ABOUT CURTIS DUFFY

World-renowned, James Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef, Curtis Duffy.

Chef Curtis Duffy is a world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef and the visionary co-owner of Ever and After, two acclaimed culinary destinations in Chicago.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Duffy studied culinary arts at Ohio State University, earning an Associate Degree in Applied Science. He launched his career at the legendary Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, where he honed his craft over three formative years.

Duffy then joined the acclaimed Trio in Evanston, IL as Pastry Chef, earning national recognition from Food & Wine as Best Innovative Pastry Chef. It was at Trio where he met Chef Grant Achatz. The two would go on to open the renowned Alinea in 2004 where Duffy served as the original Chef de Cuisine. In 2008, he left Alinea to lead the kitchen at Avenues in The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, where he earned two Michelin stars.

A unique dish from Ever Restaurant as created by Chef Curtis Duffy.

In December 2012, Duffy opened his own restaurant, Grace, in Chicago’s West Loop. The restaurant quickly gained international praise, with Robb Report naming it Best Restaurant in the World 2013. Riding high on Grace’s success, Duffy received the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Great Lakes Award 2016. Grace earned three Michelin stars for four consecutive years before closing its doors in 2017. Duffy’s journey to build Grace was chronicled in the hit documentary For Grace, released on Netflix in 2015.

After the unforeseen closure of Grace, Duffy began work on his next culinary project, Ever. Despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ever opened in July 2020 and has since received two Michelin stars annually since 2021. In 2022, Duffy expanded with After, a stylish bar with a hard rock edge located next door to Ever, which Esquire named one of the Best Bars in America in 2023. Building on that momentum, he launched The Canvas by Ever, a customizable space for hosting elegant and unforgettable events.

Duffy has also appeared widely on television, serving as a judge on the Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition (2011–2014), a guest judge on Top Chef: Colorado (2018), and a featured chef on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend (2022). In 2023, he was a guest judge on Top Chef Season 21. Both Ever and After were filming locations for The Bear Season 2 (episodes 4 and 7), with Duffy personally creating and plating every dish on screen. The show returned to Ever for the Season 3 finale in 2024.

Duffy sits on the advisory board of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, which awards a $25,000 scholarship in his name. His culinary achievements and philanthropic efforts earned him induction into the prestigious Disciples d’Escoffier International.

His first book Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef, co-written with Jeremy Wagner, made the USA Today Best-selling Booklist in 2025.

Duffy splits his time between Chicago and Miami with his wife, Jennifer, and their respective children.

Chef Curtis Duffy in Ever Restaurant's garden.
Chef Curtis Duffy inside Ever Restaurant
Chef Curtis Duffy

AWARDS & ACCOLADES