When he was growing up, Charlie Mitchell was surrounded by food.

Both my grandmothers on each side are from south.

So, collie greens, mac and cheese, ribs, fried chicken, all those things. I was just that

grand kid who was always around and wanted to be in the kitchen and wanted to be in the

mix. At the age of 20 he landed his first job in a kitchen, a little bar and grill in Detroit.

It was a good place to learn the ropes, but he had bigger ambitions.

He wanted to work in a kitchen that valued discipline and professionalism.

So he googled best restaurants in Metro Detroit and found a fine dining restaurant in the suburbs.

When I walked in there, I was like, I knew it was the right place

because I was so uncomfortable, so intimidated.

I didn't know nothing that was going on.

They have their own knives.

It was intense, you know, and I'm like, okay, this is what I like.

Mitchell worked there for three years.

Then he eventually found his way to New York City,

where he ascended the ranks of prestigious eateries.

In 2021, he was brought on as a co-owner and executive

chef at Clover Hill, a restaurant in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. It serves

dishes like Spanish bluefin tuna,

Ocetra caviar and dry-aged squab.

As Mitchell built Cloverhill, he was driven by one aim,

to win a mark of excellence that many chefs aspire to but very few attain.

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