There’s a new top toque in the Michelin-starred Chez TJ kitchen.
Stan Michalski, a veteran chef with a Michelin-packed résumé, has taken over as executive chef of the contemporary French restaurant in Mountain View.
The news was announced by George Aviet and family, who have owned Chez TJ — which has held a Michelin star since 2007 — for more than 40 years. The restaurant is housed in an 1894 Victorian on a property that features a chef’s garden.
“With over 15 years of experience, Stan brings Chez TJ not just culinary mastery, but a deep love of hospitality — believing what matters most is bringing people together over a delicious meal,” the Chez TJ team said when introducing Michalski. “He views preparing meals for guests as though he’s cooking for his closest friends.”
Michalski’s culinary career started in his New Jersey hometown, where at this first job he made pizzas at a local pizzeria. He trained at the prestigious Johnson & Wales, then headed to Boston’s L’Espalier.
He became chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred Dovetail in New York City, then moved to San Francisco, where he worked with chef Michael Tusk at Quince, one of a handful of three-starred Michelin restaurants in the Bay Area.
After living for five years in this region, Michalski said he “still can’t believe” California’s bounty of fresh vegetables. His frequently changing Chez TJ menu offers delicate new approaches to fish and takes advantage of seasonal produce. And he’s eager for the arrival of new crops in the coming weeks. “Feels like spring is right around the corner!” he said after a sunny Bay Area weekend.
Michalski succeeds Christopher Lemerand, who joined Chez TJ three years ago and launched the restaurant’s pandemic-era outdoor dining before the big move back indoors.
Details: Chez TJ serves a prix fixe Chef’s Tasting Menu from Tuesday through Saturday at 938 Villa St., Mountain View; www.cheztj.com
