At the Chef's Table Episode Rating Graph

We travel to Chicago, Illinois, is a city known for skyscrapers and for having some of the best dining in America. The Peninsula Chicago is where opulent hotel living and gourmet dining come together for a one-of-a-kind experience. The Avenues is located on the fifth floor of this lavish hotel and the gourmet dishes served here are the work of Chef David Hayden. We join host, Alex Boylan, and Chef Hayden as they search the city for the hidden purveyors of the world’s finest ingredients. Then we step into the kitchen to watch as they combine these ingredients into a “symphony” of tastes for their guests located at the elegant marble counter inside the chef’s kitchen.

We go to Michigan Avenue which is located in the heart of Chicago and known for some of the best shopping around. However the people of Chicago are as proud of their food as they are of their shopping and TRU is no exception. This restaurant is a fine dining shrine offering progressive French cuisine that entices the taste buds and creates a dining experience unlike any other. With a collection of artwork surrounding the diners, a meal at this restaurant is no everyday affair. Head Chef Rick Tramonto has created the persona and presentation of a mad scientist with a dash of magician thrown into the mix. We follow host, Alex Boylan, Chef Tramonto and pastry chef Gale Gand as they create dishes and desserts with unlimited imagination and taste for tonight’s diners at the chef’s table.

We travel to California’s first and third oldest city, San Jose, provides the perfect backdrop for the creation of foods that pull inspiration from many cultures. The city is known as the capital of Silicon Valley and offers not only museums and great weather, but its many forms of art including the culinary arts. Chef Emile Mooser takes the foundations of cooking that he was first taught and has applied these ideas in a whole new way. Chef Mooser has an international reputation for his new ideas about French cuisine with a pinch of his Swiss heritage thrown in. Follow host, Alex Boylan as he helps Chef Mosser craft a delightful array of dishes for tonight’s diners at the chef’s table.

We visit New York which is known for its wide variety of dining options and none are more distinctive than the Artisanal Cheese Center, a dining experience unlike any other in the country. Located inside a wholesale cheese warehouse this chef’s table prides itself on the enjoyment, education and sale of the world’s finest artisanal cheeses. Here, cheese is aged to perfection and impeccably chosen to complement every course. Host, Alex Boylan and Chef Terrance Brennan venture to one of the city’s many markets to find inspiration and ingredients for tonight’s meal that will highlight the numerous uses of cheese. Guests will also have the opportunity to tour the five state-of-the-art refrigeration caves that create the precise environment needed for each cheese to reach its full potential.

Virginia horse country is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Washington D.C. With the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, The Inn at Little Washington provides a haven for travelers seeking a little country diversion. The Inn provides not only a relaxing atmosphere, but boasts one of the best restaurants in the world. Here Chef Patrick O’Connell delivers a captivating performance for guests at the chef’s table next to a magnificent baronial fireplace and a fresco depicting the five stages of dining. The dinner mood is set when an altar boy, swinging a canister filled with incense, leads the guests into a multi-million dollar kitchen. To top off the evening, Chef O’Connell creates his lavish Seven Deadly Sins dessert. Watch as host, Alex Boylan helps Chef O’Connell to prepare this mouth-watering meal for his guests.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is known for many things from the famous steps “Rocky” ran up to the U.S. Liberty Bell, but the city of “Brotherly Love” is also known for its food. While Philly cheese steaks are the most famous of foods found in the city, The Rittenhouse Hotel boasts a world renowned restaurant for even the most discerning of palettes. Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix has been dubbed the “godfather of Philadelphia chefs” and lives up to his name with his combination of the freshest ingredients and a dash of French influence. Journey through the city as host, Alex Boylan and Chef Lacroix track down the freshest ingredients for tonight’s culinary experience at the chef’s table.

We visit Tim Keating, the master chef of Quattro, the American-Italian restaurant located at the Four Seasons Hotel and designed stylishly in modern décor. With contemporary paintings, red walls, and sterling steel accents, this iconic eating establishment warmly welcomes all Houston sophisticates and hungry travelers. Chef Keating believes in serving the freshest cuisine possible, often flavoring his cooking with herbs and spices picked from a local urban garden just hours before the meal. And you won’t believe where he gets his quail! Just ask Mr. Barrett, Houston quail farmer of fifty years. He catches and packages the quail “old school”. It’s no wonder that notable guests such as Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major, and The Dixie Chicks have all dined at his Chef’s Table.

We visit Olivette’s Chef’s table where the food is out of this world at Olivette’s Chef’s table, and some of the guests are too! Host Alex Boylan shares the table with former U.S. astronauts, sampling fine Mediterranean cuisine prepared by Chef Jesse Llapitan. Chef Llapitan draws from the bright flavors of France, Spain, Italy, and northern Africa; then blends them with regional American dishes. Join host Alex Boylan and Master Chef Jesse Llapitan in one of the most chilling experiences you’ll have in Houston. From a visit to Olivette’s herb garden, to the ice carving station in Olivette’s kitchen, this is one chef’s table you definitely won’t want to miss. Fasten up for a tingling culinary experience!

We visit Studio, one of the most distinct fine-dining restaurants in California. Resting atop the hills of Laguna Beach, Studio serves fresh, elegant Mediterranean food. As part of the Montage Resort & Spa, Studio’s design blends in with its counterpart. Luxurious and peaceful, Studio is painted in sand and sea tones, accented with leafy plants, and windows that have the best ocean view! If you’re looking for a place to dine, refresh, and relax, Studio is it. Join host Alex Boylan and classically-trained Chef James Boyce as they prepare a colorful Mediterranean dish. Tag along as they visit an art studio for a custom-blown glass serving dish, created right before their eyes! Then later, meet up with “The Mushroom Lady”, one of the Chef’s dear friends; and help them gather local ingredients for an exquisite feast at Chef’s Table. Oh – this will surely be a dinner that will delight your palate!

We meet Alex Schimgeour is one of Hollywood’s most talked about gourmet chefs, serving 5-star dishes to some of our favorite celebrities. Join host Alex Boylan on a mouth-watering journey to “Alex”, a chic fine-dining restaurant located on the ever-so-hip Melrose St. Here you’ll meet Alex Scrimgeour (whom we affectionately call “Chef Alex”), a Scottish-born, European-trained food connoisseur. Accompany him on a trip to upscale food stores purveying fine-dining ingredients, including his secret seafood spot not open to the public. And then, on to his kitchen! Here you will witness the magic of Chef Alex’s true cooking talent, as he prepares a seafood entrée fit for kings, celebrities, and adventurous restaurant-goers. See him personally serve it at his Chef’s Table, known as Table 33. You won’t want to miss what has the stars lining up at the door of Alex’s!