In today's episode, we chat with Philip Tessier, an award-winning chef, author, coach, culinary partner and innovator.  He was the first American chef to ever place on the podium at the biennial Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, France, and coached the 2017 U.S. team to a gold-medal victory, a journey that he recounts in his book: Chasing Bocuse.

Philip began his training in the kitchen at a young age while growing up in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was interested and motivated to learn new techniques and taste new things, so his curiosity often led him to the library searching for cookbooks with exotic recipes. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and after graduation, to sought out the best kitchens of France, New York and California to hone his craft. Over the course of three decades, Tessier worked at some of the world’s most renowned restaurants including Roger Verge’s Le Moulin de Mougins, Eric Ripert’s Le Bernadin, as well as Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Bouchon and The French Laundry. It was at The French Laundry that Tessier began to train for the pinnacle of culinary achievement, the Olympics of the food world: the Bocuse d’Or.

Listen as we chat with Philip about the road to Bocuse d'Or, building a strong culinary team, and the three principles that guide his work.