More Than A Ground-Breaking Chef, Grant Achatz Is Also Great Story-Teller

Ho-hum. Yawn. Another chef bio.

That's what I thought before I cracked open Life, On the Line by molecular gastronomy genius Grant Achatz, who runs one Alinea in Chicago, one of the top restaurants in the country. The subtitle of the book is "A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death and Redefining the Way We Eat," which is a heckuva mouthful. 

Much attention surrounding the release of this book has focused on chef Grant's brave fight against cancer that knocked out his sense of taste for a while. He faced losing his tongue and sought alternative treatment and has a happy ending to share with the world on the pages of this book.

But, for me, the most engaging part of the tale is in the beginning. Here's a shocker: One of the country's most ambitious chefs started his cooking career cracking eggs in the family diner. I had no idea. I absolutely loved how he made these images of those early days come alive. I could practically hear the bacon sizzling. 

I recently had the opportunity to interview the famous chef and my first question had nothing to do with the kitchen.

Whatever happened to your GTO?

He laughed. "My father still has it," he said. "I haven't seen it in years."

Achatz and his father rebuilt the car while he was in high school in a small town in Michigan, a painstaking process he evokes later when he's cleaning tripe at The French Laundry. It's cool when a writer has the ability to weave past and present, to make the pieces of a life fit together like a puzzle.

That's what I enjoyed most about this book. Not just the behind-the-scenes stuff about what it's like to open a restaurant and wait anxiously for a review to make or break the place or how special it is to work for an amazing mentor like Thomas Keller, but Charlie Trotter? Eh, not so much. Achatz, who wrote Life, On the Line with his business partner and friend Nick Kokonas tells all, in the kitchen and beyond. Or, at least that's how it seems to the reader. And that kind of honest, soul-baring story-telling is what makes this book so compelling.

I asked Grant if his family had eaten at his nearly-impossible-to-get-a-table Alinea and he said: "Of course." But when I pressed him about his godfather, his Uncle Norm, he told a funny story: "The first time Uncle Norm came into the restaurant, I went over to his table and asked how he was enjoying his meal. He's got a big, booming voice and he said something like 'It's not too bad.' Everyone in the dining room stopped talking and looked at him."

There was a section early on, where he decides he's going to show off for his girlfriend's parents and cook them dinner. Instead, he nearly slices off a finger. A situation many can relate to, I'm sure. During our interview, I asked Grant what kitchen tools could help improve the skills of a home cook. Not surprisingly, he said investing in at least one really good knife and a sharpener to help the knife keep its edge. Thanks for the tip chef!

Please note: Grant Achtaz and Nick Kokonas will be talking about the book from 7 to 9 p.m. March 16 at Tom Douglas' Palace Ballroom. A portion of the proceeds from this Cooks and Books event, organized by Kim Ricketts Book Events, will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

-- Leslie Kelly