20 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 30-MAY 6, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com “Alright guys, it’s 3:18.” There is some urgency to Chef Jonny Black’s tone, but no indication of alarm. He doesn’t even look up from the slab of rib-eye he has been tidying. Clean down—when stations transition from food preparation to service— should have started three minutes earlier, and the schedule is critical. The first dinner guests arrive in less than two hours. Already the chef has checked on progress in the kitchen. “I’m going to have to finish the quail in between turns,” Chef de Cuisine Alex Barkley tells him. On Chez Noir’s menu this particular evening are presentations such as quail with asparagus and morel mushrooms, dressed in a vin jaune sauce, lamb tartare topped with pistachio and Aries cheese or a dessert portion of baba au rhum. The restaurant demands precision—and a rare level of quality. Black is tending to a richly marbled rib-eye cap, the most treasured cut of beef. Sourced from the grass-fed stable at Stemple Creek ranch in Marin County, the meat has been dry-aged for 42 days. To those who find beauty in such things, this is a gorgeous piece. “We had to get on a waiting list for this,” he says. “It’s the same beef used at Chez Panisse”—a reference to the famed three Michelin star haven of Chef Alice Waters. “Anything Alice uses, I’ll use.” The tempo in the kitchen and dining room has picked up. Trays of fried rock cod, orzo in a meat sauce, roasted vegetables and a salad are being set for the staff meal, scheduled at 3:30pm. Hiccups are common in the restaurant world, so three minutes behind schedule amounts to nothing. Friday had been different. That morning, the compressor keeping the walk-in cooler at temperature failed, sending the team scrambling to secure dry ice. So the attention to details down to the minute is important. Disasters big and small lurk throughout the day. But, says Chez Noir Assistant General Manager Jenna Dahlquist, “The system itself is pretty reliable.” To earn a Michelin star, the daily routine needs to be. Chez Noir earned its Michelin star in 2023, a year after opening, and has kept it ever since. The Carmel restaurant is one of just two Michelinstarred establishments in Monterey County—Aubergine, also in Carmel, has two—and 85 in California. The honor is bestowed upon restaurants operating at a level that sets them apart. Chef Black and his wife Monique— also a food service professional with experience in the kitchen and front of the house—came to restaurant ownership with impressive resumes. They worked at legendary destinations from New York to the Bay Area such as Quince, Atelier Crenn and Pineapple & Pearls. But Chez Noir immediately ran into trouble. The restaurant opened in October On just another Monday, the team at Chez Noir forage, plan and cook at a Michelin star level. By Dave Faries STAR BRIGHT Left: On a recent Monday morning, Chef Jonny Black of Chez Noir treads over a rocky flow to inspect watercress, which he will collect for use at the restaurant. Black forages carefully, selecting which stems to cut and which to leave untouched. Below: Chef Black collects nasturtium from a plot south of Carmel. He uses both the flowers and seeds, the latter to preserve into capers. Because of the availability of edible plants, he says Monterey County “is the best place to cook.” Photos by Daniel Dreifuss
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