The Stories Behind America’s Most Celebrated Restaurants

The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia

Nestled in the Virginia countryside, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find The Inn at Little Washington, a Michelin-starred restaurant founded by self-taught chef and five-time James Beard Award winner Patrick O’Connell. The beloved destination is known for its hospitality and inspired American cuisine. In Main, Middle & Gay, O’Connell shares the path that led him to where he is today, from growing up gay in the ’50s and getting his first taste of the restaurant industry working at a burger joint, to traveling Europe and living on farms, all while cultivating his world-class culinary skills. O’Connell’s memoir is a delicious look at the life of a chef and a tantalizing glimpse inside one of America’s most celebrated restaurants.

The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine

In her instant New York Times bestseller, Erin French, chef and owner of the critically acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant The Lost Kitchen, serves up a three-course meal of resilience, renewal, and delectable food. French grew up on a farm in Maine and first started working in her dad’s diner. Her relationship with food started early, but the road to Freedom, Maine — home of her renowned 50-seat restaurant — was far from an easy one. On her way to culinary success, French overcame the challenges of addiction, unemployment, and raising a child as a single parent. A hopeful and honest story about family and the community-building power of food, Finding Freedom is a delight.

Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California

A New York Times bestseller, Coming to My Senses is a stellar memoir from the culinary legend behind Chez Panisse, an influential institution in the farm-to-table movement. Alice Waters tells the story of her life leading up to the moment she opened her iconic “little French restaurant” in 1971, at just 27 years old, swimming against the stream of uniformity flowing through the culinary world at the time. Inspired by the bohemian energy of her community and the Free Speech Movement student protests at Berkeley, Waters channeled her counterculture spirit into a passion for fresh and nourishing food, resulting in one of America’s most influential eateries.

The Grey in Savannah, Georgia

Housed in an old Greyhound station in Savannah, Georgia, The Grey is a celebrated purveyor of Southern cuisine, helmed by Mashama Bailey, a Black chef from Queens, New York, and John O. Morisano, a white media entrepreneur from Staten Island. Just like their restaurant, this shared memoir is a team effort. In it, they tell the story — with all of its highs, lows, successes, and struggles — of coming together to build their business while learning to set aside and overwrite their biases as they work to create an example of unity in their Southern community. “It’s one of the best and most honest books about business, partnership, race, class, culture, and gender I’ve encountered” (Hunter Lewis, Food & Wine).

Alinea in Chicago

In 2007, Grant Achatz was recognized as one of the best new chefs in America, with his Chicago restaurant, Alinea, earning high praise for its innovative approach to modern cuisine and its focus on molecular gastronomy. He was at the top of the culinary game, and his momentum appeared unstoppable. Then he was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma tongue cancer. Life, on the Line chronicles his battle with the disease that stole his sense of taste, and captures the breakthroughs that led to his continuing his craft without ever compromising the quality of his food.

Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York

When David Chang opened Momofuku Noodle Bar in a cramped space in Manhattan back in 2004, he never imagined it would become a world-renowned destination. Seeking direction after graduating from college, Chang went to teach English in a small town in Japan, where his mental health took a nosedive, and he found himself turning to food for a sense of control. Navigating personal struggles, mistakes, and self-doubt, Chang found his way back to the States and to working the line in his own restaurant. In Eat a Peach, he remembers the far-from-straight path that brought him to where he is today.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York

A New York Times bestseller from chef Dan Barber of the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York, The Third Plate serves up “a food manifesto for the ages” (Pittsburgh-Post Gazette). While the farm-to-table movement presents a sustaining model for the way we eat, Barber explains that we have yet to rise to the occasion — as a nation, we haven’t changed our eating habits. Looking at the harmful cooking methods of our past and the still-lackluster culinary culture of the present, Barber promotes a hopeful future — his “third plate” — where farming and food work together to better the land and the way we feed ourselves. 

Red Rooster in New York

At Red Rooster in Harlem, you’ll find a creative and cultivated menu that celebrates the diverse roots of American cuisine — a fitting reflection of the man behind the restaurant, renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, whose own diverse roots made him the culinary icon he is today. Adopted from Ethiopia, he grew up in Sweden and spent the Saturday afternoons of his childhood cooking with his grandmother. In Yes, Chef, Samuelsson tells the story of how his early experiences bloomed into a love for food, bolstered by a love for family, and carried him to New York, where he built a stunningly successful culinary career and opened a restaurant where diversity is prized.

Prune in New York

For 20 years, you could expect to see a line outside Manhattan’s Prune — a small, crowded spot in the East Village with devoted customers and a reputation for serving a brunch that’s well worth the wait. In Blood, Bones & Butter, owner and chef Gabrielle Hamilton looks back on the many kitchens that have sustained and enriched her life, from being at her mother’s side at the stove in her childhood home, to the kitchens of France, Greece, and Turkey where she learned about food and hospitality, to opening her own restaurant in 1999. Though Prune closed its doors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, its legacy is remembered, and its loyal customers continue to hope for a reopening someday.

Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan

If you’re ever in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and ask for a good place to eat, you’ll soon be sent straight to Zingerman’s, a local deli, bakery, and roadhouse restaurant celebrated by foodies far and wide. From the gourmet food company’s cofounder Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating is a culinary expert’s road map to understanding what makes good food good. Packed with recipes, stories, and a career’s worth of tips and tricks, Weinzweig’s guide is for anyone who spends time in the kitchen — whether that’s in a professional setting or in your own home.