The 2011 Character Approved Awards will recognize 12 cultural trailblazers for innovation and contributions in their fields in a one-hour documentary that premieres Tuesday, March 8, at 11/10c. Grant Achatz will be honored for his groundbreaking molecular gastronomy.
In the space of a week last year, two different friends told me they’d just eaten the best meals of their lives. Both were speaking of dinner at Grant Achatz’s Chicago restaurant, Alinea. So it was no surprise that USA Network chose Achatz as a recipient of one of their Character Approved Awards.
Achatz is at the forefront of molecular gastronomy, a movement that is turning the kitchen into a lab, using scientific tools and techniques and changing the very idea of high-end dining. As USA Network’s Character Approved website reports, “With incredible imagination and whimsy, Grant Achatz re-envisions the way we experience food.”
This is the third year for the awards ceremony recognizing leaders who are changing the face of American culture. The Character Approved Awards will pay tribute to the honorees in a variety of fields: Architecture, Art, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Giving, Music, New Media, Theatre and Writing.
The one-hour USA Network documentary, featuring exclusive interviews with the 12 recipients, premieres Tuesday, March 8, at 11pm/10pm Central. It will be rebroadcast Saturday, March 12, at 10am/9c & 12am/11pm Central and Wednesday, March 16, at 10am/9am Central & 3am/2am Central. To see the complete list of this year’s honorees and what makes them Character Approved, visit USA Network’s website.