Clover Hill’s Charlie Mitchell wins James Beard for New York’s best chef

By Andrew Tobia

Charlie Mitchell, executive chef of Clover Hill, has been named Best Chef in New York State in the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The James Beard Awards, recognizing leaders in the culinary arts since 1990, is one of the most prestigious honors in the food world, the Oscars of the food world. Winning one indicates that a chef or establishment goes above and beyond in search of quality, sustainability, equitability and more. Mitchell was the only New York City winner at the June 10 ceremony at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago. You can see the full list here.

Clover Hill is a tiny, 20-seat restaurant nestled on an unassuming residential street near the Brooklyn Heights waterfront. The humble facade belies its renown, and that of Chef Mitchell.

Born in Detroit, Mitchell picked up his passion for food and cooking at home with his grandmother. His career has spanned local spots in Michigan, major institutions like Eleven Madison Park, and the two Michelin starred Jont in Washington D.C.

Mitchell, whose plans to move to Norway were tanked by the pandemic, was working in Tribeca when he was tapped by Clover Hill co-owner Clay Castillo — who was looking to reopen after shuttering during the pandemic — for the executive chef role.

“It was about taking a new approach to fine dining, making it more us and a little bit more Brooklyn as well,” Mitchell told Interview magazine in January. “We wanted to really cover hospitality from all angles, and we felt like there was a void in fine dining. There was no place that had great service and great food and great music, that wasn’t pretentious, that was comfortable and hospitable.”

The first year after reopening, Mitchell received a Michelin Young Chef Award and Clover Hill was awarded a Michelin Star, making Mitchell the only Black chef in the city with a Michelin star, and one of only two in the country. Last year he was nominated for a James Beard Award for Emerging Chef.

The menu epitomizes fine dining. Stunningly plated, hyper-seasonal French- and New American-inspired dishes that balance simplicity and complexity.

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Of course, simply being nominated for a James Beard award is an honor in and of itself. Though Mitchell was the only chef in the city to take home top honors this year, he was one of six other Brooklyn-based 2024 nominees — all winners in our book. Here’s a closer look at all of them.

Best Chef: New York State

Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh
Nasim Alikhani always dreamed of opening a restaurant, even before moving to the U.S. from Iran as a college student in 1983.

But, as is so often the case, other things got in the way, and she didn’t get around to opening Sofreh — nestled at the end of a quiet residential street in Prospect Heights just a few blocks north of Prospect Park — until June 2018 at the age of 59.

“I don’t think there is any bigger honor than this,” says Alikhani of her nomination. “I’m the first Iranian, and the first Iranian woman, to be nominated. I’m really proud of that.”

Jeremey Salamon, Agi’s Counter
“It’s been a whirlwind of a few months,” says Agi’s Counter owner and chef Jeremy Salamon of the James Beard Nomination. “It’s nice to be recognized, because I think recognition feels good to anybody. Especially in this industry.”
Agi’s Counter is named for Salamon’s grandmother. He describes the restaurant as “a culmination of family history… A hodgepodge of New York Jewish and Eastern European influences,” he says.

The menu is exactly as Salamon describes it — a mishmash of Eastern European (specifically Hungarian) and New York Jewish staples, wholesome comfort food that’s been thoughtfully, respectfully elevated.

Ayo Balogun, Dept of Culture
Nigeria-born Ayo Balogun opened Dept of Culture in December 2021, but its roots are in the popup dinner series that he started in 2001.

“I had to think of a different way to build a restaurant because nobody was going to invest in African food,” says Balogun.

Balogun’s restaurant is a coursed, communal table and a deep dive into the food North Central Nigeria, where he’s from.

“We’re a restaurant that focuses on a specific region of a specific country,” says Balogun.

“I hope people from other places see Dept of Culture and are inspired by it,” Balogun says. “We can all do this with pop-up planning and clever execution.”

Calvin Eng, Bonnie’s
Calvin Eng was born and raised in Brooklyn, a first generation American born to Chinese immigrant parents.
“I grew up trying to be as American as possible,” Eng writes on the Bonnie’s website, sharing an impulse surely familiar to many children of immigrants. “But I’m finally embracing the culture that I once rejected growing up.”

At Bonnie’s, you’ll find an eclectic menu shaped by Eng’s Brooklyn upbringing. “I spent weeknights at home eating very traditional Chinese meals whipped up by my mom,” he says, “and weekends eating at friend’s homes who cooked very different dishes.”

The result is a playful menu that knows how good it is but manages to avoid taking itself too seriously.

Luis Herrera, Ensenada
Ensenada is Spanish for “cove” or “inlet.” A suiting name for the heavily seafood-focused Mexican restaurant, opened in 2022, by chef Luis Herrera.

Herrera and Ensenada have garnered plenty of accolades since opening, but the James Beard Award nomination came as a surprise. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it,” Herrera says. “I’m definitely honored. But for me, what meant the most was being on the list with so many friends and colleagues.”

The menu at Ensanada is almost exclusively seafood, from a series of small plates and taco starters to a range of ceviches and aguachiles, and show-stopping mains for sharing around the table.

Outstanding Bar

All Night Skate
“I thought we were being pranked at first,” says All Night Skate cofounder Olivia Hu of their nomination for Outstanding Bar.

All Night Skate is a skate-themed bar dripping in retro-glam energy which Hu and fellow bar veterans Danny Waits and Mitch McCann opened when they decided the next best career step was to do a bar for themselves.

“Some neighborhood folks were a little suspicious at first,” Hu says of opening the bar. “But we made it clear that we intend to contribute positively to the neighborhood.”

And contribute they do, regularly hosting fundraisers and food drives, hosting community events, and more.