Andrea is an account manager for Tassos in the city of Chicago. She has extensive knowledge of Tassos products and Greek cuisine. Her love of cooking is matched only by her enthusiasm and knowledge of the entire Tassos collection.
Tony leads the marketing team at Tassos and is self-described ‘food nut’ with extensive knowledge in Tassos products and Mediterranean cuisine.
Both Andrea and Tony serve as committee members for the Auxiliary board of Chicago’s Grand Chef’s Gala and work regularly with celebrity, gourmet chefs across the Chicago land area and throughout the U.S.
Beginning with its family’s Estate bottled Olive Oil in 1996, Tassos® has grown its extensive, handcrafted gourmet quality product line to more than 36 items. Tassos gourmet products include its award winning olive oils, bruschettas and spreads, stuffed and whole Greek olives, peppers and sundried tomatoes, and monofloral honey. Tassos currently brings its artisan gourmet ingredients to chefs across the country including here in Chicago where the company’s corporate headquarters is based. Tassos’ fine ingredients are a staple of award winning Chicago restaurants like Taxim, Gaetano’s, Avli and Caffe de Luca.
Duchamp, a new venture from Lumen and Bangers & Lace principals Jason Freiman, and Nick Podesta transforms the old Meritage Bucktown location, into a contemporary eatery with star chef Aaron Lirette at the helm. With generous wit, intelligence and a distinct sense of surprise Duchamp redefines the dining experience with its playfully progressive approach. The restaurant derives its character from the 20th century’s most provocative artistic spirit Marcel Duchamp. Ingenuity is apparent on the plate as well as in the interior details, with a rustic modern touch that integrates the past and present. Duchamp is classic yet unexpected, while offering an intimate and imaginative culinary excursion for its guests. Duchamp is located at 2118 N. Damen Avenue.
Chef Bio:
Amanda studied Culinary Arts at the Johnson County Community College and Fine Arts at the University of Kansas. In 1999, she competed with the J.C.C.C. Culinary team at the Junior Olympic Tryouts where they were awarded a Silver Medal. Amanda spent the years prior to joining the academy in southern California at the Ritz CarltonLaguna Niguel and Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel and Spa.
Amanda joined the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy, Chicago in November of 2008.
Company bio:
Callebaut is the world’s leading supplier of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products and represents comprehensive competency in the art of making chocolate – from the bean to the finest finished product.
In 1996 the Belgian chocolate producer Callebaut and the French chocolate company Cacao Barry joined forces, creating a new company called Barry Callebaut. Both Cacao Barry and Callebaut were widely recognized in the food industry as reliable suppliers of high-quality products and as dependable business partners for thousands of wholesale and retail specialists in the chocolate industry. The merger combined Cacao Barry’s know-how in procurement and initial processing of cocoa beans with Callebaut’s extensive experience in producing and marketing chocolate products.
After 1996, the company continued to grow through geographic expansion into strategic growth markets, outsourcing contracts, innovation and acquisitions. Since 1998 Barry Callebaut has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products. We are the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provide a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Our company is actively engaged in initiatives and projects that contribute to a more sustainable cocoa supply chain.
About the Restaurant:
La Scarola, is a classic Italian restaurant in Chicago. The rustic restaurant is entertaining, intimate and cozy with an open kitchen serving delicious, authentic Italian meals.
Restaurant bio:
Located in Downtown Chicago, Bistro Voltaire is a bar and restaurant serving authentic French cuisine. Bistro Voltaire is the bread and butter of really true traditional classic French food. The whole menu will be prepared according to the true French cooking tradition.
Bistro Voltaire provides a unique getaway from Chicago's busy streets. With wall murals covered with photos of French writers, Voltaire being the best known one, deep brown mahogany furniture, soft leather couches, Bistro Voltaire creates a unforgettable ambiance worth experience.
Stop by and experience the classic French atmosphere, friendly service, exquisite art and of course, the delicious meals.
Executive Chef Frank Brunacci departed ways with the Trump International Hotel & Tower after 4 years of Tenor, The Truffle Business was really taking off and Frank needed to make a life changing decision, leave the corporate world of stability or move into small business ownership and really give it a shot. His passion made him choose the latter, after cooking in some of the world’s most distinguished kitchens. With a modern American approach at the heart of his cooking philosophy— which unifies traditional European and Asian classic cooking techniques.
Frank was a huge part of the Opening Team of Franks N Dawgs, developing Menus, hiring and training, but after 4 months Lillian and Frank had ended all ties with Franks N Dawgs to focus solely on the Truffle Importing Business, Frank wanted to make sure Alexander had all the support leading up to and 4 months after the opening, I think it is safe to say the wonderful addition to the city of Chicago’s Hot Dog establishments has been a huge hit…
The Australian native has lived, traveled and worked all over the world. The learning curve was steep as a young chef in a parade of world-class environs, but Brunacci was a natural; following an apprenticeship in Australia at age 21, he moved to London to work at Les Saveurs Restaurant.
Working 15 hours a day at Les Saveurs, Brunacci credits that time as “the best learning experience of my life.” After leaving Les Saveurs, he returned to Australia and cooked for two years before moving to the United States for the first time in 1997 after receiving an invitation to open the Ritz Carlton, Buckhead. “Cooking there afforded me the opportunity to cook with foie gras, truffles and many other rare ingredients we didn’t necessarily see in Australia at that time,” he says.
He spent three years in Buckhead before opening Victor’s, which was awarded five diamonds after only 13 months in operation at The Ritz Carlton, New Orleans. Three years later, Brunacci moved to L’Auberge de Sedona, an ultra-luxurious spa in Arizona, and then, to The Club & Spa at Fiddler’s Creek in Naples, Florida.
“My hope is always to execute to perfection and present cuisine very cleanly. With each dish, I want our guests to experience color, acidity, spice, sweetness, and an element of surprise—whether that’s a crunch, sweetness, an oil or something that bridges the gap between the ingredients. One component should naturally introduce the next to create a seamless flavor profile.”
About the Restaurant:
Munster Taverns (http://munstertaverns.com/), a privately-owned Chicago hospitality company, owns and operates three properties: Wilde Bar & Restaurant at 3130 North Broadway in the Lakeview neighborhood; Beckett’s at 3210 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park and Lady Gregory’s at 5260 North Clark Street in Andersonville. Wilde opened November 2007, the first project of the operating partnership of Martin Cournane and Denis Paul Shehan. They wanted to offer a sophisticated Irish pub honoring a celebrated author, one of the first gay activists. Beckett’s followed in September of 2009, responding to a need for a sports bar at the Lincoln | Belmont | Ashland intersection. Increased TVs and gourmet burgers attract Nebraska Cornhuskers fans, affiliated because of a former coworker’s home state. Lady Gregory’s is the most recent jewel in the Munster Tavern’s crown, having opened in June of 2011 following a record six-week rebuild after a devastating fire. Executive Chef Henry Pariser sources local producers employing a harvest-to-table approach to create sophisticated gastro fare; comforting, satisfying and refined. Expert mixologist Kyle McHugh stocks from 100 to 300 different whiskeys, microbrews in bottle and on tap and a thoughtful, tightly-edited wine program.
About the Chef:
Henry Pariser graduated from Culinary School in Janesville Wisconsin, after Culinary School he wanted to further his knowledge of Farm to Table cuisine and took a job opportunity at The French Laundry in Napa Valley California. He also worked at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at Aqua Knox.
Henry then took the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Janesville Country Club, a private Club founded in 1894 the 6th oldest Country Club in the USA. There he worked a lot with the elite members planning gourmet meals catered at their homes specializing in wild game dinners, scotch dinners and wine dinners. After working as a chef Henry wanted to expand his managerial knowledge and took a job managing Micro Breweries in Boulder Colorado, where he also used his culinary experience to help with the brewing of different beers.
In May Henry Moved back home to Chicago to assist Martin Cournane with the opening of Lady Gregory's Restaurant in Andersonville. Henry also oversees the two other Munster Tavern Properties - Wilde Bar and Restaurant and Beckett’s Gourmet Burgers & Craft Beers.
Chef, Isaac Welivér has launched his new concept, Local Affair. Local Affair combines Isaac's passion for local and sustainably foods with the Chicago lifestyle. Our weekly clients entertain friends, family or collages after work with a three-course-meal experience. All items are purchased fresh before arriving to the clients home. Dinner is crafted from scratch, served and cleaned up in four hours.
Local Affair specializes in Intimate Dinning Entertaining with Grand Hors d'oeuvre, Demo Cuisine™, and Dinners. Enjoy all these options in the comfort of your own home.
Chef, Isaac Weliver (The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago), has had a wide range of food-service experiences spanning the United States and recently Latin America. During his time in Costa Rica he realized that food traveled from the farm to the table in a very holistic way. At Rancho Margot, a sustainable resort centered around tourism, meals were prepared from ingredients grown on the property; vegetables were harvested regularly, meanwhile pigs and chickens sacrificed for nourishment.
From there, Isaac brought his new appreciation for the sanctity of food with him to Essence Arenal, Backpackers & Travelers Retreat, situated alongside Volcano Arenal, in Costa Rica. Here, fresh milk was carried down the mountain daily, bananas harvested from the jungle by machete, and drinks created with Lemones which guests helped to pick. Chef Isaac created thematic dinners, along with the guided participation of his international guests.
Time spent in these holistic food environments caused Isaac to rethink the conventional methods used in the U.S. Food Industry. Now operating with seasonal, hormone/pesticide free, local foods in mind, his mission is to help bring sustainability into Chicago’s food system, by strengthening the connections to our local resources.
About the Chef & his Food Truck:
My name is Joe Scroggs, Owner and Operator of "The Roost." Chicago's first chicken shack on wheels. We specialize in authentic Southern comfort foods. Most of the recipes we feature on our menu were handed down to me from my Grandmother and her mother before her. Nothing too complicated, just simple wholesome scratch cooking. Our truck's menu will rotate with the seasons so once Summer is fully upon us we'll begin to include some low country treats I picked up after living/working/learning in Charleston, SC.
I came to Chicago via a small town just outside Chapel Hill, NC (Pittsboro if you're familiar with the area). While driving cross country I swung through the Windy City to visit some friends from Charleston. A weekend turned into a week turned into a month turned into 4 years. The idea came to me to launch a food truck, and further a Southern themed truck, after seeing all the buzz around Chicago's young food truck movement. Even now there are only about 45-50 trucks on the road. Of all those, few, if any, were offering true Southern staples. A few doing BBQ (doing a great job of it) but that's not all Southern food's about. I thought, if there is any big city outside of the South that would take to my traditional cuisine, it would be Chicago.
Burger Bar Chicago, voted Metromix's best new burger of 2011, and Sono Wood Fired, with mentions in Chicago Magazine and Michelin rated, opened in early August of 2010. Both restaurants boast quality farm to table ingredients. Burger Bar serves up hand crafted stacked burgers and over 100+ craft brews. Sono Wood Fired features some of the best wood-fired pizzas in Chicago, antipasti and an extensive and affordable wine list. In just under a year, Burger Bar Chicago and Sono Wood Fired have become a popular destination within the Chicago restaurant scene.
Formerly the Chef d'Cuisine for Levy Restaurants Chef John McLean brings to his new restaurants a passion for great food, big bold flavors, creativity, and local farm to table ingredients.
About the Restaurant:
On January 31, 1984, The Grill on the Alley, located steps from Rodeo Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills, opened its doors and became an instant hit. Its continued success has earned The Grill an international reputation for quality and consistency. The three founders developed a concept that still draws fans worldwide. The Grill today continues its legendary traditions in major United States cities by offering an extensive selection of superior quality classic American food served by dedicated professionals in a sophisticated, yet warm and unpretentious atmosphere.
The Grill (as it is sometimes known) was modeled after the great grills of New York and San Francisco; the founders seeking to maintain the tradition of those fine, old establishments by offering first-rate fare, attentive service, and a familiar, dignified atmosphere. The response was tremendous, as The Grill evolved into one of the Los Angeles area’s best known, “must-do” places.
The Grill’s second location was opened in May, 1998, at The Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California, in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
The Grill on the Alley in Chicago opened on downtown Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” in June 2000, and is just steps from Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Marshall Field’s, Water Tower Place, and the John Hancock building.
The fourth The Grill – known as The Grill on Hollywood – opened in Hollywood’s Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex in November 2001. This bustling center is home to the Kodak Theater which hosts The Academy Awards year after year, and attracts locals and tourists alike.
The Grill on the Alley in Dallas, Texas opened in July 2006, and is part of the Galleria Dallas, the busiest upscale shopping destination in the city. The sixth The Grill on the Alley is located at The Promenade at Westlake, a Mediterranean-styled outdoor shopping and entertainment center featuring some of the most well respected merchants in the world. And the most recent addition is The Grill on the Alley Aventura. Located in the Aventura Mall, which is ranked as the number one shopping destination among international visitors.
About the Chef:
Julianne Feder has a diverse culinary background. In addition to working as a sous-chef for a high end catering company in the New York, Julianne has lived extensively in Italy, France and Spain and has trained under seasoned locals. Her passion for cooking lies in her love for its ability to connect people across cultures.
About the Restaurant:
Italian Products USA, Inc is an artisanal specialty Italian food importer out of New Jersey. We look to procure the highest quality Italian delicacies and share them with select restaurants and retailers throughout the country. We believe great quality ingredients are the bases of all great dishes. Just a touch of one of our products will transform your dish from ordinary to extraordinary!
Chef Bio:
Chef Kael Klassen recently joined the culinary staff at Francesca's Forno. Klassen discovered a love for cooking while working in a restaurant kitchen in Wisconsin, during high school. From there, Klassen followed his passion to the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Klassen further honed his craft at The Ocean Room Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, working under Chef Kevin Ives. From there, he worked as a chef at four-star, four-diamond restaurant Peninsula Grill. His budding career then took to Hawaii, where he worked as a sous chef at Merriman’s on the island of Kauai, and later he returned to Chicago and became an executive chef for Francesca’s on Chestnut.
Klassen’s love for travel and varied background make him an eclectic and ever-evolving chef. His diverse experience is reflected in his menu, and he is re-working the menu at Francesca’s Forno to include exciting new dishes that are flavorful and seasonally inspired.
Restaurant bio:
Opened in July 2011, the renovated Francesca’s Forno, from acclaimed restaurateur Scott Harris, brings the small plates trend to Bucktown. Executive Chef Kael Klassesn’s seasonally driven menu features rustic, Italian options including antipasti, salads, pizzas, pastas and more. Forno also features an extensive wine list with more than 50 organic, sustainable and/or biodynamic bottles all for under $50. Seasonally inspired cocktails and brews can also be perfectly paired with each menu item. Francesca’s Forno is located at 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago and can be reached at (773) 770-0184. Forno opens everyday at 5:00 p.m. and from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Find them on Twitter @francescaforno and on Facebook at “Francesca’s Forno.”
Chef’s bio:
A classically-trained chef, certified nutritionist and sought-after spokeswoman who runs her own high-end catering business, SAVOR!, in Los Angeles, Chef LaLa regularly doles out her savvy solutions for better living at conferences worldwide and on international and national television, including NBC’s TODAY! show, Martha Stewart, Dr. Oz, Univision and CNN en Español, and as an expert on America Now. Chef LaLa is a cook book author, and a celebrity in her own right--she is now appearing as the Chef Consultant on UNIVISION's hit reality TV series called "Dale Con Ganas!" (Spanish language version of "The Biggest Loser").
Company bio:
Chef LaLa brings authentic Latin home cooking to your kitchen with the recent launch of her CHEF LALA HOMEMADE line of all natural, easy-to-use sauces, marinades and oils, now available in Chicago exclusively at Treasure Island. Her recipes for these products are from her family’s traditions — make them part of your family’s traditions for healthy and flavorful meals in your home.
About the Chef:
The hilarious chemistry between Rosebud On Rush’s Executive Chef and CIBO cookbook author Michael Ponzio and his accomplice Nancy Barabba cannot be ignored. The Rosebud Culinary Comedy Duo will keep you laughing as you watch authentic Italian recipes freshly prepared before your eyes! This helpful demonstration with a comical twist is interactive, with the ‘Beauty and the Boss’ alternating between teasing each other and taking questions from the audience. You will even get to sample the dishes and get copies of the recipes to take home!
ABOUT NIA
Nia Asimis grew up with an appreciation for food, which was only enhanced by the experience of her father, who was in the wholesale food industry. As a child, her father taught her how to distinguish between fine quality foods and poor quality foods from many different regions. Yet due in great part to her Greek heritage, Nia has always had a special affinity for Mediterranean cuisines.
Using what her father had taught her, Nia found suppliers of the highest quality ingredients imported from all over the world to create a tour of Mediterranean cuisine through the Greek tradition of meze, or small dish cuisine. Meze is not usually served as an appetizer. It is served alone or with other small dishes (mezedes) to enhance one's eating experience by creating a diverse range of tastes. Mezedes are very much the equivalent to Spanish tapas. Nia Restaurant has a wide-ranging variety of fine imported wines from Greece, Italy, Spain, and France to complement the meze dining experience. Through the consistent use of high quality ingredients, she hopes to take her guests on a voyage across Europe's southwest, one dish, and one glass, at a time.
Nia is grateful to work with a committed staff who shares her enthusiasm for regional cuisine. With their help, the menu truly comes to life and guests are immersed in an intimate, cozy environment. Whether enjoying a romantic, candle-lit dinner or dining al-fresco underneath our widespread awning on Randolph Street, you will truly feel transported to another time and place.
Chef Nick Lacasse has spent fifteen years in top restaurants from Maine to Seattle and nearly ten years in the kitchens of forward thinking chefs here in Chicago. In collaboration with Consulting Chef Shawn McClain, Nick opened as Executive Chef of The Drawing Room in 2007. A hunger for experimentation, and new combinations led him to re-fine and re-concept the opening of a small plates style menu for a multi-course format, and a la carte options. Volunteering time for charity events and supporting Chicago food programs has been a great pleasure for Chef Nick, representing with other Chicago Chefs at the White House for the launch of Michelle Obamas 'Lets Move' campaign.
The Drawing Room is a sixty seat restaurant and cocktail lounge focusing on seasonal flavors in the kitchen as well as behind the bar. Opened in November 2007 to rave local reviews, has gained national exposure over the past five years in: Food and Wine, Gourmet, and countless internet blog sites. Chief Mixologist, Charles Joly and Executive Chef, Nick Lacasse for years have hosted the DR "At The Bar' cocktail dinner series, with market inspired menus, and themed seasonal offerings. Balance is an underlying theme with the Drawing Room creative team, and their discussions on flavors.
Roger Herring, Chef/Owner of Socca & Redd Herring Food & Wine, turned his passion for life and food into his own restaurant Socca in 2004 after several successful culinary adventures. A Chicago native, Roger completed his degree at The Culinary Institute of America in New York, NY and was the opening Sous Chef for Green Dolphin and 312 restaurants. He had a life-changing experience when he moved to world renowned Limoges, France where he was able to further develop his French cooking techniques while observing the operations of successful restaurateurs. Roger returned to the states as Executive Chef for Taste of America catering and then combined his passion for food and music by catering meals for various muscal groups across the country such as U2, Sheryl Crow, Prince, Cypress Hill, Linkin Park, and the Phish 2003 Summer Tour. Socca and Roger have been featured in several culinary publications and also participate in many philanthropic events providing delicious food benefitting a number of charitable organizations. Roger recently cooked Thanksgiving dinner in South Africa for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Celebrity Chef Art Smith recently included Roger’s pizzettes from Socca on the Food Network program “Best Thing I Ever Ate”. When Roger is not cooking up some of the best pizzas, steaks, fish and pastas for Socca in Chicago, he is often coordinating culinary events like Moonshine Restaurants Annual “Rib-a-Que “where chefs from all over Chicagoland compete in Wicker Park for the bragging rights of “Best Ribs”. He has created other competitions for local chefs at the Calphalon kitchen and has participated in nationwide food and wine festivals throughout the country. Most recent and noteworthy events include the Food & Wine Festival in Aspen, Co and Miami, FL. Roger also teaches baby nutrition classes and seminars on how to create more heatlhy baby food through the Kenmore live kitchen, and has been featured in Parenhood magazine. In most recent news, Roger has opened up his second restaurant named Redd Herring Food & Wine, and it has been a welcome edition to the Clarendon Hills downtown. Roger teamed up with fellow head chef David Gollan, who was formerly “Top Chef” Stephanie Izzard’s most trusted sous chef at her first restaurant, The Girl and The Goat. Roger is always happy to participate in opportunities where he can show his passion while giving back to the community.
“Fools” can go on “waiting an eternity” “down the street” say regulars of this”hidden gem” in Lakeview dishing up “reasonably priced” “upper-end” Italian-French “must tries” in “laid-back”, bistro style surroundings; service is “attentive” and “outstanding.” Sweeping urban panoramic views outline a beautiful dining room adjoined to a separate and stylish bistro-bar room. Socca’s delightful flatbread “pizzettes” were featured on the Food Networks hit show, “The best thing I ever ate.” Serving brunch and dinner with chef specials daily, socca also features an extensive and creative wine list. Outdoor patio seating.
About the Company:
Chef Sean Sanders was born and raised in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. About 15 years ago he graduated from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC). Since then he has worked at some of Chicago's premiere restaurants including Green Dolphin Street, Rhapsody & Atlantique, to name a few. For a short time Chef Sanders even started his own catering company before landing at Bin 36 where he worked as Sous Chef at both the downtown location and the wine cafe in Bucktown.
In early 2009 Chef Sanders got married and while on his honeymoon in New Zealand he came up with the idea for Browntrout while preparing a fresh caught New Zealand browntrout combined with all local ingredients. "Fresh & sustainable ingredients put together in an elegant yet simple fashion."
Browntrout, 4111 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago 773-472-4111. Browntrout is a comfortable, casual fine-dining experience. We grow some our own herbs in our rooftop garden and we use sustainably farmed and/or organic products whenever possible. All our seafood comes from natural waters or sustainable farms. Our meats are all grass-fed free range animals.
Susan Goss is executive chef and co-owner of West Town Tavern, which celebrates
contemporary comfort food. A professional chef since 1981, chef Goss is the author of
West Town Tavern: Contemporary Comfort Food with Drew Goss. Chef Goss supports local
farmers’ markets and creates menus using local, sustainable foods. She serves on the Board of
Directors for the Greater Chicago Food Depository and has been active in Share Our Strength,
Taste of the NFL and Feeding America. Each year, West Town Tavern hosts the Annual Girl
Food Dinner which raises money to fight hunger in Chicago. A Master Gardener, chef Goss is
active in her community and volunteers her time in community gardens, farmer’s markets and
mentoring programs.
Susan and Drew Goss have been fixtures in the Chicago restaurant community since 1993 when
they opened Zinfandel Restaurant in River North. In 2001 the Gosses found the perfect space to
open a small, neighborhood restaurant at 1329 West Chicago Avenue and West Town Tavern
opened in May of 2002. Longtime residents of West Town, Susan and Drew are excited to
create their dream restaurant in their own community.
Originally from Indianapolis Indiana where they owned and operated Something Different:
Carryout Cuisine, Something Different Restaurant and Snax: a Global Tapas Bar, the Gosses
have been restaurateurs since 1983. Their restaurants have received accolades from the Wine
Spectator, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Esquire Magazine and
Gourmet Magazine.
Susan and Drew are well known for their community involvement in Chicago. Susan serves on
the Board of Directors for The Greater Chicago Food Depository and West Town Tavern hosts
the Annual Girl Food Dinner each May which raises money to fight hunger in Chicago.
About the Chef:
Chef Tony Recillas has been at the helm as chef and co-owner at Jane's since 1996. He has a long background as a chef, and hails from Mexico City. Tony usually can be seen at Jane's expediting the food from the kitchen. He is a favorite of our regular guests, with his warm smile, he's always ready for a chat. He develops a seasonal dinner menu twice a year, that is mindfully healthy, and delicious!
About the Restaurant:
Jane's opened in 1994, as one of the first restaurants to open during the revitalization of Bucktown. We specialize in healthy comfort foods, including vegetarian options. We are known for offering the neighborhood a variety of favorites, and maintaining a great group of regular customers. Jane's has a cozy, charming atmosphere, our main dining room has an exposed kitchen and timber ceiling, that reminds guests of a ski lodge, our party room has a french shabby chic feel that is beautiful for every special occasion. Visit us soon!
Menu:
More details coming soon!
Chef bio:
Trevor Hoyte, Executive Chef of IPO, has created an eclectic menu of New Urban Cuisine inspired by the diverse cultures found in Chicago. Chef Hoyte’s menu at IPO features his signature "shared dishes" including lobster & orzo with fiddle head ferns, enoki mushrooms, sugar snap peas, sweet bread nuggets and lobster bisque; chocolate waffle with chocolate mousse, macerated blueberries, foie gras caramel, and cream cheese.
IPO, an abbreviation for Initial Public Offering tips its hat to the Loop, Chicago's financial district as well as to Chef Hoyte's initial offering of New Urban Cuisine. "My unique interpretation of Contemporary American flavors inspired me to create New Urban Cuisine. My vision is to redefine and create a new food culture in the Loop to bring intrigue and curiosity to the area," said Hoyte.
Hoyte's culinary professional positions placed him in some of Chicago's most highly regarded kitchens including Tru, Green Dolphin, Caliterra and Vintage Wine Bar.
Hoyte is a graduate of New York Food and Hotel Management School with a Certificate in Culinary Arts. Chef Hoyte has parlayed his love of contemporary American Cuisine in this beautiful new restaurant.
Restaurant bio:
IPO showcases New Urban Cuisine with Executive Chef Trevor Hoyte's take on Contemporary American flavors. Housed in the W Chicago City Center, IPO offers Chef's signature small plates and captures the elegant energy of the hotel's 1928 beaux-arts architecture. With the bustle of the financial district, millennium park and theatre district as its backdrop, the space is dipped in a downtown decadence.
About the Chef:
Ursula Adduci baked her first cookies with her grandma in Costa Rica when she was four. She created her first advertising piece when she was eighteen. In her mid twenties she combined both, and that little cookie became a melt-in-your-mouth object of delicious beauty.
Ursula is a creative; not an advertising creative, not a food creative, but an every-hour-of-the-day creative. That’s why Sazon Light is a perfect reflection of herself: color, flavor, imagination and passion at work. That promises a real party on every dish she presents, because that’s the way every Sazon Light dish is born, in a very happy kitchen, full of aromas, noise, and warmth.
In the last decade, Ursula’s cuisine has been tasted by his Majesty the Prince of Spain, three US Presidents, politicians, Nobel Prize Winners and an Academy Award Nominated Actress, every one of them a happy costumer. You will be too.
Ursula is a happy wife and mother that made Chicago her home in August of 2,000.
About her business:
WHAT IS SAZON LIGHT?
Sazon Light is the right meal plan for you.
It’s not about counting calories, it’s about eating well, in healthy, but very tasty portions. Sure, we’ll keep you under the recommended number of calories per day, but we’ll make sure you want to eat your lunch, dinner or snack!
We offer you a suggested weekly menu (substitutions accepted) of lunches, dinners, and snacks, prepared with the freshest ingredients, delivered once a week, for a very affordable price.
In our kitchen you’ll find mostly grass-fed beef, and organic/local ingredients. We reuse our containers and bags.
There isn’t a word like Sazon in the English language. In its romantic, dual meaning in Spanish, Sazon is both: “just the right taste”, and “the perfect moment”, and that’s what we try to bring you in every meal we create.
About the Chef:
Victor DeLeon, a native of Guatemala, became O’Donovan’s Pub and Restaurant’s chef in October 2006. Victor has, however, been in the kitchen of O’Donovan’s ever since owners Kevin Killerman and Bobby Burleson opened their restaurant, in the former Schulien’s location at 2100 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago on March 1, 1999. Victor worked his way through the ranks, serving in various capacities, until his current position as O’Donovan’s Executive Chef. Victor is responsible for this facility’s daily management operations, scheduling, inventories, and menu development.
Victor DeLeon was born and raised in Guatemala in the small town of Salcaja. He received his high school and college degrees from their local schools. In 1997, Victor graduated with a degree in teaching. He started his teaching career and nine months later, the family, including Victor and his mother, father, and three sisters, came to the USA. They settled in Trenton, New Jersey, and it was then that Victor became interested in the restaurant field. He began as a prep and short order cook and worked in three different restaurants: Leaston’s Pub and Restaurant, Angeloni’s Banquet Hall, and Rocco’s (Italian restaurant).
The big city of Chicago beckoned Victor and he moved here in 1999. Through a friend, he learned of O’Donovan’s new restaurant opening. He then applied for the job of sauté cook, and after a few short weeks, he was elevated to Sous Chef. Over the past two years, in his spare hours, while working at O’Donovan’s, Victor received invaluable additional culinary training from the Executive Chef of Chicago’s Trattoria No. 10, Douglas D’Avico. Douglas is now Victor’s mentor. This experience and tireless training was instrumental in fine-tuning Victor’s culinary skills.
About the Restaurant:
On March 1, 1999, owners Kevin Killerman and Bobby Burleson opened the doors to O’Donovan’s Pub and Restaurant at 2100 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago (one block west of Lincoln Avenue). They had taken over an old and venerable establishment, well known to the North Center neighborhood as Schulien’s Restaurant and Saloon for over half a century. O’Donovan’s has maintained elements of this bygone ambience, even displaying an original Schulien’s outdoor neon sign in the banquet room. This shows a true potential for sensitivity to the neighborhood and the noble origins of this site.
Today, O’Donovan’s is a hip-happening, comfortable, warm, casual place with its inviting surroundings. The current owners have moved toward an open-air motif, complete with patio dining and an outdoor sidewalk café, during the warm weather months. This area is also “dog friendly.” An All-You-Can-Eat Sunday brunch (see enclosed menu), a late night menu (enclosed), daily specials and a contemporary American menu with an eclectic twist (see enclosed), have kept the crowds coming. A popular feature is their bus transportation to every Chicago Bears home game.
The friendly staff, the lengthy bar—featuring around a dozen brews on tap, a reasonably-priced and diverse menu, and a willingness to please by all the servers makes O’Donovan’s a popular eating and drinking destination. The powers-that-be have kept alive the hallmark of the former Schulien’s by presenting a card trick show. This is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m. Al James performs his magic on Fridays and rotating guest magicians on Saturdays and Sundays.
About the Catering Company:
Gold’N Pear Catering has been serving the Chicago area for 8 years. With over 25 years of combined experience, we are dedicated to personalized catering,. We are a boutique caterer and that means we want your party to perfectly reflect who you are and what you envision.
We custom design every menu, and serve anywhere from 20 to 300. Whether you want to host a cocktail party or sit-down dinner, upgrade your corporate reception or create a memorable gala fundraiser our chef-driven company with talented waitstaff and barstaff will let you forget the details and enjoy your event. Don’t worry about linen or equipment rentals either—we will handle all the details. We are dedicated to serving flavorful, ethnic and locally-sourced cuisine.
About the Chefs:
Chefs Nancy Backas and Terry Feingold are not only partners in business, but partners in life. Nancy has a degree in Foods in Business and graduated from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Terry’s intuitive cooking style and meticulous attention to detail has been honed over the years from cooking on the job. He developed his culinary passion by experimenting with ingredients and cooking styles and has developed a creative style that pops with well-developed flavor.
Vino Et Spiritus, Inc.:
Dejan Petrovic came onto the Chicago Restaurant scene in 1990 when he started working in kitchens and later became the wine educator for Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. He worked for Union Beverage Distribution Company and an Italian wine importer. In 2008, Dejan combined his background, experience, and passion for wine and established Vino et Spiritus, a national importer of wine and spirits from the Balkans, with his business partner. Today, Vino et Spiritus is a full service national importer and local distributor in Illinois and the United States. Vino et Spiritus continues to expand its wine and spirits portfolio to include wine and spirits from all over the world.
Emmi Roth USA
Emmi Roth USA, a subsidiary of Emmi Group, is a leading provider of specialty and artisan cheeses and premium fresh dairy products. Our expansive portfolio includes award-winning cheeses from Switzerland, Europe, and the United States, each crafted with pride from the freshest local milk. Key cheese brands include Kaltbach cave-aged, Grand Cru® and Buttermilk Blue®. Our specialty dairy products include Swiss Premium Yogurt and Caffè Latte, Emmi’s chilled coffee drink crafted with fresh roasted coffee and the finest milk. Tradition and innovation balance perfectly to deliver distinctive offerings of the highest quality to the retail and food service trades.
About the Restaurant:
Nestled under “The Bean” in Millennium Park and along Michigan Avenue you’ll find Park Grill, an American Bistro serving cuisine with Chicago flair, breathtaking views, and unique happenings throughout the year.
In the warm months our Plaza opens, where diners can enjoy live music and the open air in this al fresco eatery. During winter the Millennium Park ice rink comes to life in front of Park Grill, which allows guests to watch skaters while enjoying their meal.
Please welcome Park Grill Executive Sous Chef Alex Shalev. With his commitment to creating seasonal, fresh, and high quality dishes, he sets the table for remarkable experiences in the heart of the city.
Let Park Grill host your next gathering in the heart of the city. We have distinctive accommodations for groups as intimate as 10 or as large as 300. There’s a room with a view and an experience waiting for everyone at Park Grill.
About the Chef:
James is a self-taught vegan chef, certified personal trainer and USPTA tennis teaching professional. “I wanted to meld exercise and cooking somehow, so that is the concept behind my new business ‘J C R’.”
James worked for 13 years as a private chef for a small company whose owner is vegan. “That experience was invaluable because it allowed me to experiment with high quality, seasonal ingredients, doing some pretty crazy molecular gastronomy-type things and in general, just using my clients as guinea pigs. They loved it! And in the mean time, I was able to learn all things vegan, including baking (which can be challenging) and cheese making.”
James consulted on a yet-to-be-published nutritarian gourmet cookbook by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. “I doubt the book will ever be published, but I learned a great deal about writing recipes, how to photograph food and cooking techniques using little or no fat, sugar and salt. I classify myself as a nutritarian and try to eat that way to the best of my ability.”
James recently staged at Alinea and tried out for the reality TV show “Hell’s Kitchen”.
“I hate the ‘chef’ culture that is out there right now. Those two experiences reinforced my opinion that cooking should be an enjoyable art form, not a competition or fear-based rapid-fire drill…..and please call me James, not ‘chef’”.
You can visit a photo gallery of James’ food at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.101450643259280.1730.100001830336693&type=3&l=3beaf2ce45
About his Business:
The concept behind J C R is to bring nutritious cooking and fitness instruction to your home. Whether you want to lose weight, begin or resume a fitness program, learn how to cook healthy, tasty food or all three of these things, J C R will design an in-home program for you and teach you how food and fitness together make living healthy easy!
For more information call James at 773.477.9217 or visit www.JCR.name
Fortune Fish Company works with fishermen from every coast to bring the highest quality fresh fish, shellfish and gourmet items to the Midwest United States. The fish is flown in whole and processed at their Bensenville facility to be delivered to the finest restaurants and high-end retail stores. As a leader in the seafood industry, Fortune Fish believes it is the company’s responsibility to provide, promote and market sustainable seafood products from wild fisheries and aquaculture. Their marketing team regularly travels to do education and cooking demonstrations to inspire consumers and
build awareness of sustainable seafood.
Mark Palicki is currently the Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Chef for the
Fortune Fish Company in Bensenville, Illinois. He is directly in charge of all marketing for the company which includes managing Fortune’s sustainability program, providing seafood and sustainability training for their customers and local culinary schools. Palicki brought to Fortune over 10 years of restaurant experience including, General Manager, Seafood Buyer and Chef at several well known establishments. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from The University
of Houston in Houston, Texas and an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
