Born in New Jersey in 1964 and trained at Tulane University, Le Bernardin and Chez Panisse, Michael Tusk opened Quince in 2003. Now crowned with three Michelin stars and a James Beard Award (2011), the restaurant is a beacon of California cuisine with Italian roots.
Raised on the US East Coast, Tusk studied art history at Tulane University before moving to San Francisco, staging at Stars under Jeremiah Tower and later cooking at Chez Panisse and Oliveto, where he forged close ties with Northern California producers.
After further experience in France and Italy—including time in Emilia-Romagna trattorias—he opened Quince with his wife Lindsay in 2003, relocating the restaurant to Jackson Square in 2009. Since 2016 Quince has held three Michelin stars, reconfirmed in the 2025 Guide.
Tusk added sister venues Cotogna (2010) and the wine bar Verjus (2018), all united by a contemporary Italian sensibility built on biodynamic vegetables, fresh pasta and products from small Californian farms.
The James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef: Pacific in 2011 for “modernist interpretations of Italian tradition and exemplary local sourcing.”
Today he leads an in-house research team exploring coastal-herb ferments, California heritage grains and pasture-raised meats, all showcased in a 2024 redesign of Quince that embraces material minimalism.
