Grant Achatz's time at Trio, from 2001 to 2004, is the subject of Next's latest menu, but if Achatz got his start as a head chef there, Trio didn't start with Achatz by a long shot. The Evanston restaurant was already ranked among the most creative and innovative fine dining restaurants in the Chicago area—along with Charlie Trotter's, Ambria, Cafe Provencal, Carlos, and others of its day—and the job Achatz got was open because it had just lost Shawn McClain (Spring, Green Zebra), who'd replaced Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand when they left to start Tru.…
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