Chef Anthony Martin Blazes Nose-To-Tail Trails

Anthony Martin, executive chef and partner at Tru restaurant in Chicago, is taking the celebrated restaurant to new heights with breathtaking presentations that harness the powers of science and nature to create something magical. For Martin, simply being in Chicago is inspiration enough, and the chef admits that the city allows him to blaze his own trail, a feat he has achieved through dishes as simple as the restaurant's caviar service, with dollops of the prized sturgeon roe cradled in shells balancing on jagged branches of coral. According to a representative for the restaurant, caviar sales jumped by 40 percent after guests watched the vibrant orange rocks being brought to other tables.

But perhaps Martin's most high-minded achievement to date is his much talked about levitating amuse-bouche of house-made potato crisp with crème fraîche and reserve Kaluga caviar. To achieve levitation, the chef played with different kinds of magnets for eight months before finding a combination that worked. The presentation leaves many diners speechless as they investigate the floating potato chip.

When asked what's next for the constantly experimenting chef, Martin replied, "We're thinking about doing something with interactive glass, so when the fork touches different parts of the plate, it would actually turn a different color or show some kind of movement. Like for example if we had banana ice cream, when you touched it the plate would turn yellow to symbolize banana. It's insanely far away, and will it ever happen? I don't know, but I'm always looking to push myself."