GRAB YOUR TICKETS TO THE CHEF EVENT ON APRIL 9 HERE.
1. Gregory León
AMILINDA | 2025 OUTSTANDING CHEF JAMES BEARD SEMI-FINALIST
During a trajectory-changing trip to Spain early in his cooking career, Gregory León was captivated by the culinary traditions of the Iberian Peninsula. It’s from there that he takes inspiration for his oft-changing menu at Amilinda, a restaurant that has a cult following among fans of serrano ham and piri piri seasoning.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
2. Karen Bell
BAVETTE LA BOUCHERIE
Since opening her restaurant in the Third Ward 12 years ago, Karen Bell has quietly hit her stride. Bavette gets its name from a cut of beef, and Bell’s menu – which shows her love of Spain, where she once operated a restaurant – revolves around the meats and charcuterie she sources from local farms.
3. Kyle Knall
BIRCH | 2025 BEST CHEF MIDWEST JAMES BEARD SEMI-FINALIST
In a little under four years, Kyle Knall has made a name for himself creating bright, fresh, farm-driven cuisine at Birch, whose open kitchen displays the wood-fired hearth that roasts everything from walleye to pork chops. Knall showcases a more refined sensibility on Birch’s evolving seven-course tasting menu.
4 + 5. Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite
DANDAN, ESTEREV | BEST CHEF MIDWEST JAMES BEARD SEMI-FINALIST
The menus at both restaurants owned by chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite embrace their eclectic taste, from childhood comfort foods to modern, global cuisine. While DanDan is an homage to Chinese cuisine, EsterEv is a high-end tasting menu as seen through the chefs’ informal, unorthodox lens. Jacobs has also become a certified celebrity following his finalist run on “Top Chef.”
6. Adam Siegel
LUPI & IRIS
At his first restaurant, Downtown’s sleek Lupi & Iris, Adam Siegel offers simple, refined dishes celebrating the French and Italian rivieras. It’s a more modern, fresh sensibility than the classic French cuisine the James Beard Award winner was known for during his 21-year tenure with The Bartolotta Restaurants.
7. Juan Urbieta
RISTORANTE BARTOLOTTA DAL 1993
A native of Oaxaca, Mexico, Juan Urbieta has found his muse in Italian cuisine, having trained and traveled extensively in the country. His multi-course, regional Italian menus have turned dining at Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 into a nightly journey fusing creativity and tradition.
8. Justin Aprahamian
SANFORD
Thirteen years after Justin Aprahamian took over as chef and co-owner of the city’s seminal Sanford Restaurant, he continues to carry on the legacy of founders Sandy and Angie D’Amato. A James Beard Award winner like his mentor Sandy, Aprahamian is a culinary explorer who culls techniques and traditions from cultures all over the world and has a particularly keen interest in developing dishes inspired by his Armenian heritage.
9. Stefano Viglietti
TRATTORIA STEFANO, IL RITROVO
Over 30 years, self-taught chef Stefano Viglietti has turned downtown Sheboygan into a mini Little Italy. While Trattoria Stefano is a love letter to rustic, Nonna-approved cooking using Wisconsin ingredients, his Il Ritrovo serves pizzas as close to being in Naples as you can find in the Midwest.
The Chef Event
April 9, 2025
Downtown Kitchen
777 E. Wisconsin Ave.
