First Woman with 3 Michelin Stars Now Farms

A Journey of Reinvention and Regenerative Farming

Chef Dominique Crenn has long been known for her innovative approach to cuisine. Her San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn, earned its first Michelin Star just a year after opening in October 2011. In 2012, she made history as the first female chef in the U.S. to receive two Michelin stars, and in 2018, she surpassed herself by achieving three stars. These accomplishments are not just milestones but reflections of her relentless pursuit of excellence.

In recent years, Crenn has shifted her focus to something more grounded and meaningful: the soil. Her latest endeavor, Bleu Belle Farm, is located in the Sonoma Valley and provides seasonal produce, herbs, and flowers to her Bay Area restaurants. However, for Crenn, this venture goes beyond supply chain logistics. It represents a deeper philosophy centered on sustainability, care, and connection to the land.

Regenerative Farming and Creative Expression

Bleu Belle Farm plays a central role in Crenn’s culinary vision. The farm, situated just north of San Francisco in Sonoma County, serves as a collaborator rather than a mere resource. By employing regenerative farming practices, Crenn focuses on restoring soil health, promoting biodiversity, and aligning with the natural rhythms of the seasons. This approach encourages a slower, more observant way of working, fostering a creative process that feels intuitive and poetic.

Contrary to common misconceptions, regenerative farming is not restrictive. Instead, it allows ingredients like walnuts, tomatoes, flowering herbs, and delicate greens to guide the menu. This method transforms the kitchen into a space where creativity is not imposed but revealed, offering a unique and evolving narrative through each dish.

Storytelling Through Food

Crenn believes that every menu tells a story. At Atelier Crenn, each dish is a verse in a larger poem, reflecting themes such as land, sea, memory, and emotion. Menus often begin with a poem that sets an emotional tone, creating a deeply personal experience for diners. Whether it's a menu inspired by the springtime landscape of Bleu Belle or one that reflects a journey across oceans, food becomes a medium for translation—turning emotions and experiences into something edible, ephemeral, and moving.

Translating Grief and Connection into Flavor

Crenn has also used her menus to honor personal moments, including the loss of her mother and the experience of mentoring a young girl through cancer. She sees grief, joy, longing, and hope as having distinct textures that can be captured on the plate. Rather than recreating her own experiences, she aims to invite diners to find their own meaning in the flavors and arrangements. This approach transforms food into a sensory conversation, allowing for shared reflection and emotional resonance.

Food as Medicine

After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2019, Crenn began viewing food as a form of medicine. This shift influenced both her personal life and her restaurants. At Atelier Crenn, she incorporated more whole, healing ingredients such as roots, sea vegetables, and ferments. At Bleu Belle Farm, she planted more medicinal herbs and nourishing greens. On a personal level, she embraced stillness, community, and presence, allowing joy to return to the table.

A Collaborative Kitchen Culture

The kitchen at Atelier Crenn is known for its collaborative and intentional environment. Crenn has restructured the kitchen to prioritize dialogue over hierarchy, replacing fear and ego with trust, vulnerability, and mutual respect. This approach encourages everyone to contribute ideas, pause when needed, and question assumptions. The result is a more honest and soulful outcome, where the act of cooking transcends mere food preparation to become a form of meaningful creation.

Holistic Care in Professional Kitchens

Crenn has taken a more holistic approach to running her kitchens, incorporating elements like meditation and staff well-being. For her, care is not an afterthought but the foundation of everything. It involves listening, leading with empathy, and creating space for each person to feel fully human. This includes conversations about mental health, everyday gestures like checking in on team members, and celebrating small victories. A kitchen should be a sanctuary for creativity, not a place of conflict.

Recognition and Legacy

In 2018, Crenn became the first woman in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars. While this recognition was significant, it is not the core of what she does. For Crenn, the true measure of success lies in how she treats her team, the impact she makes on the world, and her ongoing efforts to challenge the narrative. These values, she says, are the real work—and the work she is most proud of.