Charlie Palmer

Chef, Restaurateur & Cookbook Author 

Early Years

Celebrated Chef Charlie Palmer began cooking in upstate New York as a 14 year old farm boy in order to earn some extra money. Little did he or anyone else know that 20 years later cooking would have become a huge, very successful passion and the earnings would have increased substantially.

Attending the Culinary Institute of America, and then training with various highly skilled European chefs, Palmer realized a dream by opening is first restaurant, Aureole, at the age of 28. Aureole has since become a New York institution, and has also gained a reputation as one of the finest restaurants in America.

Current Projects

Combining his love of eating, a keen business sense, and a creative spirit, Charlie Palmer has expanded his restaurant interests to include Charlie Palmer Steak and an outpost of Aureole in Las Vegas, Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C., Metrazur, overlooking Grand Central Terminal, Kitchen 22, Kitchen 82, and Astra NY, all in New York, Astra West at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, and Dry Creek Kitchen in California’s Napa Valley.

Chef Palmer’s signature style of cooking, while strongly infused with classical French technique, has become known as Progressive American, Palmer’s reinterpretation of European cooking using America’s best artisanal products and ingredients. A focus on seasonality, maximizing the inherent flavors of the ingredients, and an emphasis on presentation further encompass his culinary philosophy.

In 1996 (and again in 2003), along with writer and home Chef Judie Choate, Charlie Palmer’s first book Great American Food was published. His second book, Charlie Palmer's Casual Cooking: The Chef of New York's Aureole Restaurant Cooks for Family and Friends followed in 2001. The Art of Aureole was also published in 2003.

Recognition

Charlie Palmer and his restaurants have received numerous awards throughout the years, including Best New York Chef (1997) and Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America (1998) from the James Beard Foundation.

Charlie Palmer thrives on the gratification and satisfaction that cooking and feeding people bring. His recipes are a reflection of his personality – bold and substantial. While his talents have brought him considerable success, and his business has expanded to be now called the Charlie Palmer Group, and to consist of hundreds of dedicated employees, chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Charlie Palmer can still be found in the kitchen, working the line, with intensity in his eyes and a big smile on his face.

For more information about Chef Charlie Palmer: http://www.charliepalmer.com/