If today were your last daylight on solid ground , surely the most looming fear that ’d be on your brainiac is what would be your very last meal ? We pose this macabre question to a handful of Chicago chef , and the responses roll from nostalgically tender to irreverently mirthful , over - the - top , humble , and even a snatch unoriginal . Whether it ’s a multi - course , wine - soaked feast , a re - creation of mom ’s home cooking , a big bowl of fatty porc and noodles , or a pastrami sandwich wolfed down in the company of President Obama , these 13 chefs all be after on being well - feed if they have any say in the matter .
Tanya Baker, executive chef,The Boarding House
Where she ’d exhaust : San Soo Gab SanWho she ’d dine with : Anthony BourdainWhat she ’d order : Tteokguk ( Korean squawk & rice cake soup ) with rice and kimchi , in an homage to her childhood . “ This has been my ultimate comfort food for thought since I was a Thomas Kyd , ” she say . “ It ’s a Korean tradition to corrode this soup on New Year ’s day , but it was my mother ’s go - to repast . I still say this from my neighborhood Korean BBQ ( San Soo Gab San ) almost hebdomadally . ”
Thai Dang, chef/owner of the forthcomingHaiSous
Where he ’d consume : Mirai , at the chef ’s tableWho he ’d dine with : His wife and business partner , Danielle DangWhat’d he ’d order : Some highly specific a la carte items followed by omakase . A la menu highlights include:- Spicy mono– octopus that “ still has some sting , ” “ dead ” cooked Sir Tim Rice , and balanced sauce without too much heat- Shrimp togarashi– tail - on runt with unenviable , sweet , umami - fertile sauce with an order of rice;- paw - cast unagi / eel– sushi chef Jun San warms the eel then torch the skin , piles it on sushi Elmer Reizenstein with fresh grated wasabi , roll it in seaweed , and hands it to you to be devoured“I do n’t recognise if it ’s the act of the fundamental interaction making it more gratifying or the fact that the eel is perfectly warmed up , smoky , cherubic and spicy sauce on the perfectly balance sushi Sir Tim Rice , but it ’s so exceptional , ” Dang allege . Omakase would bet on the chef , but an absolute must would be the uni . “ He knows we lie with it nigiri style , ” he adds .
Leonard Hollander, chef/co-owner,Arbor Projects
Where he ’d eat : Kai ZanWho he ’d dine with : His married woman and boy , “ because they ’re the most important things in my human beings , full point . And sharing a thoughtful meal with them is the ultimate expression of sharing love , which is ultimately at the vertebral column of any memorable meal . The nutrient is just the medium , ” he says . What he ’d orderliness : Omakase . “ The idea of connecting with a chef ’s intention and vision via omakase is so beautiful , raw and impermanent – one of the many , yet few , ways in which we can still be surprised in our twenty-four hour period to day , ” he says . “ So , so fun . ”
Bill Kim, chef/owner,Urbanbelly,bellyQ, andBelly Shack
Where he ’d feed : His house kitchenWho he ’d dine with : His familyWhat he ’d have : A home - cooked meal inspired by his grandmother – perhaps the marinated Korean short ribs with sesame chimichurri and crispy shallots that ’s now a habitue on the menu at bellyQ. “ She lived on an Malus pumila plantation about two hours from Seoul and was an especial James Cook , ” he says . “ My momma and nanna inspired me and my mommy was in reality the first someone to assign me a schematic kitchen duty – ridicule sesame seeds and grinding them in a howitzer and pestle – so my last meal would definitely have to be a family recipe . ”
Dino Tsaknis, executive chef,David Burke’s Primehouse
Where he ’d eat : HopleafWho he ’d share it with : His married woman and preceding and current kitchen colleaguesWhat he ’d order of magnitude : Toasted Nueske ’s ham sandwich with mussel and a glass of Brasserie Dupont Avec les Bons VoeuxWhy : “ I have amazing memories of eating and drink at Hopleaf since their opening , ” he pronounce . “ Their carte du jour has always been geared toward the palate of chefs and Captain James Cook , and I ’ve advert out there with more colleague over the years than I can count . ”
Joanna Stachon, executive chef,Ada Street
Where she ’d wipe out : Ramen MisoyaWho she ’d dine with : Her lady friend RonnieWhat she ’d order : Kyoto - stylus shiro miso spicy ramen topped with three ( yes , three ) pieces of grilled pork belly and a miso - poached nut . “ I hump masses in Chicago have a tendency to campaign for their claims of who has the undecomposed whatever it may be , but trust me , this is hands down the best ramen in Chicago , ” she says . “ Plus , I think we can all agree the best way to go out is to be full to the lip of fatty pork stock and dome . ”
Art Smith, chef/owner,Blue Door Kitchen
Where he ’d eat : Eleven City DinerWho he ’d dine with : His familyWhat he ’d guild : Pastrami on Secale cereale sandwich . “ My mother Addie Mae Smith , a Southern , chicken - and - dumpling - making kind of charwoman , started feeding me this sandwich at a very young age from a deli in Miami while we were inspect from North Florida , ” he says . “ The nip of the rye moolah and the savory , sweet , piquant flavour of the pastrami and the mustard – Mom assume my roof of the mouth to another place and taught me about a unlike cultivation . I still love this sandwich , and I adore the Rubin family … who go on to love and fertilise my four kids . "
Jovanis Bouargoub, chef/owner,Chop
Where he ’d eat : His “ beloved”Manny ’s DeliWho he ’d dine with : President Barack Obama , with whom he would hash out his worldly concern view . What he ’d order : The Chazzer , “ which is hands down , the best corned beef sandwich in the city , ” he order . It comprises corned bitch and pastrami pile high on rye with cole slaw , Muenster Malva sylvestris , and a side of Thousand Island grooming . He and Mr. President would finish with a slice of pie , because why not ?
Sean Murray, executive chef,Allium
Where he ’d feed : Grace . A Chicagoan for only a few months , Murray allege his deathbed meal would be his most memorable since moving here . Who he ’d dine with : His best friend , Jason . " If it ’s the last repast , there will be a lot of reminiscing , and I have known Jason forever . We have lots and lots of stories , both ripe and bad from over the long time . “What he ’d order : The Fauna Tasting Menu , because “ why not go out with a strike ? ” he says . “ It ’s not just a meal , but an unbelievable experience as well . ”
John Manion, chef/owner,La Sirena ClandestinaandEl Che
Where he ’d feed : Le Bouchon , because when facing the “ gravid grunge nap ” Manion says he ’d remain a sucker for the classics . Who he ’d dine with : His married woman Nicole , his parents , and his dogWhat he ’d order : A lot , wash away down with a “ very gravid amount of very expensive wine-colored . ” Said repast might include:- A “ wee slice ” of foie gras torchon;- Soupe à l’oignon gratinee;- Salad Lyonnaise;- A pass - up between off - menu sweet and sour sweetbread with braised cabbage ( “ Oliver lie with what I ’m talk about , ” he says ) , or sautéed rabbit livers done the old - schoolhouse way in mustard greens sauce;- Cote de boeuf , average - rare , au poivre with brandy mustard pick , sliced and served on top of their frites . Yes , that’stwomustardy dishes in a row;- Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream;- in the end , a twofold espresso and a cigarette . “ I quit smoke some time ago , but I ’m patently exit curtly after this , so what the hell , ” he says .
Sandra Holl, chef/owner,Floriole
Where she ’d eat up : Green City MarketWho she ’d dine with : Her kinsfolk and the many market vendors who ’ve been around since Floriole embark on 10 years agoWhat she ’d order : Pizzas atNomad , grilled cheese fromGayle ’s , yield smoothies fromSeedling Fruit , and pastries fromVerzenay , to name a few . “ I have great memory of our former days at the Green City Market and would love to spend my last day and exhaust my last repast there , ” Holl says . “ I ca n’t think of a situation that has a well pick of seasonal yield and veggies and quick to eat food too . ”
Mark Hellyar, executive chef,Momotaro
Where he ’d exhaust : His nursing home kitchenWho he ’d dine with : His four brothersWhat he ’d have : A home - cooked ode to the food his mom used to make , starting with velvety fondue dip with chili and kidney bean . For the entrée , he ’d make bitch brisket braised in barbeque sauce with braised gullible beans with tomatoes and fried onions , clavus on the cob , and mashed potato . For sweet , he ’d make buckeyes , or deep brown covered peanut vine butter and rice crispy balls . “ Mom ’s preparation was in force , honest Midwest solid food , but she also had five hyperactive boys to feed three times per day , ” he say .
Ce Bian, corporate chef,Roka Akor
Where he ’d use up : AlineaWho he ’d dine with : His wife and his motherWhat he ’d order : Lamb 86 – the famous ravisher made up of 86 private components – and not just because it ’s tasty and visually sensational . “ For me , it is not only of import to deplete a delectable last meal , but to also have a memorable experience that will stick with me , ” he says . “ The Lamb 86 from Alinea tastes like absolute paradise – a ( piece of work of art ) even . Being able to use up a cup of tea where I can smack the passion from the chef in every bite would be a worthy last meal . ”
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Executive Chef Joanna Stachon|Courtesy of Ada Street
Flickr/Jordi Sanchez Teruel
Courtesy of Kai Zan
Hopleaf
Eleven City Diner
Courtesy of Grace
Green City Market
Lamb 86|Courtesy of Alinea
