Today on Chef’s Story, Matthew Lightner comes in to talk about his journey to becoming an executive chef at Atera, New York City. Together with host Dorothy Hamilton, Matthew takes us through his journey growing up in the Midwest, moving to Portland, Oregon at the age of 18, looking for work in various restaurants in Spain and San Diego, and eventually opening his restaurant, Atera, in New York City. Beginning as a dishwasher in Oregon, he talks about learning his craft at Noma in Spain, and gaining experience from working in restaurants around the world. At Atera, Matthew’s culinary excellence is displayed in his influences from L’Auberge Del Mar (Del Mar, California), Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain), and Noma (Copenhagen). In 2010, Matt was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs in America”, received nominations for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in both 2010 and 2011, and was included in Restaurant Hospitality’s list of “10 Chefs to Watch” in 2010. Tune-in to learn more about his style of cooking, and the influences behind his specialty dishes at his restaurant. Today’s episode has been sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

“The meal needs to tell a story.” [38:15]

— Matthew Lightner on Chef’s Story

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