By Emma Flannery By Emma Flannery | May 2, 2024 | Food & Drink, Guides,
Follow these local top chefs for mouthwatering inspo and a delicious taste of Chicago’s culinary culture.
The duo behind Kasama has taken the culinary world by storm as they reinvent what it means to be a Michelin-starred restaurant. The first Filipino restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star, Flores and Kwon are committed to accessibility, making great food for anyone who wants it at any time of day.
Erick Williams, the restaurateur and chef behind Virtue, has been praised by nearly every major food critic or organization. The New York Times credits Williams as a chef “changing food in America.” Williams fuses southern comfort food with fine dining, creating a revolutionary experience that changes the taste, smell and feel of haute cuisine in Chicago.
Before “farm-to-table” became a buzzword in the culinary industry, there was Jason Hammel at Lula Cafe. Serving a casual brunch before transitioning into an upscale dining experience at night, Lula Cafe and Hammel have never forgotten their accessible, youthful roots. Each dish is infused with rich, simple yet sophisticated and adventurous flavors.
Jenner Tomaska, executive chef and owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Esmé, was born and raised in Chicago, and his cooking makes that clear. Drawing on Chicago’s diverse and creative culture, Tomaska is constantly reinventing his menus, culminating in an ever-evolving fine dining experience in the heart of Lincoln Park.
Anna and David Posey, the team behind the Michelin-starred Elske in Chicago’s West Loop, have not only created a Scandinavian oasis in the center of the city, but are changing what it means to be a chef. With a renewed focus on sustainability, a conscious effort to reduce food waste and its own rooftop garden, the Posey’s are creating good food and creating a greener planet.
Sarah Grueneberg is more than a chef—she’s a storyteller. Former executive chef at Spiaggia, where she won a Michelin star and maintained it for three years, and now at Monteverde, the Italian favorite in Fulton Market, Grueneberg draws inspiration from memories of cooking with her grandmother in Texas to create a modern Italian cuisine with traditional roots.
The Girl and the Goat is a Chicago classic, and Stephanie Izard’s cooking is the reason. The first female chef to win Top Chef, Izard draws on a variety of customs, cultures and tastes at her various restaurants across Chicago. While the Girl and the Goat is her most well-known, mixing Mediterranean cuisine with innovative meat cuts, Izard has opened Little Goat Diner and Duck Duck Goat, continuing to broaden horizons with diverse menus and flavors.
Brown works under Erick Williams at Virtue, where his diverse influences help him create some of the best-tasting food in the city. Drawing upon his grandmother’s Mississippi recipes, Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse, Brown’s unique approach to cooking has earned him the title of Best Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2023.
John Shields and his wife Karen won their first Michelin star just six weeks after opening Smyth, and they have since gone on to win three more. Combining his Chicago culinary roots with his five years spent in Virginia, John has curated a warm, welcoming environment reminiscent of classic southern hospitality with a revolving door of new flavors, ingredients and dishes.
Famous for his innovative takes on Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless has blurred the lines between art and food, using Oaxacan-inspired colors, ingredients and recipes in his Michelin-starred restaurant, Topolobampo. Bayless is also the chef behind fast-casual chain Xoco, bringing fresh, award-winning dishes across the city.
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Good food doesn’t need to be complicated, and no one knows that more than Jonathon Sawyer. Executive chef at Kindling, Sawyer blends together Japanese, Mexican, Southern and European flavors to create a unique, laid-back menu in the heart of Chicago’s downtown.
Said to be the inspiration for The Bear, Curtis Duffy overcame a tumultuous childhood to become one of Chicago’s most-celebrated chefs, opening one of the city’s first three-star Michelin restaurants, Grace. Currently serving as executive chef and owner of Ever, the Chicago restaurant with two Michelin stars, Duffy is renowned for his culinary artistry and ingredient-driven approach to cooking.
Co-owner and head bartender at Chicago’s Kumiko, Julia takes her Japanese roots and combines them with traditional Western cocktails, creating a flavor profile guests are sure never to forget.
Noah Sandoval is consistently revolutionizing the fine dining space with his groundbreaking and innovative menus and approach to cooking. Sandoval, former executive chef at Senza, was the first chef to win a Michelin star with a gluten-free menu.
See also: The 16 Best Tasting Menus In Chicago
Photography by: Dreams Studio Bali/iStock