Chicago — Top Chef winner and former executive chef of Michelin-starred Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia Joe Flamm will open his debut restaurant in Chicago’s Fulton Market District in early 2021. The highly anticipated restaurant will be named Rose Mary.
“Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career,” says Flamm. “But more importantly, it’s the culmination of my personal journey thus far. It’s a marriage of who I am, what I’ve learned, and the person I’ve built a life and a family with.”
Rosemary, known as “the dew of the sea,” is a shrub native to the rocky regions of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. It grows along the Italian and Croatian coastlines, effortlessly bridging the gap between two very distinct yet harmonious countries, cultures and cuisines.
Flamm is known for his award-winning Italian fare, which helped him earn Bravo TV’s coveted title of Top Chef in 2018. Indeed, much of his career is rooted in Italian cooking and technique. Italy is also a huge piece of Flamm’s heritage; it’s where his family is from and a country that he has traveled extensively throughout. Flamm credits his maternal grandmother, Mary, for instilling in him a love for Italian cuisine. Before attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, he learned to make pasta, sauces, meatballs and more with her at home. Flamm was also incredibly close with his paternal grandmother, Mary Rose, before she passed away.
The family of Flamm’s wife, Hillary, is from Croatia. Just before their son, Luka, was born nearly 2 years ago, the two took a trip to Croatia, driving up and down the Adriatic coast. They experienced everything the country has to offer and fell head over heels in love with it.
Rose Mary will feature what Flamm has coined Adriatic drinking food: “It’s the food you find at lively restaurants and taverns on the side of the road in countries along the Adriatic,” he says. “Somewhere that’s casual and fun, with food that’s vibrant, bold, super flavorful and, of course, heavily rooted in Italian technique.” Not surprisingly, rosemary will be utilized in thoughtful ways throughout the menu. The beverage program will be driven by wine.
Rose Mary is set to open in Chicago’s rapidly growing Fulton Market District at 932 W. Fulton St. in early 2021. For more information, visit www.rosemarychicago.com.
SOURCE: Rose Mary