Chef Charlie Mitchell's rise in the culinary world is a reflection of the traditions that shaped him. As the first Black chef in New York City to earn a Michelin star with his restaurant Clover Hill in 2022, Mitchell has built his reputation not only on technique but on the emotional honesty that informs every plate he serves. Now, as the executive chef of Saga in New York City's Financial District, Mitchell is continuing the legacy of his mentor and the restaurant's founder, the late Jamal James Kent.
"Growing up, I loved fish fries," Mitchell told Newsweek recently. "I always have a hot take that I think fried fish is better than fried chicken, which some people don't agree with."
Nostalgia is a key component for the 34-year-old chef, whose accolades include the 2022 Michelin Guide New York Young Chef Award and the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State. His menu formations often include remixed renditions of his childhood staples, like a tempura-style fish inspired by family gatherings.
In conversation with Newsweek's Editor-in-Chief Jennifer H. Cunningham for our Newsmakers Impact series, the Detroit-born Mitchell reflected on his earliest influences, the value of hospitality and why authenticity may be his most important ingredient.
Mitchell traces his earliest food memories to family kitchens—places overflowing with warmth and blessed with an "open-door policy" that made food feel abundant and every guest at home. "I just thought it was incredible. As a kid, it just felt like a never‑ending amount of food," he recalled, describing how both of his grandmothers cooked soul food for any occasion, large or small. Growing up in that environment created not only comfort but also inquisitiveness.
"I was a very curious kid. My grandmother would say my favorite word was 'why,'" the acclaimed restaurateur said. "I just also loved to eat."
Alongside family meals, Food Network became a second classroom for the burgeoning chef. "I was a big Iron Chef fan. I thought it was amazing," he said, noting that famous chefs like Masaharu Morimoto first opened his eyes to cooking as a profession. "I used to think I wanted to be a sushi chef when I was younger," Mitchell added. Though those aspirations may have changed, his love of Japanese fish remains, as they have become a staple in his cuisine.
Mitchell's cooking today is concerned not only with flavor but also the diners' emotional journey. "I like to think of the whole experience: how people feel when they enter the room, how they feel while they're eating, what they're thinking about," he explained. Everything matters—the lighting, the music, the smell, the overall energy.
"The food should be the cherry on top," Mitchell said. "People are enjoying everything else around them, too."
He aims to elicit something pure in his guests. "I hope that they feel like a kid at some point," he said—perhaps through dishes that encourage eating with their hands or feature flavors that trigger unexpected memories. One guest once compared a fried fish dish to childhood meals at Long John Silver’s. "Do I want to be compared to Long John Silver? Not really," he said, chuckling, before adding, "but it connected something from their childhood, and that’s special."
After the passing of his mentor, Chef Jamal James Kent, in late 2024, Mitchell took the helm at Saga, a transition that required both reverence and bravery in leaving his previous restaurant, Clover Hill. Mitchell now leads Saga with the values Kent instilled: respect, positivity and community.
"To me, it's more about his way of leadership and a way of respect in the workplace. His way of just being a bright light in the restaurant and being positive and inspiring the people around him," Mitchell reflected. "It's not just about me, even though my name may be on the website or my pitch may be on a menu. It takes every single person in that restaurant to contribute."
While operating a restaurant may be a group effort, Mitchell acknowledged that he has to be true to his own vision if he's going to lead a team—hence Saga's drastic shift to a tasting-menu style. "I'm a firm believer that people can taste the authenticity," he said. "You can't try to cook someone else's food."
Referring to his late mentor, Mitchell said, "He would want me to do it the most authentic way to me, the same way everything he did was very authentic to him."
Some dishes on Saga's menu are deeply personal. Their cornbread-and-caviar opener, for instance, stuffed with chicken and jalapeño, is inspired by Mitchell's grandmother's cooking. "It sets the tone. It's a little playful, a little southern, but also a little fancy," he said.
The tempura-fried fish and Mitchell's take on dirty rice also merge personal history with Japanese and Caribbean influences, a blend he describes as "all versions of me on a plate."
Mitchell is laser‑focused on continuing Saga's excellence. After its reopening in September of 2025, the restaurant maintained its two-star Michelin rating with the changes that Mitchell led. Other career opportunities may arise in the future, but at the moment, he's primarily focused on "just making Saga a very, very special restaurant in New York City."
Whatever comes next, his non‑negotiables remain: cleanliness, professionalism and food first. And his advice to other chefs and cooks, whether they're on his team or just looking for guidance? "Just stay in the kitchen and focus on the craft."