www.montereycountynow.com APRIL 30-MAY 6, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 21 2022, late in the season. Winter brought a series of storms, with power outages lasting several days. “I didn’t think we’d make it,” Black observes. “Nobody knew us.” The chef’s introduction to Monterey County was a stint at the exclusive Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. Although he received little public attention, Black’s time at the resort put him in contact with local farmers and ranchers. When the pandemic clamped tourism, he served as a private chef. With many restaurants shuttered, Black readily made relationships with local fishermen. Again, however, he was out of the public eye. “It saved us,” Black says of the Michelin star. Clearly the award carries some clout. Yet perception of its value is also changing. Over the past 25 years, a few internationally-recognized chefs such as Sébastien Bras, Philippe Gaertner and Marco Pierre White, among others, decided either to ignore the stars presented to their restaurants or simplify their concepts to deter Michelin attention. Most cited the pressure of maintaining service standards to keep the stars, since losing a star is akin to a demotion held before the culinary public. Over the same span, diners have been leaning toward a more casual vibe. With recession, refined takes on comfort dishes—meatloaf, mac and cheese—have become trendy. Chez Noir’s sous chef, Tyler Gore, has spent the past 15 years cooking at Michelin star kitchens. He says the job at fine dining restaurants is to prepare dishes at a high level and offer flawless service. “Once you’ve honed it in, it’s not hard to get a star,” he says. “But it’s getting to that point that is.” The team at Chez Noir has its system: The highest-quality ingredients, proper technique, creative presentation, warm hospitality and working as a team to those ends. “One star is where it’s at,” Black says. “It keeps the restaurant fun.” He invited the Weekly to observe behind-the-scenes for a day to report what it takes to meld that fun with the discipline required to earn (and keep) a Michelin star. The day begins at 6:30am, even though the first dinner reservations are at 5pm. On most mornings, Black stops in to make coffee and brief the prep staff before heading out to markets or to forage on his own. Monday is different. A lot of prep work has been completed and the morning crew’s chores include readying for Thursday. So Black has the opportunity to take his kids to school before hopping into his pickup. It’s shortly after 10am, somewhere south of Carmel toward Big Sur. The chef steps quickly down a muddy trail into a ravine, toting two empty crates. As the narrow valley opens to the Pacific Ocean, dense vegetation gives way to a rugged patch of boulders. This is not a leisurely stroll, so Black sets to work immediately. He kneels next to crops of watercress next to pools of freshwater that The pace of work in the kitchen picks up dramatically in the early afternoon. The morning team starts at 6:30am. Near left: Chef de Cuisine Alex Barkley and cook Quinn Thompson flank Black, attending to their tasks. Below: Staff members, including Jetzemani Perez, begin arranging the dining room and kitchen for service two hours before the restaurant opens for guests.
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