Grant Achatz to Open His Own Restaurant

After 3 years as Executive Chef at Trio, the 5-star restaurant in Evanston, Grant Achatz is leaving to open his own restaurant. Grant, who has worked in the kitchens of many of the country's top restaurants such as French Laundry and Charlie Trotter's, was the recipient last year of the esteemed James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award. The Chicago location of the new restaurant hasn't been set yet but the name has. Alinea, which Achatz says is an ancient typographical symbol stating the beginning of a new train of thought, is hoped to be open by the beginning of the year. Achatz says the food there will be an "evolution" of the culinary style he developed at Trio.

Chicagoist thinks that Grant is a hottie hottie the fact that he's on his way to being a world-renown chef makes him that much more desireable. We'd do the dishes any night of the week that he offers to cook for us!