41 Katherine Duncan Founder/Chocolatier, Katherine Anne Confections The big task for Katherine Duncan lately is to finalize plans for her new location in the Irving Park neighborhood. “We’re keeping the Logan Square store, but having a second, larger location will be so much better for customers.” Duncan, who started making chocolate truffles and caramels with cream from Jersey cows on the family farm in Wisconsin, says having additional space will create more opportunities. She hopes occasional customers will become regulars, indulging in lattes, pastries, drinking chocolate, and even savory items, as well as buying decadent chocolate confections (still made with rich Jersey cream). But the thing of which she is proudest is paying her employees a living wage… And remaining in business for seventeen years. (Cynthia Clampitt)
Joe Weber/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
38 Joe Weber Founder/President, Four Star Mushrooms Four Star Mushrooms, an indoor gourmet mushroom farm, is serving over a hundred restaurants in Chicago, including many chef-driven fine-dining establishments. Four Star Mushrooms last longer and look great because they’re handled only once before they’re delivered to professional kitchens; chefs appreciate that quality, and the Four Star business is growing. “We also plan to open a small retail storefront at our facility later this spring.” Weber says. “Mushrooms play the critical role of transferring nutrients in ecological systems, and they contain novel compounds that have a range of effects on human physiology, from regulating our immune and digestive systems to increasing the brain-derived neurotrophic factor.” They taste good, too. (Tom Keith)
Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
FEATURED INDUSTRY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PHILANTHROPY 37 Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn Executive Director, Pilot Light Like adding butternut squash to mac and cheese, Pilot Light partners with teachers to merge food choices into traditional classroom curriculum. Since being hired as Pilot Light’s first employee in 2014, Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn has built the Chicago-based nonprofit into a national holistic food education program, having an impact on more than 20,000 pre-K-through-high school students. In addition to adding teacher capacity through training and free lesson plans, DeSorbo-Quinn and her “incredible” staff are working to promote the adoption of Pilot Light’s seven “food education standards” on state and nationwide levels. In fact, the team recently unveiled their “Snack Time Explorers” program designed to supplement educators who participate in the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program; they traveled to Capitol Hill in early March to present language to be included in the next Farm Bill. (Melissa Elsmo)
36 Doug Roth President/Founder, Playground Hospitality Playground Hospitality is laser-focused on guest experience and serves as a resource for new restaurant concepts, existing establishments and leisure businesses looking to elevate their brand with on-site dining. Doug Roth, third-generation restaurateur and Playground founder, is proud to have “hospitality in his DNA.” He’s the son of Don Roth and grandson of Otto Roth, operators of Chicago’s legendary Blackhawk restaurant. The industry veteran is proud to have come to the point in his career where his work provides a tremendous amount of personal gratification. It’s about time, he’s been at it twenty-four-seven since 2009. (Melissa Elsmo)
Catherine De Orio/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
34 Catherine De Orio Executive Director, Foundation for Culinary Arts Since leaving “Check, Please!” Catherine De Orio has kept moving. Fast. She earned a degree in design from Parsons, did a top-to-bottom redesign of her apartment, and works hard to help high-school students get the training they need to find jobs in the culinary industry. “I remember when I was getting ready to leave a career in law for a culinary career, I came to the realization that I’d need a degree to get anywhere in that field. That was a challenge, but a manageable challenge because I had resources from my legal work. Some younger kids may not have those resources to pursue higher education. The Foundation for Culinary Arts provides that leg up.” The Foundation has awarded $3 million in scholarships to help about 1,000 students in underserved communities gain the skills they need to have a career in the kitchen. (David Hammond)
Cheryl Knecht/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
32 Cheryl Knecht Founder/Executive Director, Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio For seven years, Cheryl Knecht has gathered kids in her kitchen at Schoolhouse in River Forest. In early 2023, the passionate food-focused educator expanded her brand to include a Chicago location. “Our Portage Park location is two times the size of the River Forest location and that allows us to offer family classes,” Knecht says. No matter if students are turning out tavern-style pizza or steamed dumplings, Schoolhouse exists to foster creativity and confidence through cooking classes and summer camps for children, tweens and teens. The Portage Park location aims to do the same for adults and families. “I have this career I love that just keeps getting more and more interesting,” says Knecht, who recently let us know that a “Wicker Park location of Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio is now set to open June 12 with the popular Homesteading Camps.” (Melissa Elsmo)
Devin De Lima/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
30 Devin De Lima Marketing Communications Manager, The Hatchery Since 2018, The Hatchery Chicago has been developing a space—67,000 square feet—for a diverse group of emerging entrepreneurs to create successful food and beverage businesses. Boasting fifty-seven state-of-the art commercial kitchens, The Hatchery aims to foster generational wealth by removing barriers in an industry known for considerable upfront costs. The Garfield Park incubator has nurtured hundreds of successful businesses, including Farmer’s Fridge, Big Shoulders Coffee and Tubby’s Taste. According to the Sun-Times, Natalie Shmulik, the Hatchery’s chief strategy and incubation officer, has as her goal the creation of a pathway for entrepreneurs to achieve success. The National Restaurant Association estimates that before the pandemic, 50,000 eating and drinking establishments were closing every year (compared to about 60,000 opening every year). “It’s our job,” Shmulik told the paper, “to provide them with as much…candid information as possible to give them a very realistic perspective.” The incubator offers thirty-four hours of kitchen time every week. Standard procedure is for Hatchery businesses to pay an hourly fee for shared kitchen space. When they’re getting closer to needing forty hours or more of kitchen time per week, they qualify to sign a lease for a private kitchen. “It is inspiring to see businesses go from concept to launch,” says Devin de Lima. “Dreams become a reality at the Hatchery; an idea becomes a product on store shelves.” The community-minded culinary hub also provides job training and placement programs, which in turn create sustainable economic growth and jobs on Chicago’s West Side and beyond. (Melissa Elsmo)
Taylor Hanna and Sebastian Vargo/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
29 Sebastian Vargo and Taylor Hanna Co-Founders, Vargo Brother Ferments Normalizing garlic breath is a top priority for artisanal pickle makers Sebastian Vargo and his wife Taylor Hanna. The seasoned Chicago chefs who boast stints at places like Schwa, Girl & the Goat and Dixie brought Vargo Brother Ferments to life during the pandemic. The duo has since gone “all in” on bringing their funky, fresh fermented goods to all of Chicago. “We’re preserving an ancient technique,” Sebastian Vargo says. “We rely on the ‘more salt, more acid’ chef-check to create a well-built and deeply flavorful brine.” This proud Black-owned business offers a golden-hued power kraut, a variation on Lebanese toum in their garlic sauce, and even kimchee-style collard greens. Not only are Vargo and Hanna putting a creative spin on old-school techniques, they’re also “empowering the pantries” by teaching classes about fermenting at home. (Melissa Elsmo)
27 LouisJohn and Leslie Slagel Farmer/Owners, Slagel Family Farm LouisJohn Slagel, a fourth-generation farmer, grew up caring for the diverse livestock on his family’s farm. Then, fifteen years ago, aware of the high quality of his meat, he started selling directly to restaurants. He appreciates chefs who want to know that the meat they’re buying has been raised right, fed right. Slagel tells us, “I grew the business by being honest and reliable.” But he’s not stopping there. Slagel has begun work on a charcuterie operation. “On a trip to Italy, we got very excited about what we were eating. We’ve built a new facility, hired an expert, and will soon start processing. We hope to have some products ready by fall, though of course, aged items will take longer.” Asked about the future, Slagel says, “We’ll be growing as long as restaurants are doing well.” (Cynthia Clampitt)
26 Luke Saunders Founder/CEO, Farmer’s Fridge As a traveling salesman, Luke Saunders got so frustrated with the dearth of healthy-food options at vending machines and quick-service restaurants that he decided to do something about it. What he did was create Farmer’s Fridge, an automated refrigerated vending machine filled with healthy meals. “We’re on a mission to make fresh, healthy food as accessible as a candy bar,” says Saunders, who now has more than 600 fridges nationwide with hundreds more in the pipeline, plus a rapidly expanding grab-and-go presence in retailers such as Target, Hudson News and Jewel-Osco. The twenty-five-item menu is freshly made, packed into plastic jars and trucked out daily from Chicago. Adding to best-sellers such as Pesto Pasta Bowl and Pineapple Coconut Chia Pudding, Farmer’s Fridge rotates dishes seasonally; a Southwest Chicken Salad was added this past spring. To help reach its zero-waste goal, the company is increasing its food donations. (Monica Kass Rogers)
22 Mandy Moody Executive Director, Green City Market “Not everyone realizes that Green City Market is a nonprofit organization,” says Mandy Moody, whose background in nonprofits has prepared her well for her current position. “It’s a for-profit for the farmers, but Green City does a lot more than just run a market. We help farmers faced with hardship, and we also work to make high-quality food accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Last year, we multiplied the value of SNAP benefits for a thousand people.” Moody is passionate about helping others, and about expanding people’s understanding of food production and family farms. “But the thing we’re most excited about now is recent growth. More than 360,000 people visited us in 2022. And we have big growth goals for 2023.” (Cynthia Clampitt)
Dwayne MacEwen/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
21 Dwayne MacEwen Principal/Creative Director, DMAC Architecture Chicago’s Roka Akor, Belly Q and Untitled are all very different spaces, and they’re just a few of the hospitality projects undertaken by Dwayne MacEwen and DMAC Architecture. What do these spaces have in common? “There’s no formula,” says MacEwen, “but there needs to be a level of restraint,” as well as a steady awareness of the capabilities and limits of the construction materials. Having started in the construction business before he became an architect, MacEwen tells us, “There’s a reason why contractors hate architects, but knowing how to build ‘from both sides of the drawing’ is invaluable. As an architect, you have to have a feel for the buildability of a proposed structure, and sometimes I have to take a power tool from the contractor’s hand and prove to them the detail we’re asking them to build is not that difficult; it just takes a certain amount of skill.” (David Hammond)
19 Mike LaVitola and Liz Williams Chairman/Co-Founder and CEO, Foxtrot While still in business school at the University of Chicago, Mike LaVitola started reimagining convenience stores: the products on offer as well as the physical spaces. Rather than garishly lit last-resort sources for marginal food and drink, LaVitola dreamed of neighborhood shops he’d want to frequent, filled with sustenance he’d enjoy. Realizing that vision, LaVitola curated a product mix of high-quality food and drink items from emerging makers, plus private-label goods, and a smattering of legacy brands. He also created a delivery app to sell online. With his first Foxtrot store in Chicago (opened in 2015), LaVitola learned that the audience he was reaching wanted to hang out at his store as much as they wanted to buy stuff online. That knowledge, plus more than $142 million in funding, fueled rapid expansion. Foxtrot now has fifteen Chicago locations, with twenty-six stores total. The company’s stated goal is to “redefine convenience for the modern consumer, marrying the best of neighborhood retail and ecommerce technology to create a community of discovery.” (Monica Kass Rogers)
14 Michael Muser Emcee, Jean Banchet Awards After navigating the Chicago restaurant landscape for more than thirty years, Michael Muser is an “Ever”-present personality in the city’s culinary community. In addition to continuing his work alongside chef Curtis Duffy, Muser is working behind the scenes to reimagine the Jean Banchet Awards. The Chicago-centric culinary awards presentation was historically affiliated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but the popular and theatrical event outgrew the partnership. “Once a year we need to check in to say who’s killing it right now,” says Muser, who will be relaunching the awards show as a standalone event in early 2024. In the meantime, he is deep in the not-so-easy process of establishing the Jean Banchet Awards as an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. He’s driven to use the evolved awards program to “do good things to and for the industry” by establishing a scholarship program for culinary students and funds to support industry workers in need. (Melissa Elsmo)
Keith Shapiro/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
9 Keith Shapiro Chairman/CEO, Karlov Street Capital Keith Shapiro consults with restaurants to provide the capital they need to get their dreams off the ground, and Shapiro encourages his clients to dream big while at the same time tempering those dreams with financial realities. “You don’t want to launch a restaurant,” Shapiro tells us, “that has to be a huge hit on day one in order to make money. That’s tying one arm behind your back.” Shapiro explains, “I always take a hard look at the lease, the cost of the build-out, the labor and food costs. I want to work with people who have brilliant, creative restaurant ideas, but they have to give themselves a fighting chance. The lease is the biggest killer of restaurants: when you see some of the leases that people sign, you might as well start planning for the funeral.” Shapiro has invested in some of Chicago’s—and the nation’s—leading restaurants, including Smyth & The Loyalist, various Alinea Group restaurants, Galit, Roots Pizza, and various Lettuce Entertain You restaurants around the country. (David Hammond)
Sam Toia/Photo: Joseph A. Mietus
8 Sam Toia President/CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association The Illinois Restaurant Association represents the state’s largest private-sector employer, which translates to thousands of restaurants and tens of thousands of restaurant workers. And while Sam Toia is excited about promoting Chicago’s remarkable dining scene, he is even more enthusiastic about the organization’s efforts to take care of those who work in the industry. “We are always promoting and improving restaurants,” Toia says, “but the last few years, we’ve had to focus on protecting everyone, helping them survive the pandemic. We raised money for scholarships, financial aid, education. We worked to expand outdoor dining, so people could work.” Toia notes that spring’s Chef’s Table event raises money for scholarships, while the James Beard Awards in June highlight the glories of culinary Chicago, which brings in business. But when asked to identify his proudest accomplishment, Toia states happily, “We’re raising $300,000 to help food-service workers.” (Cynthia Clampitt)
Industry, Infrastructure and Philanthropy The Hall of Fame
Rodrick Markus Founder, Rare Tea Cellar
Jim Slama Founder, Naturally Chicago and Family Farmed
Related Stories
Big Heat 2023: Restaurateurs This year, Newcity’s Big Heat feature focuses on those who stand behind the chef in the kitchen. We want to recognize the people who’ve succeeded big time, but we also want to recognize promising upstarts.
Big Heat 2023: Media and Influencers This year, Newcity’s Big Heat feature focuses on those who stand behind the chef in the kitchen. We want to recognize the people who’ve succeeded big time, but we also want to recognize promising upstarts.
Big Heat 2023: The Food and Drink 50 This year, Newcity’s Big Heat feature focuses on those who stand behind the chef in the kitchen. We want to recognize the people who’ve succeeded big time, but we also want to recognize promising upstarts.
Big Heat 2023: Beverage Purveyors This year, Newcity’s Big Heat feature focuses on those who stand behind the chef in the kitchen. We want to recognize the people who’ve succeeded big time, but we also want to recognize promising upstarts.
Knife Skills: Yes, Chef! Culinary Camp Supports Aspiring Chefs and the Food Industry On “Check, Please!” host Catherine De Orio teased out what citizen reviewers really thought about their dinners at popular Chicago restaurants. Now, with Yes, Chef! Culinary Camp for young students, she’s focusing on the “back of the house,” which diners rarely see, but which has been hurting for qualified candidates who can work their way up the kitchen food chain…
Dining & Drinking Top 5: March 2023 March is the month that starts us tentatively thinking that maybe, just maybe the cold weather is over and warm spring is on the way. Well, we shall see, but one thing for sure is that there are, indeed, some cool things to do (and eat, and drink) in March.
Big Heat 2023: The Food and Drink 50 Introduction
