Popping up in Madrid

CHEF Grant Achatz was in his early 30s, the father of two young boys, when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer of the tongue. (There is no stage five.) He lost his sense of taste and the recommended treatment was amputation, which might give him a couple more years of life. It would be a devastating prospect for anyone and unimaginable for the Chicago-based chef, owner of Alinea, one of the world's greatest restaurants.

Instead, chef Achatz opted for innovative treatment at the University of Chicago that involved a new drug as well as chemotherapy and radiation. Seven years later, sitting in Alinea for an interview, he looks fit and healthy, with no evidence of the disease since 2009.

He's now planning for the future, seeking to turn meals at Alinea - already innovative and dramatic - into a more theatrical and interactive experience. Alinea holds three Michelin stars and has won multiple accolades. It has been named Best Restaurant in North America in the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, and was named Best Restaurant in the World by Elite Traveler magazine.