“Working for the Michelin Guide is like working for the CIA,” proclaims one anonymous inspector in the exhilarating trailer for Apple TV+’s forthcoming docuseries Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars.
The eight-part series, out Oct. 10, takes viewers into the kitchens of some of the world’s most esteemed restaurants as they work to earn—or retain—a coveted Michelin star. Chicagoans might notice a familiar eatery featured prominently on the show: Esmé.
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Husband-and-wife team chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo opened Esmé on the corner of Clark Street and Webster Avenue in 2021 before quickly earning a Michelin star the following year (they’ve since retained it) for its innovative rotating tasting menu inspired by an evolving cast of local artists. The series spotlights the well-oiled machine that is Esmé as they prepare to learn if they’ll keep their star or if they’re able to earn a second when Michelin announces the results on Nov. 18.
Produced by Gordon Ramsay, Knife Edge offers a raw and rare look at the nail-biting pressures these restaurants face each day, knowing that any one of their guests may be a Michelin inspector. A trio of anonymous inspectors shares classified insights into the mystified process they use to judge restaurants while remaining anonymous, like making reservations under fake names and phone numbers.
Michelin-starred Uptown restaurant Cariño, which was just named one of the 50 best restaurants in the U.S., and the Ukrainian Village’s farm-to-table spot Feld, recently crowned one of the country’s best new restaurants, also get screen time.
There are plenty of “yes, chef” chants, emotionally-driven exchanges and crushing lows as the world’s best chefs strive for the restaurant world’s highest honor.