The first Black male chef-restaurateur to earn a Michelin star, Charlie Mitchell is transforming the culinary landscape.
Whether you appreciate fine dining or view it as an extravagance where you pay a premium for petite portions, the industry undeniably offers delicious advantages. With its focus on lavish ambiance, impeccable service, and creative menus, fine dining often challenges conventional culinary perceptions while redefining luxury. Fortunately, the landscape is evolving with the entry of Charlie Mitchell,
Still a young chef himself, Mitchell’s culinary journey continues to evolve. “I’m still trying to find identity in food and in my cuisine. But I think just finding a way to be myself and put my perspective and my viewpoint on food and everything on a plate is the challenge,” he shares. “I wasn’t trying to be an old French guy. Like, I’m not. I’m a younger Black dude. Embracing that and being unapologetic about it is something that I’ve found is necessary.”
That includes the approach to Clover Hill’s menu; Mitchell and his partners took an intentional yet down-to-earth approach to disrupting the fine dining experience.
“We felt like there are not many fine restaurants out in the States that are relaxing and inviting; we felt like fine dining sometimes is too pretentious,” he explains. “We felt like you could have really expensive ingredients cooked perfectly and really great wine, but you can also hear good music and be in a place where you can laugh and joke and talk and have a good time, you know?
Photo: Courtesy of Chef Charlie Mitchell
“We felt like most fine dining restaurants, you’re kind of at their mercy,” he continues. “You worry about what you’re gonna wear. You don’t wanna drop your fork on the floor and be embarrassed, and you feel uncomfortable, so we wanted to really strip all that away … just because the menu is $400 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel comfortable and welcomed.”
Of course, $400 meals are not within everyone’s reach. While Mitchell and the Clover Hill team endeavor to create memorable experiences that make their diner feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth, he also shares advice for creating elevated culinary experiences at home.
“Research whatever you’re cooking, number one. If you’re not comfortable, follow a recipe,” he says. “One of my tips I always say is, if you’re cooking protein and stuff like that, buying a thermometer is a great investment. I think that’s something that home cooks overlook a lot … investing in a thermometer to [test] your proteins will change your entire meal. If the salmon or chicken or beef is perfectly cooked, it’s hard for the meal not to be good.”
Then, there’s the atmosphere. “Drink a lot of wine and play music,” he says. “I think cooking is more fun if you’re good at it. If you’re good at it, you’ll enjoy it more. If you want to be a good cook, then learning a little bit about food will change the way you feel about cooking. And then, just like entertaining whenever you want .. [If] you’re cooking for a guest, set the vibe right, and it’ll all be a lot more fun.”
“[Intentional cooking] is important, and that’s what we try to teach [at Clover Hill],” he later explains. “I try to look at it from the sense of really understanding the craft of cooking and really understanding what you’re doing and being very intentional about how you treat ingredients. That’s gonna impact the flavor and the outcome it has on it. … It starts there before it gets to the plate. That’s something that we try to cultivate here in the culture of the food.
According to Mitchell, intention is the secret sauce behind Clover Hill’s runaway success. “As a team, we create an ambiance, and we create a vibe, but also when we create the food, we’re very intentional about how we think it’s gonna come across,” he says. “You’re trying to think about the feeling people have when they eat the food — making sure the flavors, the textures, the temperatures are there.
“So to me, that’s what sets it apart … We put so much thought into all of this s–t, and it’s so intentional that it comes together in a package that is very refined, luxurious, and elegant,” he adds. “It’s great ingredients that we treat very well, but the biggest thing is how much thought and intentionality goes into it. I think that’s what creates the fine dining vibe.”
As the new year approaches, many of us may be contemplating lifestyle adjustments or other resolutions. For Mitchell, the intention for 2024 is to cement Clover Hill’s place among the nation’s finest restaurants.
“[M]y goal is just really trying to continue to have this place be a destination restaurant and for people to see it as a staple,” he tells theGrio. “It’s not an institution yet … but the goal is for us to show people that this is a very special restaurant and for me to continue being a better chef and learning and growing a brand.
As for us diners, Mitchell advises being more adventurous in the new year. “I think sometimes you have to be open-minded,” he says. “Maybe it’s ordering a drink or ingredient you never heard of, or maybe it’s trying a dish that you may not be the most comfortable with because as chefs and bartenders, it’s our job to make these ingredients in a way that you wouldn’t. So just be a little more open-minded whenever you’re going out to dinner,” he suggests, adding, “If you hate it, send it back.”
Noel Cymone Walker is an NYC-based writer specializing in beauty, fashion, music, travel, and cultural anthropology. She has written and produced visuals for several notable publications such as The Recording Academy/The Grammys, The Fader, Billboard, OkayPlayer, Marie Claire, Glamour, Allure, Essence, Ebony, and more.
