2 minute read
More than a Chef
More than a Chef
The stories of Chef Suzette Gresham and Acquerello
by: CARY WONG
A standard-bearer for Italian cuisine in San Francisco, Acquerello first opened its doors in 1989. And Chef Suzette Gresham has been running the kitchen since day one. When visiting the restaurant, guests not only enjoy great food but they also get a taste of the warmth of Italian hospitality.
The sommeliers, wine service, food pairing, chefs, and servers are all knowledgeable and kind. The meal costs less than the flight to Italy but guests can still live “La Dolce Vita” for an hour or three.
In 2007, the restaurant picked up a Michelin star, and in 2014, its second. This puts Chef Gresham in elite company as one of only three female chefs in the United States to hold two stars. As entrenched as she is within the world of Italian food, her background actually came from another European country—France.
Chef Gresham’s grandmother came to the United States in 1906 (she went through Ellis Island, New York and travelled down to New Orleans), and Chef Gresham’s mother was born in San Francisco in 1919. Although staunchly proud to be Americans, they brought along the French tradition of treasuring great food.
“(My mother) was growing vegetables, that's where she came from. She grew great vegetables, and we ate really well and I was a recipient of all that,” she says. “And I didn't realize that not everybody else knew that or had that foundation. We always thought (getting) fresh herbs is just going outside the kitchen door and picking some. Or tomatoes were in the backyard. Or we canned some apricots in the summertime.”
Even though that mentality and philosophy runs in the family, she did not originally plan on working in the kitchen. Being immigrants, Chef Gresham’s family wanted a stable life for her. In school, she was interested in oceanography, social psychology, and the arts.
However, when she started working in a cafeteria, she was as happy as a clam. Back then, women were not expected to work in professional kitchens. Her manager, however, insisted she should take this path. And that was the pivotal point that made her stop and think maybe she had a chance and maybe there was a glimmer of hope.
She started at a restaurant with two chefs. One was a Jewish gentleman, who took her under his wing. The other was a German gentleman. Their fighting was hysterical to her. At the same time, they taught her how to be pragmatic and how to be intellectual. As a result, she was able to put both together to become a great chef.
Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/troora_san_francisco_2021_pages/114
