By David Ramsey

Since opening his first restaurant when he was 28, Palmer - a James Beard award winner with Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and Vegas - has been spreading the gospel of progressive American cuisine. "I was brought up in French kitchens, but I'm an American guy," he says.

KNIFE
I have a 12-inch
chef's knife with a big
rosewood handle
and a bronze clasp,
made by Bob Kramer,
a bladesmith from
Olympia, Washington.
He makes about
300 a year, and the
waiting list is forever.
It feels like an
extension of me.