Charlie Palmer
By: Simon
July 19, 2026 | Updated: July 22, 2026
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Charlie Palmer (born 1959) is an American chef, hospitality entrepreneur, hotelier, and author. He is best known for Aureole, his flagship restaurant in New York City and Las Vegas, which has earned 15 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards. Considered a “pioneer of progressive American cooking,” Palmer has received more than 20 Michelin stars throughout his career.
Early Life and Training
Charlie Palmer proudly admits that he has never been shy when it comes to ambition. While some chefs prefer to remain within the domain of their own kitchens, Palmer is both entrepreneur and cook. Born in Smyrna, New York, he discovered that he liked cooking in high school when a home economics teacher persuaded him to enroll in her course in exchange for all the food he could eat. After high school, Palmer studied briefly at the Culinary Institute of America.
Career
In 1988, Palmer opened Aureole in a historic townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, showcasing regional American ingredients. Its initial two-star rating proved an immense disappointment to Palmer, but one that was overcome by subsequent successes, including a New York Times three-star rating. Aureole has become renowned for such dishes as Palmer’s signature sea scallops sandwiched in crisp waffled potato chips.
Palmer’s restaurant group has expanded to include acclaimed establishments across the United States, including locations in New York, Washington D.C., Reno, Napa, and Healdsburg, California. His portfolio includes the Michelin-starred Aureole, as well as more casual concepts.
Awards and Recognition
- 15 Michelin stars for Aureole
- 2 James Beard Awards
- Over 20 Michelin stars across all concepts
- Named a “pioneer of progressive American cooking”
Philosophy
Influenced by his upstate New York childhood experience working in his family’s vegetable garden, Charlie Palmer was an early advocate of farm over factory food. A firm believer in using local products in his cooking, he once bought into Peekskill’s Egg Farm Dairy, which now supplies his restaurants with top quality butter and cheeses. As Palmer himself says, “I think it’s terrible that the U.S., the largest dairy producer in the world, is not the highest quality producer.”
Charlie Palmer Video
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