Curtis Duffy

Chef Curtis Duffy is a world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef and co-owner of Ever restaurant and After bar in Chicago.

Duffy has won numerous accolades. Ever was awarded two stars in the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Michelin Guides, and Duffy’s previous restaurant, Grace, earned three Michelin stars from 2015 to 2018. Before that, Duffy earned two Michelin stars at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago.

In the 2016 documentary For Grace, filmmakers chronicle the creation of Duffy’s former restaurant, Grace, and tell the riveting story of how the chef’s turbulent past shaped the person he is today. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Duffy attended culinary school to escape his life at home and after his parent’s murder-suicide, he left Ohio to work at the legendary Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

After three years at Trotter’s, Duffy accepted a position as Pastry Chef at Trio, where Food & Wine recognized him as Best Innovative Pastry Chef. Duffy went on to work at Alinea and then Avenues before creating the three-Michelin-starred Grace.

Duffy opened Grace in Chicago’s West Loop in December 2012. In 2013, the Robb Report named Grace the best restaurant in the world. Grace earned three stars in the Michelin Guide four years in a row. The 2015 documentary For Grace about Duffy’s life story and his journey to build Grace became a Netflix hit.

In July 2020, Duffy opened Ever restaurant, which has been awarded two Michelin stars five years in a row. In 2022, he opened After lounge, and the following year Esquire named After one of the Best Bars in America.

Duffy appeared as a judge for four seasons (2011–2014) on the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition reality TV show. In 2018 Duffy appeared as a guest judge in the season finale of Top Chef: Colorado. Duffy appeared in Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend in 2022 and as a judge on Season 21 of Top Chef. In 2023, season 2, episode 7 of The Bear was filmed inside Ever. Duffy made and plated the dishes that appear in the episode. In 2024, the season 3 finale of The Bear was filmed inside Ever.

Duffy has been awarded Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating, AAA’s Five-Diamond rating, and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Great Lakes Award in 2016. He sits on the advisory board of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where a $25,000 scholarship in his name is awarded. His culinary and philanthropic efforts led to his induction into the prestigious Disciples d’Escoffier International.

Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef is Duffy’s first book.