Rising Star Chef Elise Kornack of Take Root - Biography

Elise Kornack was an artist before she became chef, and it shows on every plate at Take Root in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. She started cooking on the island of Nantucket, working at places like Oran Mor, with a polished maritime feel, and Straight Wharf, a restaurant institution on the island. Kornack got her footing on drier land, the island of Manhattan, where she worked first at The Spotted Pig, pulling 16-hour shifts in a job that taught her, among other lessons, serious precision and speed.

Next came New York institution Aquavit, where Kornack worked as sous chef, adding refinement to her repertoire. She and partner Anna Hieronimus then opened their dream business, combining sophisticated cuisine with focused artistry. The restaurant, Take Root, opened in January 2013. The next year, the restaurant received its first Michelin Star. New York Magazine named Kornack as one of five Best New Chefs, and Esquire listed Take Root as one of the best new Restaurants in America. With just 12 seats, and one seating, Take Root enables Kornack to cook a culinary tour de force three nights a week. With simple, straightforward, “no flowers” cooking, an emphasis on acid and texture, and never more than four ingredients in any one plated component, Kornack is uncompromising in her style and philosophy.