Starting with his first restaurant, Aureole, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Palmer soon after opened Metrazur in the city’s Grand Central Terminal, followed by another Aureole, in Las Vegas, and then Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. A two-time James Beard Award winner—among many other professional accomplishments—author of six cookbooks and a frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show, the celebrated chef’s empire now stands at 14 venues, including three boutique hotels that cater to small meetings. But it’s the chef-driven hotel concept that truly sets him apart.