly evolve. Guests can come in, let their hair down and create memories with the 'World's Best' pairing." To learn more, visit About After After is a cocktail bar inspired by the knowledge and experiences of Michelin-Starred Chef Curtis Duffy. Featuring cocktails and shared plates, the service and experience emulate high craft and low-key vibes. In the pursuit of excellence, we challenge expectations, focusing on the joy that unique experiences create. We are not subtle. We seek bold flavors and big characters. After is a bar that evolves with the seasons, designed to be elevating – delivering the unexpected while showcasing the best of ingredients and technique. Learn more at About Mr Lyan Mr Lyan Studio is a strategic consultancy based in London, UK. Combining the expertise of a design agency with the experience of seasoned F&B operators, the team creates compelling and commercial F&B concepts for clients in Europe, the US and Asia. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Media Contact Danna TabachnikEver@ Sign in to access your portfolio
