Sari Zernich Worsham and Scott Worsham /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
10 Scott Worsham and Sari Zernich Worsham Co-Owners, Bar Biscay, mfk Scott Worsham is fed up. “Food, by which I mean cooking and eating, is now a spectator sport,” he says. A recent trip to Spain, where he ate high-quality food in an unpretentious atmosphere, was the inspiration for mfk and Bar Biscay, where his partners are Sari Zernich Worsham, Joe Campagna and chef Johnny Anderes. “We realize we can’t change the American lifestyle,” he says, “but we can put up a fight for the right to slow down and relax a little.” He hopes there’s a shift toward more neighborly restaurants but notes it’s hard for small restaurants to stay afloat. “The big changes I see coming are already happening: big, well-funded companies from both coasts swooping in and paying top dollar for prime real estate locations and making us more and more chain-riddled,” Worsham says. “We’ve got long leases and cheap rents, so we’ll keep pushing people to slow down and relax for as long as we can.”
Scott Harris /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
9 Scott Harris Owner, Francesca’s Restaurants Scott Harris is a true industry man. From his first restaurant job when he was fourteen, Harris has made the journey to successful restaurant group owner. There have been plenty of lessons over the years, from pacing himself (“We once opened seven restaurants in sixteen months; it was not good”) to keeping up with the times. Nowadays, it’s the millennials that Harris is courting, pursuing sexy décor and quality cocktails as well as delicious food. Regardless of the audience, Harris attributes his success to the people he works with. Taking care of them is his priority. New restaurant Joe’s Imports, for example, is a reward for longtime partner Joe Fiely. “The only way you can grow is to have good people,” Harris says. “If people in my company have an idea and I like it, I try to make their dreams come true.”
8 Carmen Rossi Founder, 8 Hospitality From a career in law to dining entrepreneur, Carmen Rossi can clearly handle the facets of a successful restaurant group. Starting with a partnership in Hubbard Inn and learning the industry as he went along, Rossi has developed a company with colorful concepts and a well-rounded approach to doing business. His 8 Hospitality group now has many locations under its belt, including Joy District, HVAC and Old Grounds Social. While these places cater to enjoyment and whimsy, Rossi’s development of each is conscientious and calculated, taking into account line items and laws as well as the community around his establishments. “When we decide to acquire a property and develop a hospitality concept, we first want to assess what the community wants,” he says. “Investing considerable time and financial resources requires that your strategy contemplate not only those details inside your brick-and-mortar four walls, but in the community as a whole.”
Joe Gray /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
7 Joe Gray Food Editor, Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune food coverage looks different than it did even a few years ago, and a big part of that is due to Joe Gray’s oversight and cultivation of a new generation of dining and drinking writers. “About three or four years ago,” says Gray, “there were buyouts and we saw an opportunity to bring in people who were internet-savvy, because the whole company is moving toward a digital-first world. We also wanted people who could give us quick turnaround and who knew neighborhoods.” That last point is particularly important, because in 2019 and beyond, the Tribune food team will laser-focus on sometimes-overlooked neighborhoods, where the culture and history that produced specific foods largely unknown to a larger public. A beautiful example of this is Nick Kindelsperger’s investigative work on the peppermint stick-in-the-pickle snack, a street treat that really does exist.
Phillip Walters and John Ross /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
6 John Ross and Phillip Walters Owners, B. Hospitality Co. When John Ross and Phillip Walters opened The Bristol in 2008, they opted to “start selfishly,” in the words of Ross, opening the kind of place where they’d want to dine: a farm-driven restaurant with whole animal dining, as many beers as wines, and a convivial atmosphere. “All these things are common, everyday occurrences now,” says Ross, “but in 2008, they were not.” Six restaurants later, B. Hospitality is a leader. “Chicago has grown into its own,” Walters says. And with that growth, there are challenges. “We’re going to see separations of the pack, specific to the automation of food and touchscreens taking the place of a person,” Walters says. “By continuing to grow our concept we can stay in front of that versus just putting an iPad on the table.”
Rafid Hindo, Nader Hindo, Dani Alonso and Fadi Hindo /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
5 Daniel Alonso, Fadi Hindo, Nader Hindo and Rafid Hindo Founder and Partners, Bonhomme Hospitality You’ve probably visited one of the bars, restaurants or nightclubs under the umbrella of Bonhomme Hospitality: Beatnik, Beatnik on the River, Black Bull, Bordel, Café Bonhomme, Celeste, Disco, and Fulton Market Kitchen. Founder and partner Daniel Alonso tells us Porto, a Galician-Portuguese restaurant, and The Christensen, a Wicker Park tavern, will also be opening soon. “Each of our concepts is meticulously composed,” says Alonso, “and carefully curated to maximize the experience for our guests, through design, cuisine, beverages and music. At the same time, we’re interested in preserving and bringing historic pieces to renewed life in our concepts. Because each one of our places has a true vision that informs every detail, from the interior elements to menus to programming, they are each unique and genuine. We do not attempt to imitate or replicate something that’s already in Chicago—or anywhere else.”
Derek Rettell and Michael Dunlay in back (l. to r.), Josh Rutherford and Doug Dunlay in front (l. to r.) /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
4 Doug Dunlay, Michael Dunlay, Derek Rettell and Josh Rutherford Owners, 4 Star Restaurant Group Isn’t it great to have a go-to restaurant right around the corner? Easy to get to and reliably delicious? That ethos powers 4 Star Restaurant Group. Owners Doug Dunlay, Mike Dunlay, Derek Rettell and Josh Rutherford have created an impressive lineup of concepts, including the sleek Ella Elli, pizzeria and wine bar Frasca, comfort food-focused Crosby’s Kitchen, taqueria Tuco and Blondie, and two locations of longtime barbeque favorite Smoke Daddy. “People really love to stay in their neighborhood to eat, especially with their families,” says Doug Dunlay. “We feel we have been able to bring extremely high-quality food and beverage programs to the neighborhoods in Chicago.”
Scott Weiner /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
3 Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner Owners, Fifty/50 Restaurant Group The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group owns and operates West Town Bakery, Apogee, Steadfast, Roots, The Sixth, The Berkshire Room, Bunny Slope, Bodega, the Fifty/50, Portsmith, Leviathan and Homestead on the Roof. Owners Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner focus on Chicago’s neighborhoods and their employees. Since day one, the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group has offered subsidized health insurance, retirement and other valuable benefits. “That’s always been one of our main focuses,” Weiner says, “to open up restaurants in the neighborhoods and provide experiences that people might be used to getting downtown, while also investing in our people.” Fifty/50 Restaurant Group will open three new restaurants this year in South Loop, Old Town and the financial district. They keep an eye on trends. “Whether it’s this year or next, cannabis is going to start playing a role,” Weiner says. “As soon as it’s legalized, I can see it being incorporated into Chicago’s fine-dining restaurants. It’s going to become less taboo, and while we’re not necessarily involved in it right now, we’re definitely paying attention.”
Craig Golden and Bruce Finkelman /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
2 Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden Partners, 16” on Center Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden own and operate Bite, Beauty Bar, Dusek’s, Empty Bottle, Empty Bottle Presents, Longman & Eagle, MONEYGUN, Promontory, Punch House, Revival Food Hall, Saint Lou’s Assembly, Space, Tack Room, Thalia Hall, The Ruin Daily and Union Pizza. What holds these disparate endeavors together, says Finkelman, “is the collaboration between food, drink and music. Right now, we’re working on Sound Bites, a collaboration between our musical artists [at Thalia Hall] and our kitchen [Dusek’s]. We ask the musicians to make a dish that reminds them of home or that’s connected to the inspiration for their music.” Sounds delicious!
Nick Kokonas /Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
1 Nick Kokonas Founder-CEO, Tock and Co-Founder, The Alinea Group As if it were not enough to have had a hand in spawning Alinea, Chicago’s only Michelin three-star restaurant, Nick Kokonas has also, with his partner Grant Achatz, built The Alinea Group which manages and develops Next, The Aviary, Roister, Crucial Detail, The Aviary NYC and the namesake restaurant. Kokonas has also developed and overseen the exponential growth of Tock. “Revolutionary” is an overused word, but Tock is exactly that: a restaurant reservation system that’s so much more than just a ticketing service. Tock is also a customer-relationship-management system, and the service is every bit on par with the food at his restaurants. “At Alinea,” says Kokonas, “we have a mix of people coming in all the time. We have people who’ve saved up for two years to eat there because it’s their special occasion, and then we have heads of state. We treat them identically.”
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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