Charlie Palmer always knew he wanted to be successful and “be someone,” he says. As a child growing up in Smyrna, Palmer says his father always told him he could do whatever he aspired to do and as Palmer entered high school, he found that what he really wanted to do was cook.
Palmer says he always had an interest in cooking, and it was when he took home economics in high school in Sherburne he realized his life journey was about to start.
“I was probably one of the first guys to want to take home economics, but I was interested in it. I also made a bunch of my football friends take it with me,” said Palmer.
After staying upstate directly after graduation and working in restaurants as a dishwasher or kitchen assistant, Palmer wanted to fulfill his dream of going to The Culinary Institute of America. Once he completed college, he moved to New York City and in a matter of a weekend he got settled in an apartment in Manhattan and started a new job. He worked at La Cote Basque in mid-town, among other established restaurants; oftentimes he says he worked more than one job when he was getting started.
He traveled to Westchester and then to Brooklyn, where he worked as the chef at River Cafe. Over his four-year stay with River Cafe, Palmer started planning his own restaurant and laying the foundation to become an entrepreneur.
Palmer opened his first restaurant, Aureole, a three star restaurant in mid-town Manhattan, in 1988. Over time, Palmer has grown his business immensely and currently owns nine restaurants and/or hotel establishments, making a name for himself nation-wide.
The Smyrna native is one of the most highly-regarded chefs in America today. He has received critical acclaim for his signature “Progressive American” cuisine, a style built on intense flavors and unexpected combinations with a deep and lasting infusion of classical French cuisine.
Palmer’s restaurants include, Charlie Palmer’s Métrazur (which overlooks the main concourse at Grand Central Terminal in New York City); Aureole at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Charlie Palmer Steak at The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas; and Dry Creek Kitchen, located in the Palmer-owned boutique Hotel Healdsburg in Sonoma, Calif. and Kitchen 22, an intimate neighborhood restaurant in the Flatiron section of New York City. In addition, he owns and operates midtown Manhattan’s Astra, a café by day and impressive catering location at night and weekends. In May of 2003, he headed south and opened Charlie Palmer Steakhouse along Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and in June of 2003, he formally began presiding over the menu creations and catering of The Sterling Club at Turnberry Place, an exclusive residential community just off the Strip in Las Vegas.
Between his time traveling and overseeing various business ventures, Palmer and his wife Lisa raised four sons. Both being business-minded, Lisa has recently started a home furnishings venture called Limestone, in Healdsburg, where the family primarily resides.
Traveling is one aspect of the life Palmer leads that he says is one of the greatest parts. He says he enjoys going to see different places and seeing the sights. Palmer also stated that one of the things he likes best about what he does is seeing the young talent come alive in his kitchens and to see chefs leave his establishment and go on to create their own masterpieces. Charlie Palmer is also the author of four cookbooks, “Great American Food,” “Charlie Palmer’s Casual Cooking,” “The Art of Aureole” and “Charlie Palmer’s Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen.”

Editor’s Note: People in the Chenango community perform extraordinary feats under extraordinary circumstances every day. Oftentimes they go unnoticed or unappreciated; “Chenango Stories” puts the spotlight on those people whose compelling stories you might not otherwise hear. If you know someone who is interested in telling their “Chenango Story,” contact Jill Osterhout at 337-3075 or e-mail: josterhout@evesun.com.