Christopher Lee

The Philosophy Study at California Culinary Academy, followed by the apprenticeship sought in the Bay Area, set the terms for Christopher Lee’s work: learn by doing, repeat the basics, and treat service and attention to detail as part of the craft rather than the garnish around it. New American cuisine frames the category, but the hands-on impulse is what comes through in Christopher Lee’s work. At Eccolo Restaurant in Berkeley, making food by hand was not an aside to the menu; it was the method.

In Practice From 2004 to 2010 at Eccolo Restaurant in Berkeley, Christopher Lee focused on cured meats and sausages, alongside daily housemade pastas. That kind of output requires patience, technical control, and comfort with the daily discipline of foundational prep. Executive Chef at The Forge in Miami Beach widened the brief, but not the underlying approach. In Christopher Lee’s case, the role still reads as kitchen craft first: standards, development, and fluency in the mechanics of service. Food & Wine named Christopher Lee Best New Chef in 2006. The recognition landed after restaurant work had already established the shape of his practice: technique, structure, and attention to the basics.

In Their Words On Eccolo, he noted, "Eccolo was my Italian restaurant, where we perfected making cured meats and sausages, and produced daily housemade pastas." He closed the thought simply: "That's how I caught the bug."

Signature

Christopher's signature dishes include lobster-stuffed beef roast.