Ryan Brosseau
Chef/Owner, Dear Margaret | Chicago
Last Updated: September 2021
September 2021
In a tiny town halfway between Toronto and Windsor, Canada, Ryan Brosseau always found comfort in family-cooked meals. He repaired home appliances for several years, but his friends and family encouraged him to pursue his knack for cooking. So at 26, Brosseau took his first culinary job, making 10-cent chicken wings at Peppers Bar & Grill in Windsor. In his next position as a line cook at a sushi restaurant across town, a mentor, Yanick Duchesne, taught him the pride of craftsmanship and the value of using fresh ingredients and a sharp knife.
In 2010, Brosseau moved to Chicago to study at Le Cordon Bleu. As a 30-year-old father learning alongside 20-year-olds, he put in extra work to stay ahead. The hours of practice paid off in the kitchens of Boka Restaurant Group’s Perennial Virant then Table, Donkey and Stick. In 2018, Brosseau served as the opening executive chef of Mediterranean restaurant Le Sud.
In early 2021, Brosseau and his partner, Lacey Irby, opened their passion project, Dear Margaret. Named after Brosseau’s grandmother, Dear Margaret meshes the French-Canadian cuisine he grew up eating with local Midwestern ingredients. He uses whole-animal butchery, bread baking, pickling, and other family techniques to replicate the warmth of his childhood. Earning a three-star review from the Chicago Tribune, the homestyle dishes are elevated with Brosseau’s precision, thoughtful sourcing, and creative formats.
