
Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee on leaving Las Vegas and a Michelin star behind to cook their own way in Traverse City, Michigan
From Culinary Characters Unlocked by Culinary Characters Unlocked
March 31, 2026 · 38 min
About this episode
Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee discuss their journey from Las Vegas to Traverse City, focusing on local ingredients and their culinary vision.
Chefs Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee met in the kitchen of an haute cuisine landmark in Las Vegas. After winning a Michelin star there, the friends decided to move on to open a place of their own. They chose the town Jennifer grew up in, Traverse City, Michigan where Eric says the bounty of local ingredients is second only to California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Guests: Eric Patterson, Jennifer Blakeslee
Topics covered
- cooking
- Michelin star
- local ingredients
- Traverse City
- chefs
- Las Vegas
Keywords
- chefs
- Michelin star
- Traverse City
- Las Vegas
- local ingredients
- cooking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Michelin
Places: Las Vegas, Traverse City, California
More episodes of Culinary Characters Unlocked
- Foraging chef /owner David Jackman of a Bon Appétit 2025 Best New Restaurant · June 9, 2026 · 43 min
- Chef Ellie Parker on winning Hell’s Kitchen and her new job as an Executive Chef for Gordon Ramsey · June 2, 2026 · 46 min
- Chef Matthew Timoszyk on his year-long quest to cook dishes from almost every country on earth · May 26, 2026 · 33 min
- Chef Christina Theofilos on opening a Greek restaurant and bakery with no culinary background at all and then being singled out for a Michelin Guide award · May 19, 2026 · 36 min
- Double Episode – Third generation owner Dino Figaretti on his James Beard award winning Italian restaurant and importer Nate Bradley answers every question about olive oil · May 12, 2026 · 43 min
- Husband and wife Johnny and Kasie Curiel on building a Michelin-star-winning restaurant empire in the blink of an eye · May 5, 2026 · 39 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Culinary Characters Unlocked podcast page.