30 Oliver Poilevey Chef, Le Bouchon and La Sardine Oliver Poilevey took up at Le Bouchon and La Sardine after his parents, Jean-Claude and Susanne, passed in the last few years. Young Poilevey grew up in the French culinary tradition, and he’s comfortable and successful at both his restaurants. Still young and full of energy, Poilevey is seeking other outlets for his creative culinary expression. “I’m looking to do something in the Bucktown neighborhood,” says Poilevey. “French is my bread and butter, so I’m thinking about opening a raclette place, where every table would have a grill, kind of like a French-Korean barbecue. Some friends and I have been talking about doing a higher-end taco place with a wood-fired oven. As we already have two regular restaurants, I’d like to do something that’s more counter service.”
Soo Ahn/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
29 Soo Ahn Chef, Band of Bohemia Chef Soo Ahn likes a good challenge, which drew him to Band of Bohemia after years at Grace and EL Ideas, creating dishes that stand out on their own but also complement the brewpub’s beers. “The way I approach new dishes has completely changed,” Ahn says. “Since I’m trying to come up with dishes that complement the beer, not the other way around, I constantly have to think outside the box with the flavor combinations. Two ingredients could go well together but when paired with beer these same ingredients may taste off or disconnected. Then I look for another ingredient that’s like one of the ingredients, or scrap the dish entirely.” He finds inspiration in food he ate growing up: “My grandmother always used to make dishes that were spicy with hints of sweetness. I like to do the same.”
Greg Wade/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
28 Greg Wade Baker, Publican Quality Bread If you’ve enjoyed bread at a Chicago restaurant recently, it was probably a loaf from Publican Quality Bread’s head baker, Greg Wade. With the help of Wade, a bakery that once was in the basement at Publican Quality Meats has transformed into a growing community of chefs who literally break bread together. Wade believes working with local chefs “has helped me become a better baker. Knowing what each of them is using our bread for has driven me to train our team to strive for consistency and quality day in and day out.” With over eighty Chicago restaurants boasting PQB’s bread, Wade has more in store for fans in 2020, including a wholesale breakfast pastry program that will feature rye Kouign-Amann, naturally leavened croissants and fire-roasted, white-cornmeal Danish.
Trevor Teich/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
27 Trevor Teich Chef, Claudia Trevor Teich, the chef behind Claudia, the beloved fine-dining pop-up which opened permanently in the West Loop after a Kickstarter campaign, puts the same amount of playfulness and love into his cooking as he always has, but it’s different now. “When it’s your restaurant and your food, and people are making memories with your restaurant, the feeling is irreplaceable,” Teich says. “It’s even more rewarding than before.” He’s focused on a new spring menu, featuring a fun take on tomato soup and grilled cheese, working with sommelier Alexander Reed on a wine program, keeping things adventurous. “People are taking their time and money to come in, so the menu should be fun, and that’s really important to me because I fell in love with food by going to restaurants that were fun.”
Vinod Kalathil and Margaret Pak/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
26 Margaret Pak and Vinod Kalathil Chefs, Thattu Chicago has had an influx of new, creative Indian restaurants, and one of the most exciting is Thattu, a Kerala-style street food stand in the West Loop’s Politan Row Chicago food hall headed by husband-and-wife team Margaret Pak and Vinod Kalathil. Pak serves her take on dishes learned from Kalathil’s Keralian mother as well as other regional specialties. She says the pair is excited about bringing new dishes and flavors to the Chicago dining scene, particularly their kadala curry with appam. “Both are unique ingredients and dishes that you don’t see in any other restaurants,” Pak says. “Black chickpeas are slow cooked with curry leaves, tomatoes, spices and ground roasted coconut to make this simple and hearty vegetarian curry. We pair it with an appam, a lacy rice crepe made from fermented rice and coconut milk.”
Won Kim/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
25 Won Kim Chef, Kimski The Korean-Polish fusion at Kimski started as “kind of a funny joke, to see if we could get away with smashing them together,” says Won Kim. Despite that, the love from diners is completely serious, and Kim has created something truly special in his creative dishes. “Approachability is a big thing for us,” he says. “We want to present a fine-dining mentality, but not so stuffy or in need of explanation.” Supporting that independent spirit in the dining scene is what Kim really loves about his role: “I love taking care of my people and being able to hook up cooks who never thought they’d be able to meet, much less work with, chefs they’ve read about.”
Dave Park/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
24 Dave Park Chef, Jeong Dave Park came onto the radar of Chicago diners in an unusual way: serving up precise and intricate Korean dishes filled with flavor in a suburban food stall. Park’s food at Hanbun drew acclaim and reservations as far as a year out for his exclusive dinner tasting menu. “We were able to offer a different take on the flavors of my childhood in Korea,” Park says. He and fiancée Jennifer Tran moved their vision to West Town in 2019 and opened Jeong to hungry diners and high praise. With the space to apply his own style to beloved traditions, Park will strive to connect diners from palate to soul with his heartfelt take on the food he loves. “We are able to offer something here in Chicago that I always dreamed of doing,” says Park, “showcasing the flavors of the cuisine that I have wanted to cook since I started.”
23 The Zaragoza Family Birrieria Zaragoza The Zaragoza family—John (Juan), Norma, Jonathan, Andie, Tony and Erik—are the folks behind the counter at Birrieria Zaragoza, recognized by the Jean Banchet awards and praised by people like Andrew Zimmern and Rachel Ray, as well as the Chicago Tribune and Steve “Hungry Hound” Dolinsky. The Zaragozas make goat birria, perhaps the finest you will ever taste, in the style of their ancestral Jalisco. “My biggest goal as a chef,” says Jonathan, “is to have a cultural impact in my community and beyond by telling my ancestors’ story through food along with using my platform to spur social change.” Telling that story brings Jonathan around the world: “I just signed on to be the keynote speaker at Yale University’s wellness retreat in March, collaborating with them to put on a week’s worth of activations for their students and staff.”
Zach Engel/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
22 Zach Engel Chef, Galit Zach Engel (2017 James Beard Rising Star Chef), opened Galit (Hebrew for “wave” last year), a Middle Eastern restaurant in Lincoln Park. Engel, who perfected his skills in New Orleans restaurants, appreciates every aspect of the Chicago food scene, including the close-knit chef community that welcomed him from the beginning. “There’s a lot of variety here in the types of restaurants. There are Chicago classics, chef-driven spots that have been successful for decades, legendary pioneers of cooking, and young talent making a name for themselves.” With the workload of a restaurant still in its first year, chef Engel has yet to explore Chicago’s culinary mecca as much as he’d like: “Right now, I’m spending a lot of time at Galit.”
Jimmy Papadopoulos/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers
21 Jimmy Papadopoulos Chef, Bellemore Three years into helming the kitchen at Bellemore, Jimmy Papadopoulos is settled in but not slowing down. “I’m working to cement the restaurant in the dining community,” he says. But he’s not doing it alone. He works hard to empower his team and instill in his staff a sense of ownership and pride in decision making. “It’s not a hidden secret that one person’s success isn’t about just that person so much as the fabric behind that person to get them where they need to be,” he says. “It’s not for me, this is for us, we’re all part of this success, together.” He’s received praise from diners and critics, and he savors each moment. “This right now is what you dream about if you’re in our profession.”
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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