Dominique Crenn is an internationally renowned culinary icon. Her talent has captured the attention of the gastronomic world. She began her career in the United States and earned Three MICHELIN Stars and a Green MICHELIN Star for her restaurant "Atelier Crenn." She has received numerous awards and recognition for her creative and poetic cuisine.
Dominique Crenn was born in 1965 in Locronan, France, where she was adopted at the age of 18 months by a French couple from Versailles along with her older brother, Jean Christophe. Her mother, an adventurous cook with a discerning palate, introduced her to a wide range of international cuisines, while her father, a politician, took her to dine at renowned MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in the company of his friend, a food critic for Le Télégramme. During her childhood summers, Dominique spent time at the family farm in Brittany. All this greatly contributed to the development of the chef's unique taste.
Dominique decided to pursue a degree in economics and a master's degree in international business before embarking on her career.
In the 1980s, Dominique Crenn moved to San Francisco, United States, following her passion for cooking. Her career began at "Stars," a renowned restaurant run by the celebrated chef Jeremiah Tower. After two years, she moved on, working in various restaurants such as "Campton Place," "2223 Market," and "Yoyo Bistro" at the "Miyako Hotel." She later held the position of head chef at the restaurant of the "Intercontinental Hotel" in Jakarta, becoming the first woman to assume such a role in Indonesia. However, due to the civil unrest of 1998, she was forced to leave the country.
Upon returning to the United States, Dominique Crenn became the executive chef at the "Manhattan Country Club" in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, and later at the "Abode Restaurant and Lounge" in Santa Monica, California. In 2008, she accepted a new challenge and joined the team at San Francisco's "Luce" restaurant.
Dominique Crenn has appeared on various television programs. In 2009, she participated in "The Next Iron Chef," finishing in seventh place overall in the competition, and the following year, she won the challenge against chef Michael Symon in an episode of "Iron Chef America."
In 2011, Dominique realized a dream by opening her restaurant, "Atelier Crenn," in San Francisco, California. In its opening year, the MICHELIN Guide awarded the restaurant one star, and it received a second star in 2012, making Crenn the first female chef in the United States to receive such recognition.
In addition to Atelier Crenn, Dominique has opened other successful restaurants. "Petit Crenn," opened in 2015, draws inspiration from the flavors of her childhood in Brittany. In 2016, she announced the opening of "Bar Crenn," an elegant wine bar with a small kitchen, which earned a MICHELIN Star in its first year of operation.
That same year, Dominique received the "Best Female Chef" award at the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards. Her extraordinary career was also featured in the second season of the Netflix series "Chef's Table."
In 2018, Crenn became the first female chef in the United States to receive Three MICHELIN Stars, solidifying her culinary excellence and surpassing her own record. The same year, she received the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Western region of the United States. In 2019, Dominique announced her engagement to actress Maria Bello.
The reputation of "Atelier Crenn" further grew with the achievement of a Green MICHELIN Star for sustainability. In 2021, Dominique received the World's 50 Best Icon award and was selected to be part of the creative team for the dark comedy film titled "The Menu," for which she created the dishes presented in the movie. In 2022, Crenn appeared once again as an Iron Chef in the Netflix show "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend."
