As the first Black Michelin-starred chef in New York City, Chef Charlie Mitchell has made culinary history.
According to the Miami Herald, Mitchell is only the second Black executive chef in the country to receive the honour. He is also the recipient of Michelin’s 2022 New York Young Chef Award for his Brooklyn Heights restaurant, Clover Hill.
The native of Detroit gushed about the accomplishment in an interview with Craig Melvin of TODAY on Friday. “You just assume that someone has already done this, you know, it doesn’t cross your mind that you may be the first or second to do really anything, especially here in New York City,” said Mitchell, who spent most of his years honing his skills while working as a sous chef and executive sous chef at prestigious New York restaurants, according to Nation’s Restaurant’s News. Mitchell also attended culinary school for a brief period of time.
He mentioned that his grandmother is the source of his love of cooking and eating. Mitchell, who is a semifinalist for a James Beard Award: Emerging Chef, stated, “I guess the thing that resonated with me the most is mother used to do this whole fried fish, like whole fry bass, all the time when I was little.”
The executive chef position at Clover Hill was offered to him by co-founder Clay Castillo last year. It was Mitchell’s responsibility to design the menu in that capacity. According to Yahoo, diners enjoy an eight-course tasting menu of seasonal dishes that changes frequently. A Michelin star was awarded to the eatery in its first year of business.
A co-owner of the restaurant now, Mitchell stated that he and his Clover Hill staff “may alter the meal every day for two weeks” in an effort to make it “the best version of itself.”
On the menu are items like Sawara & Razor Claims, Hokkaido Shark Skin Flounder, Spanish Octopus, Long Island Fluke, and King Crab Tartlet. There is a chocolate sponge cake for dessert.
According to Mitchell, he wants diners at Clover Hill to leave “enthusiastic or inspired by food.”
