Meet the famous faces running the kitchens in some of Chicago’s top restaurants. Our city is home to many of the best and brightest culinary stars, from TV personalities to globally renowned chefs.

Check out this guide to Chicago’s celebrity chefs and where you can taste their celebrated cuisine for yourself.

Rick Bayless

Chicago chef Rick Bayless won the James Beard Award for National Chef of the Year, 1995 and hasn’t slowed down since. In the past two decades, he’s made a lasting mark on Chicago’s culinary scene. His two signature restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, specialize in modern interpretations of traditional Mexican food, along with tortas and churros at casual spot Xoco. With several cookbooks, celebrity appearances. and a national TV show (Mexico — One Plate at a Time on PBS), Rick continues to bring new flavors home to Chicago and to audiences around the world.

Stephanie Izard

Stephanie Izard
Stephanie Izard

You might know her from Top Chef, where she was named the series’ first female winner in 2008. Since then, she’s been busy accumulating more accolades for her slew of acclaimed Chicago restaurants. Her flagship restaurant Girl & the Goat has been one of the hottest tables in town since it opened in 2011. The restaurant and chef have since been honored with several prestigious James Beard nominations and a win in 2013 as “Best Chef: Great Lakes.” Izard’s diverse roster of restaurants, all concentrated in the West Loop, include “reasonably authentic” Chinese spot Duck Duck Goat and rooftop cevicheria Cabra.

Grant Achatz

There’s probably no greater star chef practicing modernist cuisine in the world today than Grant Achatz. His first restaurant, Alinea, is often more like a laboratory, and several dishes from his 18 – 22 tasting menus are served with interactive elements. A culinary mecca to many, it’s frequently ranked among the best restaurants in the world, such as the esteemed San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list, and is currently the only Chicago restaurant with three Michelin stars.

Grant’s cocktail lounge Aviary is an equally innovative addition to the Chicago dining scene. His West Loop restaurant Next, winner of the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2012, features a new themed dining experience several times a year. Roister, his more casual spot focused on heart-made dishes with global flavors, was awarded one Michelin star in 2019. And in the same building, St. Clair Supper Club draws inspiration from its surroundings (Chicago’s former meat-packing district) for a menu that’s a carnivore’s dream.

Beverly Kim

Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark of Parachute and Wherewithall
Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark of Parachute and Wherewithall

A late-round finalist on season nine of Top Chef, Beverly Kim has developed her own signature style of Korean cuisine. That style is on display at Parachute, the award-winning restaurant in Avondale that Beverly runs with her husband, Johnny Clark. The menu showcases a wide range of traditional Korean dishes, served in an intimate 40-seat space.

In 2019, Beverly and Johnny won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. They also opened their second restaurant — Wherewithall, which serves a regularly rotating prix fixe tasting menu just a few doors down from Parachute.

Erick Williams

Virtue in Hyde Park; photo by Nolis Anderson

A Chicago native, Erick Williams has made a lasting mark on his city’s food scene. His first venture, Virtue Restaurant & Bar in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood, showcases Williams’ talent for refined, soulful cuisine. The spot opened to immediate national acclaim and earned him the prestigious Best Chef: Great Lakes title at the James Beard Awards. His other restaurants include casual Mustard Seed Kitchen and Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern.

Paul Kahan

Paul Kahan
Paul Kahan

The multi-award-winning restauranteur is a man of many talents. His accolades include James Beard nods for Outstanding Chef, 2013 and Best Chef of the Midwest, 2004, plus numerous recognitions from Food & Wine Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Michelin Guide, and more.

He’s a master of tacos, all things pork, and smokehouse meats — one trip to Big Star, The Publican, and Publican Quality Meats will make that clear . He and his teams excel also at modern Midwestern cuisine (now-closed Blackbird), rustic Mediterranean (avec), and Italian-inspired seafood (Nico Osteria). Hard-working and humble, he’s a Chicagoan through and through and has earned his spot as one of America’s most influential working chefs.

Sarah Grueneberg

Sarah Grueneberg
© 2018 Galdones Photography

This Texas transplant moved to Chicago in 2005 to work under the legendary Tony Mantuano at Spiaggia. She quickly rose through the ranks to Chef di Cucina, and has been making her mark on the local culinary community ever since. Nationally, she’s known for being a fan favorite as a finalist on Top Chef: Season 9.

Critics have been heaping accolades onto her West Loop restaurant, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, since it opened in 2015. It was recognized as one of “America’s Best Restaurants” by Food & Wine and a top 50 finalist on Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants” list. In 2017, Sarah received her first James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.

Thai & Danielle Dang

Thai Dang is bringing an authentic taste of Vietnam to Chicago. HaiSous, his hit restaurant in the Pilsen neighborhood, is all about flavors and recipes from Dang’s childhood in Vietnam. His masterful execution and modern vision have earned him plenty of acclaim — Haisous was a 2018 semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and a recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand. He runs Haisous with his wife and director of operations, Danielle Dang. The couple also opened an all-day Vietnamese cafe and coffee bar, Cá Phe Dá, right next door to Haisous.

Anna and David Posey

Anna and David Posey
Anna and David Posey

Elske is a labor of love for husband-and-wife duo David and Anna Posey. The restaurant, who’s name means “love” in Danish, has received a coveted Michelin star for the high-quality cuisine and the #2 spot on Bon Appetit‘s list of Best New Restaurants 2017. The pair also earned James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef: Great Lakes Region. Not bad for the their first restaurant together.

The instant accolades might have something to do with the fact that the couple previously worked in some of Chicago’s best kitchens. David served as the former chef of Blackbird and Anna was the pastry chef as Publican. At Elske, a clean and modern space in the West Loop, the Poseys serve their perfectly executed, Danish-inspired cuisine. Get the nine-course tasting menu or choose from the a la carte menu — you’ll taste the love in everything you order.

Curtis Duffy

Curtis Duffy
Curtis Duffy

Chef Curtis Duffy’s prestigious resume and reputation makes his a familiar name for many fanatical foodies. Having worked in the famous kitchens of Grace, Charlie Trotter’s, The French Laundry, Alinea, and Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago, he’s spent years honing his craft in some of the city’s most acclaimed kitchens. His new venture, Ever, is already highly acclaimed by chefs and critics alike. The fine dining spot, which features tasting menus focused on seafood, grains and vegetables, has earned the chef two Michelin stars.

Mindy Segal

For a little sweetness on your Chicago top chef tour, stop by Mindy’s Bakery. Mindy, winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, is known for her out-of-this-world pastries and desserts, but the rich and decadent hot chocolate drinks at this Bucktown spot are not to be missed. If you’re in the Loop, satisfy your sweet tooth at Mindy’s HotChocolate Bakery in Revival Food Hall.

And if you still have openings in your fine-dining agenda, check out more of Chicago’s top chefs and rising stars: