Charlie Mitchell | |
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| Born | 1992 (age 32–33) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Schoolcraft College |
| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | New American soulful |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurants
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Television show
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Awards won
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Charlie Mitchell (born 1992) is an American chef andrestaurateur.
Born inDetroit, Michigan, he began his culinary career in his early twenties after leaving college, completing his firststage atBenu inSan Francisco. He has worked in several fine-dining restaurants throughout San Francisco, New York City, andWashington, D.C. In 2021, Mitchell helped to openClover Hill inBrooklyn Heights, where he earned his first Michelin star asexecutive chef and co-owner. This Michelin star made MitchellNew York City's first Black chef to receive the award.
In 2022, Mitchell received the Michelin Guide New York Young Chef Award, and in 2024, Mitchell was awarded theJames Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State. In early 2025, Mitchell left Clover Hill to become the executive chef of the two-Michelin-starredSaga restaurant inManhattan's Financial District. Since 2022, Mitchell has appeared onGood Morning America,Today,CBS Saturday Morning, andBobby's Triple Threat. Alongside his television appearances, he has also been a guest on multiple podcasts and has headlined guest chef dinners across the United States and the Caribbean.
Charlie Mitchell was born in Detroit, MI, in 1992.[1][2] His family lived on the West Side of Detroit during Mitchell's adolescence[3] and moved toSouthfield, Michigan, when he was a teenager.[4] Mitchell has credited his grandmothers and family gatherings centered on food for sparking his early interest in cooking.[5] Food was used by his family as a means of celebration and community.[6] TheMichelin Guide interviewed Mitchell after his Young Chef Award win in October 2022; he spoke of how much a "good meal can change someone's day," something he learned from watching his grandmothers cook.[7][8] Mitchell attendedSchoolcraft College in a suburb of Detroit; he did not complete a degree.[9]
At 19 years old, Mitchell began his culinary career at 24 Grille in Detroit,[10] where he became a pantry chef after working as a valet at the restaurant and asking the sous chef for a job in the kitchen.[10] He later became part of the Forest Grill team, reaching sous-chef in under three years, inBirmingham, Michigan.[11] During this period, he worked under executive chef Nick Janutol, whom Mitchell credits for providing his foundations in fine dining, primarily what is expected of cooks in fine dining kitchens.[4][12]
Mitchell trained in several fine dining restaurants, many with Michelin stars. His first experience withhaute cuisine came through astage atBenu, the first three Michelin-starred restaurant inSan Francisco.[1][13] In 2016, Mitchell moved to New York City,[14] where he attended culinary school.[3][15] Mitchell left the program after deciding that the hands-on experience that he received while working was more beneficial than the cost of continuing his studies.[16] After leaving culinary school, Mitchell began seeking employment by searching for nearby restaurants on the internet,[17] subsequently joining the brigade atEleven Madison Park aschef de partie underDaniel Humm.[18] Mitchell also gained experience in various other fine-dining restaurants, includingBetony (now closed),[19]Per Se,Blue Hill,[13] andOne White Street, where Mitchell served as executive sous-chef.[20][21]
Mitchell has described his approach to kitchen leadership as prioritizing collaboration and support of young cooks, in contrast with the culture ofkitchen brigades that he had worked in.[19] A chef who has worked with Mitchell for several years, Max Guillaume, has stated that working under Mitchell involves frequent collaboration.[14] Chef Kent provided guidance for Mitchell at the beginning of his career as executive chef by pushing him to "stick to the craft, and the rest will fall in line."[1]
In 2019, Mitchell planned to move toNorway to continue his career but was unable to make the move because ofCOVID-19 lockdowns. When the lockdowns began, he instead returned to Detroit before moving toWashington, D.C.[22] While in Washington, D.C., Mitchell helped to openJônt in 2020, which now holds two Michelin stars.[23] During his time in D.C., he also worked atBresca, which holds one Michelin star.[20] He returned to New York City in 2021.[24]
In 2022, Mitchell joined Clay Castillo and Gabriel Merino as co-owner, partner, and executive chef of Clover Hill inBrooklyn Heights, marking his first head of kitchen role.[20][25] Aschef de cuisine, Mitchell helped to shape the restaurant's concept, menu, and environment.[21] MusicianLaura Lee Ochoa described Clover Hill as her "favorite" Michelin-starred restaurant, noting the distinctive atmosphere created by Mitchell’s choices, including the music played during service.[26] Mitchell created the playlists of music that played during dinner services, typically including genres such asR&B,soul music, andhip-hop.[6]
Less than a year after Clover Hill reopened, Mitchell was awarded the Michelin Guide New York Young Chef Award[27] and earned the restaurant's first Michelin star.[28] Mitchell was recognized as the only Black chef in the United States to win both a star and the Young Chef Award in the same year.[29] He is also New York City's first Black chef to earn a Michelin star.[30] In a 2023 interview withToday, when asked if he knew of the historic implications of his receiving the Michelin star, Mitchell admitted that he did not. He further commented:
You always think about the people, so many people [who] have come before you. You just assume that someone has already done this; you know, it doesn’t cross your mind that you may be the first or second to do really anything, especially here in New York City [...] I think a lot of times, we’re chasing a very different American dream, then to kind of put up with these aggressive environments that are often led by people who don’t look like us.[15]
Critics such as Helen Rosner have described his cooking at Clover Hill as ingredient-driven and precise.[31] In 2024, Clover Hill was ranked 46th out of the 100 best restaurants in New York City by food criticPete Wells, who highlighted Mitchell's use of seasonal ingredients. In his review, Wells noted that Mitchell's commitment to his cooking was evident in the dishes being served.[32] Also in 2024, Mitchell was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef, becoming the only chef to be awarded by theJames Beard Foundation from the city that year.[33]Helen Rosner ofThe New Yorker noted that Mitchell's cooking at Clover Hill had "the subtlety and precision of any Manhattan-billionaire canteen," while maintaining a straightforward service style, free of narrative presentations that were often seen in other Michelin-starred restaurants.[31]
After it was announced that Mitchell would be joiningSaga (restaurant) as executive chef,Daniel Humm (ofEleven Madison Park) toldFood & Beverage Magazine that "[Mitchell's] cooking has a rare combination of precision, creativity, and soul – making him the perfect chef to carry Saga's legacy forward."[34] Before the reopening of Saga in early fall 2025, Mitchell traveled and was guest chef atseveral events.
Mitchell has served as the executive chef of Saga, a two Michelin-starred restaurant inManhattan, N.Y., since July 2025[update].[35][36] He took over the role of executive chef after founderJames Kent unexpectedly died.[18] In his role as executive chef, he creates the menu as well as curating the environment of the restaurant, including music and decor.[18][37] At Saga, Mitchell has maintained a focus on simplicity. Tammie Teclemariam ofGrub Street described a transition to a more minimal presentation style under Mitchell, replacing the more elaborate presentations used under Kent.[37] Dishes are presented with minimal description instead of a narrative on the inspiration of the dish, with food writers commenting that the simplified presentations allowed the dishes to stand on their own.[31] His menu planning begins with the selection of local, seasonal ingredients, around which he develops each dish.[20] As of 2025, Mitchell is also a partner of the Kent Hospitality Group, formerly Saga Hospitality, alongside Kelly Kent – James Kent's widow – and Danny Garcia – winner of season 21 ofTop Chef and executive chef of Time & Tide.[13] With Mitchell at the helm, Saga has retained its two Michelin star rating[38] and was rated 33rd on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025.[39][40]
