Grant Achatz - Life, on the Line

Anyone interested in foods, restaurants and chefs will find Life, on the Line, written by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, a fascinating book. Achatz is the executive chef of the fine restaurant Alinea, a conceptually radical restaurant located in Oak Park, Illinois. He along with Kokonas are business partners and co founders of Alinea.

The book follows the rise of Achatz as a chef, who worked under his culinary mentor, Thomas Keller, executive chef and owner of the famous restaurant, The French Laundry. Achatz even named his first son, Keller after his mentor/chef.

In 2003, Achatz was named the new chef in America by Wine and Spirits. He received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star, Chef of the year in 2003. In 2005, Achatz and Kokonas opened Alinea, and within months it was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet Magazine.

Before opening Alinea, Achatz was diagnosed with Stage N Squamous cell carcinoma – tongue cancer. The prognosis was a grim one, where doctors agreed the only course of action was to remove the cancerous tissues, including Achatz’s entire tongue. Achatz undertook an alternative treatment of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.

The results of the treatment were that the skin peeled inside of Achatz mouth and throat, rapid weight lost, and the loss of his sense of taste. In all of this time, Achatz rarely missed a day at work. More astounding was that he trained his chefs’ to mimic his palate. Achatz learned how to cook with his other senses. His partner, Kokonas, confirmed that during all of this time, the food at Alinea was never better. After five months of treatment, Achatz was declared cancer free. A few months later, he received the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef in America award.

This is a book of courage, about a man chasing his dream of being a chef, fulfilling greatness in his field, facing death and triumphing over it. But it is also the story about how Achatz redefined the way we eat.