A pioneer in redefining the language of fine dining, Dominique Crenn is the first and only female chef in the United States to earn three Michelin stars. At her San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn, cuisine becomes poetry, literally, each menu a lyrical ode to nature, memory, and artistry. With a deep-rooted connection to the land and sea, Crenn crafts dishes that are both personal memoir and sensory adventure, blending French elegance with Californian bounty. Her work challenges conventions, celebrating not just flavour, but the story and soul behind every plate.
The Journey
Born on April 8, 1965, in Versailles, France, Dominique Crenn was adopted as an infant and raised in a family that valued culture, travel, and gastronomy. Her father, a politician and painter, often took her to dine in Michelin-starred restaurants, where she developed an early appreciation for food as art. Despite this passion, the male-dominated kitchens of France in the 1980s offered little welcome to aspiring women chefs, prompting her move to the United States at age 24.
Her early U.S. career included training at Jeremiah Tower’s legendary Stars in San Francisco, followed by culinary leadership at Luce in the InterContinental Hotel, where she earned her first Michelin star. In 2011, she opened Atelier Crenn, a deeply personal project inspired by her father’s art and her poetry. The restaurant earned two Michelin stars by 2013 and a historic third in 2018. Beyond Atelier Crenn, she has expanded with Petit Crenn and Bar Crenn, all while advocating for sustainability, diversity, and human-centred hospitality.
Culinary Philosophy and Vision
Crenn sees cooking as a medium for storytelling; each dish a stanza, each menu a poem. She draws on her French heritage, California’s seasonal abundance, and her deep respect for nature to craft menus that are immersive and emotive. Sustainability is central to her work: she eliminated meat from her menus in 2019 to support environmental responsibility. Her cuisine often features delicate compositions, botanical elements, and seafood prepared with precision and reverence. For Crenn, dining is an act of connection, between chef and guest, nature and plate, memory and moment.
Awards, Recognition & Media
- Three Michelin Stars – Atelier Crenn (2018–present), the first female chef in the U.S. to achieve this
- Best Female Chef in the World – World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2016)
- James Beard Foundation Awards – Best Chef: West (2018)
- Featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, The Final Table, and Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend
- Author of Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters (memoir, 2020)
- Named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People (2019)
- Active advocate for women in leadership, sustainability, and LGBTQ+ representation in the culinary world
Kir Breton
4
servings30
minutes15
minutesA whimsical twist on the classic French aperitif, combining crisp apple cider and crème de cassis in a delicate white chocolate shell.
Ingredients
200 gms white chocolate
80 ml dry apple cider
20 ml crème de cassis
Directions
- Melt white chocolate and brush it into spherical moulds. Chill until set.
- Mix cider and crème de cassis; keep chilled.
- Once the shells are set, carefully make a small hole in each, then fill it with the cider-cassis mix using a syringe.
- Seal with melted chocolate, and serve as an amuse-bouche.
Walk in the Forest
2
servings1
hour30
minutes40
minutesAn edible landscape evoking the sights and scents of a forest floor, featuring seasonal vegetables, mushroom soil, and herb essence.
Ingredients
100 gms mixed wild mushrooms (chanterelle, porcini, shiitake)
2 baby carrots, peeled
2 baby beets, peeled
50 gms sunchokes, scrubbed and halved
50 gms parsnips, peeled and diced
30 gms hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
50 gms panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, sorrel leaves
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Directions
- Roast carrots, beets, sunchokes, and parsnips in olive oil, salt, and pepper until tender.
- Sauté mushrooms with thyme until golden.
- For ‘soil,’ mix panko, crushed hazelnuts, and finely chopped mushrooms; toast until crisp.
- Arrange vegetables artfully on a plate, sprinkle ‘soil,’ and garnish with fresh herbs and edible flowers.
- Serve warm, inviting diners to ‘forage’ as they eat.
References
- Atelier Crenn Official Website
- Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters by Dominique Crenn
- Interviews: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, TIME, NPR
- Netflix’s Chef’s Table (Season 2)
- Dish Image Credit: John Riebe
