Curtis Duffy: Reaching the Stars

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11/05/24 • 54 min

The Restaurant Guys

The Banter

The Guys are alarmed to find out how some folks are flavoring their beverage..and so is the Board of Health.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys get deep with chef Curtis Duffy, who received Michelin stars for his restaurants Grace and Ever in Chicago. Curtis shares his story, how he leads his team and what keeps him striving for excellence.

The Inside Track

The Guys highly recommend you watch the movie For Grace about the opening of Curtis’s restaurant Grace. The three find plenty to talk about being lifers in a challenging industry. This is how Curtis handles every day.

“My daily drive and my daily vision was to be better than what I was yesterday. And I pushed the team and led the team that way. That was always my commitment to the restaurant. We have to be better. We have to be better,” Curtis Duffy on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024

Bio

Curtis Duffy began his career in Chicago working under chef Charlie Trotter then later chef Grant Achatz. Curtis became head chef at Avenues, which earned two Michelin stars after his arrival. He and Michael Muser opened Grace in Chicago in 2012. In 2013, the Robb Report named Grace the best restaurant in the world. Grace earned three stars in the Michelin Guide four years in a row. The James Beard Foundation named Duffy Best Chef, Great Lakes in 2016. In 2020, Duffy and Muser opened Ever restaurant which was awarded two Michelin stars in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2022, he opened After lounge, and the following year Esquire named After one of the Best Bars in America.

Curtis has appeared in numerous television shows such as Top Chef, Top Chef: Colorado, Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. A couple of episodes of The Bear were filmed inside his restaurant Ever and Curtis made and plated the dishes that appear in season 2 episode 7.

Chef Duffy's journey is chronicled in the acclaimed documentary For Grace highlighting his rise from adversity to culinary greatness.

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The Banter

The Guys are alarmed to find out how some folks are flavoring their beverage..and so is the Board of Health.

The Conversation

The Inside Track

Bio

Chef Duffy's journey is chronicled in the acclaimed documentary For Grace highlighting his rise from adversity to culinary greatness.

Our Sponsors

The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/

Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Previous Episode

Brian Miller: Tiki Pirate Captain

This is a Vintage selection from 2012
The Banter

The Guys discuss Bloody Mary variations including some that provide a meal in a glass.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys catch up with Tiki barman Brian Miller who was behind the bar at Lani Kai in SoHo (NYC) on Monday nights serving tropical drinks while dressed in pirate garb. They talk about defining Tiki, where it came from and how it fits into modern bar culture. Brian concludes by walking us through constructing a Queens Park Swizzle that will have you heading to the closest establishment with a lele.

The Inside Track

The Guys know Brian through the industry and have had the pleasure of enjoying many of his creations. They know Brian is passionate about Tiki as he describes below:

“To me, that's kind of the allure of it. I think these drinks are just as complex and deserve just as much respect as any of the pre-prohibition and classic cocktails out there. ...There's a true art in taking several different rums or several different spirits within one drink, blending them all together and being able to taste every single flavor that's in that drink,” Brian Miller on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2012

Bio

Brian Miller worked the bar scene in New York City for several years before being on Audrey Saunder’s opening staff at Pegu Club. He then worked for Phil Ward at Death & Company. After Brian took the reins as head bartender, Death & Company won Spirited Awards Best American Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010. That same year, Brian was nominated for Spirited Award International Bartender of the Year. He was a partner and ran the bar program at The Polynesian, New York City.

He is currently the bar manager at the historic and newly re-opened Stockton Inn in Stockton, NJ.

Our Sponsors

The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/

Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/

Next Episode

Grant Achatz Creates a Chemistry Experience

This is a vintage selection from 2007

The Banter

The Guys discuss an article titled “Chef’s Kids Eat the Darndest Things” in New Jersey Monthly Magazine where Mark’s son’s creation was featured. Find out what unusual sandwiches are being made in the Pascal household.

The Conversation

The Restaurant Guys host Grant Achatz, cutting edge chef of Alinea restaurant in Chicago. Grant talks about his unusual dishes, methods and how he crafts the diner’s experience.

The Inside Scoop

The Guys have been intrigued by the cuisine that some call molecular gastronomy or avant-garde, but Grant Achatz can’t put a name on it. He does describe how he gets inspiration for it from daily life.

“It's a little bit out there, but a lot of it is just like being aware of your surroundings... If you're listening to a certain song and you hear an extreme tempo change, I say to myself: How can I incorporate that tempo change into the experience? How can I make a 24 course meal shift instantly and go from savory and then back to sweet again, in the matter of three courses?” Grant Achatz on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2007

Bio

Grant’s culinary journey began at his family’s diner. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he honed his skills at Charlie Trotter’s, The French Laundry, and elBulli in Spain before assuming the executive chef position at Trio.

In 2004, Grant and Nick Kokonas co-founded Alinea. Alinea has earned many accolades since, including 13 consecutive years with 3 Michelin stars - the longest of any fine dining restaurant in the U.S

Grant’s culinary ventures expanded with Next restaurant and The Aviary bar, both receiving critical acclaim and awards. In 2016, he opened Roister, which earned a Michelin star in its first year, followed by St. Clair Supper Club in 2019.

Chef Grant Achatz is recognized as the Best Chef in the United States by the James Beard Foundation and honored by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in t

Our Sponsors

The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
https://www.theheldrich.com/

Magyar Bank
https://www.magbank.com/

Withum Accounting
https://www.withum.com/

Our Places

Stage Left Steak
https://www.stageleft.com/

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
https://www.catherinelombardi.com/

Stage Left Wineshop
https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/