Jason Lyons 11/1/24 Jason Lyons 11/1/24

Second Act City

In Chicago, the hospitality industry is a draw for people looking for a fresh start.

Eric Barton 10/29/24 Eric Barton 10/29/24

Past, Present, Prahok: A Story of Healing at Khmai

How Chef Mona Sang found freedom, connection, and celebration through her Cambodian restaurant.

Lizzie Takimoto 10/24/24 Lizzie Takimoto 10/24/24

Cellars Without Sacrifice

How two Chicago sommeliers have strengthened their programs with focused wine lists

Amelia Levin 10/14/24 Amelia Levin 10/14/24

The Future is Fungi

Four Star Mushrooms seeks a sustainable food system through regenerative agriculture.

Jason Lyons 10/9/24 Jason Lyons 10/9/24

Sourcing at Anticonquista Café

In Chicago, Roasters Elmer Fajardo Pacheco and Lauren Reese combat the economic inequities of the coffee business by starting at the source.

Kara Elder 10/4/24 Kara Elder 10/4/24

Great Lake Grapes: Putting Michigan Wines on the Map

With a temperate climate and thirsty locals, Michigan is rapidly becoming a new hub for American wine

Chloe Rifat 9/29/24 Chloe Rifat 9/29/24

The Power of Pizza

In a city that knows its pies, two chefs are taking advantage of its fan base to raise money for good.

Jason Lyons 9/26/24 Jason Lyons 9/26/24

Verjus in Lieu

Unripe grape juice is a versatile substitute for chefs and bartenders alike.

Lizzie Takimoto 9/19/24 Lizzie Takimoto 9/19/24

On The Plate: Butter Chicken

At Indienne, Chef Sathish Subramaniam reconstructs a familiar dish.

Jonny Ifergan 11/27/21 Jonny Ifergan 11/27/21

Meet Chicago The Bear

When we traveled to Chicago during spring, there seemed to be a restless energy, an eagerness to burst out from the coronavirus’s period of hibernation. After seeing the characters that inspired the beers at Ørkenoy, we asked Brewer Jonny Ifergan and illustrator Katie Lukes to bring Chicago the Bear—a representation of the Chicago hospitality industry—to life.

Kendyl Kearly 11/23/21 Kendyl Kearly 11/23/21

Rewriting History

Beverage director Sarah Syman turns to The Official Mixer's Manual for the "Historically Inspired" section of The Dandy Crown menu.

Brad Japhe 11/16/21 Brad Japhe 11/16/21

The Flavor Brewer

Gastronomy informs the farmhouse-style beers at Averie Swanson's Keeping Together.

Erin Lettera 11/12/21 Erin Lettera 11/12/21

Fair Share

Chef Jennifer Kim empowers hospitality workers with information at Chicago start-up, Alt Economy.

Kendyl Kearly 11/8/21 Kendyl Kearly 11/8/21

Perfect Pairings

Sherry with caviar and white Burgundy with chawanmushi are the new Champagne and oysters. We share some of our favorite pairings from our time on the ground in Chicago.

Team StarChefs 11/5/21 Team StarChefs 11/5/21

Spring Fever

Forced to make due with root vegetables and shipped-in produce much of the year, Chicago chefs love spring. Twelve chefs write their love letters to the season.

Amelia Schwartz 11/1/21 Amelia Schwartz 11/1/21

From Bean to Babka

In partnership with vnlla Extract Co., the StarChefs team dives into the story behind Masa Madre babka's namesake ingredient.

Misha Garza López 10/28/21 Misha Garza López 10/28/21

Mole on the Rise

After much trial and error, Pastry Chef Valeria Taylor’s mole croissant at Loba Pastry + Coffee is a nostalgic treat packed with mole in every layer.

Audarshia Townsend 10/24/21 Audarshia Townsend 10/24/21

A Piece of the Pie

Chef Erick Williams of Virtue Restaurant reclaims the term "farm-to-table" in a discussion of African American foodways.

Carrie Schedler 10/21/21 Carrie Schedler 10/21/21

Red Gold

When Mohammad Salehi left Afghanistan, he found a new passion as a saffron importer. Salehi’s start-up, Heray Spice, is now bringing top-quality saffron to the United States.

Team StarChefs 10/20/21 Team StarChefs 10/20/21

Chicago Kitchen Notebook

An in-depth look at some of our favorite dishes and cocktails from our time on the ground in Chicago.

FEATURES