20 Florian Pfahler Managing Partner-Founder-CEO, Hannah’s Bretzel “When we started Hannah’s Bretzel fourteen years ago,” says Florian Pfahler, “we didn’t want to compete just on price and size, like all the others. We wanted to elevate the sandwich.” Using the pretzel bun, popular in his hometown of Stuttgart, Germany, Pfahler makes a next-level sandwich with ingredients uncommon at most fast casual restaurants, including bresaola (salted, air-dried ham) and wild-caught salmon. Following the company mantra of “Do the Right Thing,” the eight downtown locations of Hannah’s Bretzel all are powered by solar or wind energy, make extensive use of composting and use only minimal quantities of biodegradable paper products, all of which are sourced from Illinois. As part of their Chef Series, they invite local chefs to develop a sandwich, with ten percent of the proceeds going to the chef’s charity of choice. Turns out doing the right thing tastes good.
Robert and Sonat Birnecker /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
19 Sonat and Robert Birnecker Owners, KOVAL Distillery Chicago has become known for its plethora of breweries, but there’s also cool things happening on the spirits side. KOVAL Distillery has led the way in urban spirits, creating organic, from scratch, beautifully bottled liquor. “We really wanted to be in Chicago,” says Sonat Birnecker, who founded KOVAL in 2008 with her husband Robert. Leaving behind their respective jobs in academia, the couple turned to Robert’s family history of distilling as their path in the Windy City. “We wanted to put Chicago on the map as a place for fine spirits,” she says. Now KOVAL is one of the largest independent distilleries in the country, with global distribution and a consulting arm that has helped set up 180 distilleries around the world. “We’ve made it part of our business to help people however we can,” she says. “We grow the business by helping others grow theirs.”
Tremaine Atkinson /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
18 Tremaine Atkinson Co-Founder-Distiller, CH Distillery It might surprise Chicagoans to learn that Jeppson’s Malört, that iconic Chicago booze—the flavor of which has been likened to a tire fire, among other unlikely tastes—hadn’t been manufactured in Chicago since the 1970s. With the recent acquisition of Malört by Chicago-based CH Distillery, Malört returns home. “We are bottling our first Malört as we speak,” says Tremaine Atkinson, who opened CH in 2013. CH began by manufacturing vodka from organic Illinois grain, and serving it in the company’s Randolph Street tasting room and distillery. The success of CH Vodka inspired Atkinson to venture into the creation of liqueurs like Limoncello, Fernet and Amargo de Chile, a spicy, mole-flavored Amaro. CH expanded into an off-site Pilsen distillery in 2017, a move in step with the city’s explosion in craft cocktail programs. “The demand for high-quality, interesting spirits just continues to grow,” says Atkinson.
Jim Slama /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
17 Jim Slama Founder-CEO, FamilyFarmed Before the Good Food movement was commonly understood, Jim Slama started FamilyFarmed to build a better food system where people would be able to eat locally sourced food produced using sustainable and fair practices. Through activities like the Good Food Expo and Good Food Accelerator, the organization has changed the way Chicagoans eat. FamilyFarmed connects farmers and food artisans with suppliers, and includes places that affect masses of consumers, including Chicago Public Schools and Whole Foods. Emerging food businesses have raised $15 million through the Good Food Accelerator, and $80 million through FamilyFarmed’s Financing and Innovation Conference. “That’s over a hundred investors engaged and interested in good food business from hundreds of entrepreneurs,” Slama says. “Big food is continuing to look for innovation and to collaborate with folks like us.”
Melissa Flynn /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
16 Melissa Flynn Executive Director, Green City Market Green City Market celebrates its twentieth year in 2019, and Melissa Flynn is proud of how it has “played a huge role in transforming the farm-to-table movement in Chicago and how chefs get their food. A lot of people feel the farm-to-table movement has already happened, and now we’re onto the next thing, but I think we’re going to see a re-interest in it. You’ll see chefs going out of their way to let diners know where their food comes from and see more sustainably and locally sourced foods on the menu.” Of course, the market is for home cooks. “I want the market to be completely accessible,” says Flynn. “I’m a mom and I cook every night. If you buy celery root and don’t know what to do with it, take it to our ‘Ask a Chef’ tent, where they can explain how to clean, store and cook it.”
15 Daniel Gerzina Editor, Eater Chicago Dozens of publications and blogs discuss Chicago’s food scene, but Eater—with heat maps, best-of lists and feature stories—stands out as an authority. “We play a huge role in giving people information,” says Daniel Gerzina. “We don’t play any favorites and we stay very strict with our editorial standards to give people the real nitty-gritty.” Gerzina takes pride in Eater’s coverage of areas that have been underrepresented in food publications, such as the South Side or small family restaurants. “There has been a restaurant boom in Chicago in recent years,” which Gerzina is worried could burst soon. At the same time, he sees a trend toward more international flavors, especially Korean, Vietnamese and upscale Indian cuisine. “We’re going to be on the frontlines reporting these changes. Sadly, we’re also going to be on the frontline of reporting closings.”
Steve Dolinsky /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
14 Steve Dolinsky Journalist-Author Steve Dolinsky has been a crucial voice for the Chicago dining and drinking scene for twenty-four years. He’s chowed down as the Hungry Hound on ABC7 Chicago, hosted the award-winning podcast “The Feed” with chef Rick Bayless, highlighted hidden gems on his blog, and in 2018, he wrote “Pizza City, USA,” a book celebrating the diversity of Chicago pizza. “Chicago is kind of the whole package,” he says. “I’ve been reporting here since 1995, and the food scene has grown along with me.” Dolinsky particularly relishes his ability to be an advocate for small, overlooked restaurants in the city. “I’m not interested in some big restaurant group coming into Chicago to make a splash,” he says. “I’m going to continue to shine a light on the little guy; that keeps me going.”
Sam Toia /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
13 Sam Toia President-CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association The Illinois Restaurant Association brought the James Beard Awards, Chicago Gourmet and other food-centric events to town. But IRA president-CEO Sam Toia is just as excited about advocacy. He’s supported an increase in the minimum wage, protection for tip credit, and he’s also supporting an ordinance allowing year-round sidewalk cafes in Chicago. Cannabis will likely be his next challenge, and he’s looking forward. “What spirits were to baby boomers, cannabis is to millennials,” who represent a large number of Chicago’s fifty-seven million visitors. “Culinary tourism is bringing millennials from St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. They grew up with the Food Channel and Food Network, so it’s all about the experience.” He notes that restaurants are opening on the South Side and in neighborhoods like Pilsen and Avondale, and millennials are more likely to venture farther than older generations. Toia says, “We want to make sure we keep promoting the culinary industry all over Chicago.”
Phil Vettel /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
12 Phil Vettel Food Critic, Chicago Tribune In 2018, Phil Vettel shed the traditional anonymity of the restaurant critic. Restaurants use data to learn about their customers, so higher-end restaurants with more resources knew his face already. “But a lot of restaurants don’t have that technology, so I felt I was working in a two-tier class system,” Vettel says. This class system ties into bigger problems in Chicago’s dining scene. “The big challenge is economic,” he says. While big restaurant groups can handle higher rent and healthcare costs, Vettel is worried about others. “As a critic, I support restaurants doing things the right way, and, I hope, persuade people to put their support that way. The public will decide what they’re willing to pay for quality food and businesses that take care of their employees. We need to decide just what kind of a restaurant city we want to be.”
Keith Shapiro /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
11 Keith Shapiro Investor Attorney Keith Shapiro has spent over thirty years investing in restaurants, including Prairie Grass and Smyth and The Loyalist, as well as the Alinea Group and multiple Lettuce Entertain You projects. “I’m fairly agnostic about the type of food or whether it’s casual or competes for Michelin stars. Most importantly, a restaurant is a business, not an art project, and I only back those that understand the business of running restaurants. Number two, the food has to be excellent. There is no exception to this rule for any amount of profit. Third, leases make or break restaurants before the doors open and I never invest without reading the lease and believing it gives us a fair chance to succeed. I didn’t make these investments to get rich. There are infinitely safer ways to invest your money. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t take great pleasure in playing a role in fueling the creative side of this industry.”
Dining and Drinking Editor for Newcity, David also writes a weekly food column for Wednesday Journal in Oak Park and is a frequent contributor of food/drink and travel pieces to the Chicago Tribune, Plate Magazine and other publications. David has also contributed chapters to several books, including Street Food Around the World, Street Food, and The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. Contact: dhammond@newcity.com
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