Christopher Kostow
Christopher Kostow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976 |
| Occupation | Executive chef |
| Known for | Executive chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood; James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: West (2013) |
Christopher Kostow (born in 1976) serves as the executive chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood located in Napa Valley, California. During his tenure, the establishment secured three Michelin stars consecutively from 2011 through 2019. In 2013, Kostow was honored with the James Beard Foundation Award for "Best Chef: West."
Life and career
Raised in Highland Park, Illinois, Kostow originally aimed for a professional hockey career but spent his summer breaks working in kitchens at the Ravinia Music Festival near Chicago. After completing his studies at Berkshire School and earning a philosophy degree from Hamilton College, he relocated to San Diego in 1999 to train under Trey Foshee at Georges at the Cove. His culinary education continued in France, where he gained experience at a Parisian bistro, the Michelin-starred Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, and a centuries-old abbey in Salon-de-Provence.
Upon returning to California, Kostow collaborated with Daniel Patterson at Elizabeth Daniel and Daniel Humm at Campton Place Restaurant in San Francisco before assuming the role of executive chef at Chez TJ in Mountain View. Since 2008, he has been leading The Restaurant at Meadowood, which achieved two Michelin stars by 2009 and quickly advanced to three stars, establishing him among the youngest chefs to reach this accolade. In 2017, he broadened his culinary ventures by inaugurating The Charter Oak Restaurant in St. Helena, California.
In 2010, Kostow featured on Season 8 of Iron Chef America. His 2014 publication, A New Napa Cuisine, which explores his culinary vision and work at Meadowood, received the IACP award for "Best Cookbook of the Year." Additionally, he was awarded the prestigious Eckart Witzigmann Award (ECKART) for "Art of Cookery" in 2018.
Style
Kostow focuses on northern Californian cuisine by prioritizing exceptional local ingredients and presenting them with simplicity. The Wall Street Journal highlighted his comprehensive approach to terroir and gastronomy, comparable to chefs such as Michel Bras and René Redzepi, by incorporating contributions from gardeners, ceramic artists, winemakers, and the Napa Valley community. At Meadowood, his menu emphasizes regional sourcing with dishes like oysters paired with kohlrabi, beef smoked using dry onion tops, cherry trout wrapped in buckwheat skin, eel smoked over cabernet staves, lamb-stuffed baladi flatbread, and indulgent preparations such as egg yolk cooked in chicken fat accompanied by homemade Marmite. Desserts include creations like chocolate-walnut-apple pastries and truffled crèmeaux de Citeaux warmed by beeswax candles.
Restaurants
- Ensue, Shenzhen, China
- The Charter Oak Restaurant, St. Helena, CA
- The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa Valley, CA
- Chez TJ, Mountain View, CA
- Campton Place Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
- Elizabeth Daniel, San Francisco, CA
- La Terrasse, Côte d'Azur, France
- Chez Georges, Paris, France
- Le Jardin des Sens, Montpellier, France
- Georges at the Cove, La Jolla, CA
Awards
- 2018 Eckart Witzigmann Award (ECKART) for "Art of Cookery"
- 2016 Wine Spectator Grand Award – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2013 James Beard Foundation Award for "Best Chef: West"
- 2013 Three Michelin Stars – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2013 Ranked #2 on Bon Appétit magazine's "The 20 Most Important Restaurants in America"
- 2012 Three Michelin Stars – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2012 Named "Regional Champion" by Time magazine
- 2012 Awarded "Chef of the Year" by Eater SF Awards
- 2011 Three Michelin Stars – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2010 Four Stars – San Francisco Chronicle
- 2010 Two Michelin Stars – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2009 Included among "Best New Chefs" by Food & Wine
- 2009 Two Michelin Stars – The Restaurant at Meadowood
- 2008 Two Michelin Stars – Chez TJ
- 2007 One Michelin Star – Chez TJ