Work

After over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry, I am now on my own consulting. This has been my journey…

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland where I began my restaurant career at the Mount Washington Tavern at the age of 15. After learning the trade from fine dining to short order cooking and all of the spaces in between, I migrated to Chicago in 1995. 

1995

I spent time working in specialty food shops and catering and eventually connected with Jimmy Bannos at Heaven on Seven where I spent a solid 4 years.

With Jimmy, I developed a catering program that broke through their brand of Louisiana cuisine and into other types of seasonal cooking. Jimmy also let me play around with some insanely spicy peppers, expanding their Hot as a Mutha dinner series and other themed events.

Of the many takeaways from Heaven on Seven, the best has been a 20+ year friendship with the King of Gumbo.

2008

A groundbreaking time for my career, I opened my premier catering company, City Provisions, with a mission to “connect the community with food”.  I started in a shared kitchen space in Humboldt  Park. Immediately, I launched what would become the City Provisions Farm Dinner Series. After one season in Humboldt Park, I began my search for a brick and mortar location.

above gallery – photos by christina noel photography

2010

While the Farm Dinners rolled along  (we actually did one in the middle of an onion field at River Valley) I moved City Provisions to the wonderful neighborhood of Ravenswood where it became a full service delicatessen, retail shop, and butchery.  It is at this point where chatter began about City Provisions becoming a trailblazer of support for the local food movement.  The 2010 Local Beet’s “Restaurant of the Year,” Chicago Magazine’s “Best Brunch,” and ChiTown on Tap’s “Food Industry Professional Doing
 Most For Craft Beer” are only a few of the many accolades that came to us.

Over the next 12 years, I would go on to collaborate with breweries from Chicago and across the country, brewing unique and experimental beers all with a culinary influence. More on these collaborations HERE.

The City Provisions Farm Dinners were now prefaced with “award winning.” “award winning.” he farm dinner model became hosting a group of guests on bus trips to different  local farms and cooking a multi-course dinner with beer pairings.  The dinners were so well received that we were approached by the Chicago Botanic Gardens where we continued hosting  farm dinners for over a decade.

2011

The farm dinners gained traction, gather momentum, and also gathered a large following.

2013

In March of 2013, I am hired as Executive Chef at Fountainhead, one of America’s top craft beer and whiskey bars.

It was during this year that some folks recommended me as the next host of Check Please! and found my way to the final three contestants. While that didn’t quite pan out, I was just fine doing my thing(s) at Fountainhead, which was building steam.

The year rolled on with a new series of events I called Butcher and Booze, where we gathered a bunch of chefs at Faith’s Farm. We started the day with live animals and finished by all sitting around a table having butchered, broken down and cooked those lamb, chickens, hogs and goats. It was an incredible education for all and ultimately a statement on community.

Meanwhile we were doing amazing things at Fountainhead including a trip to Louisville where we selected our own private barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Four Roses.

2014

After a year at Fountainhead, I rewrote the food program at their sister restaurant, Bar on Buena, focusing on burgers and Mexican fare. Mad props to  Rick Bayless who allowed me to stage with him for inspiration.

My beer collaborations continued, as did putting Fountainhead on the map as Chicago’s best gastropub.

After a couple more years working with Fountainhead and the Bar on Buena, we opened Fountainhead Market and turned our eyes to opening Chicago’s first cider pub, The Northman.  I was lucky enough to spend some time in Paris, touring Normandy, eating cheese and tasting cider.

The purpose of my trip was to find inspiration cooking in Rouen.  While there, I served my “popcorn creme brûlée,” which blew the minds of their staff. Not only did I find my inspiration, but I made a new group of friends that I still hold to this day.

In Normandy, we were treated to a tour of Christian Drouin’s orchard and cider house where we all got to taste a Calvados from our birth year.  It was the rare occasion where you are happier to be older.

2016

Hired by Theater On The Lake as Executive Chef over a year before their opening, I had the opportunity to work with Kaufman O’Neil Architects to design and build out the $7M renovation of the entire project on Chicago’s lakefront.  As construction began I worked on all Point of Sale, inventory, and event management software systems. Near opening, I implemented all staff training and was in charge of designing the food and beverage program.

After Theater On The Lake, when the Covid pandemic hit, I worked with KitchFix for a year designing Whole30 meals for home delivery.

From there I would take a role with Camp Aramoni as Director of Hospitality, essentially with the same responsibilities I developed at Theater On The Lake.

In 2022, I jumped out of hospitality to flex my leadership and direction as Chief of Staff at Iron Galaxy Studios. After 2 1/2 years of service, I was laid off in the Summer of 2024.

These days, I am a personal chef while serving those in the industry who can use my assistance as an Experiential Hospitality Consultant.