Studio 2 Extra: Provenance chef Nicholas Bazik on Michelin star

Nicholas Bazik, the newly crowned Michelin-starred chef and owner of Provenance in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood, recounts the anxiety, relief and nauseing emotions of the moment he learned his restaurant was one of only three in the city to receive a Michelin star. The star, he explains, was not just an honor, it was a lifeline.

Provenance, a tiny tasting-menu restaurant, had been operating on what Bazik calls “the greatest gamble of my life.” If Michelin had not stopped in Philadelphia, he was prepared to scale back and retreat from the ambitious vision he had built. Instead, the morning after the Michelin announcement, he woke up to a fully booked calendar through the end of the year.

Bazik’s background is an unconventional mix of academic study, a deep fascination with French cuisine, Korean home cooking and two decades spent working exclusively in Philadelphia kitchens. Provenance’s menu, a sequence of 20 to 25 courses that changes every six weeks, is built from memories and creative culinary ideas. Bazik says a tofu-and-sweet-potato combination his son adored is now part of the menu.

Behind the elegant plates is a workplace designed with attention to detail and state-of-the-art equipment. Bazik also says he doesn’t like to be called “chef” in the kitchen. He says he values respectful communication and a culture focused on process rather than perfection.

Looking ahead, Bazik is not chasing celebrity or television deals. He wants to keep building a restaurant where both staff and guests feel cared for, and he quietly suggests that more restaurants may be part of his future.

Listen to the full interview with Studio 2 co-host Avi Wolfman-Arent at the top of this page or wherever you listen to podcasts.