Chef Stephanie Izard ~ Chef of the Year

Stephanie Izard, James Beard “Best Chef: Great Lakes,” and Food & Wine “Best New Chef” is the Executive Chef/Partner of two Chicago restaurants, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat.

A 2011 James Beard “Best New Restaurant” nominee, Girl & the Goat has been praised by high-profile publications such as Saveur, New York Times, Food & Wine, Better Homes and Gardens and others. Little Goat, Stephanie’s highly successful follow-up to Girl & the Goat, encompasses a diner, coffee shop, bread shop and bar. An outpost of Little Goat Bread opened at the Chicago French Market in Spring 2013.

Izard was the first woman to win Bravo’s Top Chef (Season 4/2008) and is the only winner of the original version of the show to take the title of “Fan Favorite.” Among other recent accolades, Stephanie was appointed to the Macy’s Culinary Council and was named celebrity chef of “CMT Artists of the Year.”

Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and has worked in some of the most respected kitchens in Chicago including La Tache, Spring and Vong. She previously owned the highly-acclaimed restaurant Scylla, which she sold just prior to appearing on and winning season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Izard’s first book, “Girl in the Kitchen,” was released in the fall of 2011 (Chronicle). Izard also has a newly launched product line called "The Flavor, By Stephanie Izard," consisting of sauces and rubs available for purchase for the home cook.

More information on Stephanie can be found at www.stephanieizard.com or follow her on Twitter@StephAndTheGoat.

Chef Gale Gand ~ Pastry Chef of the Year

Chef Gale Gand is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality, teacher, entrepreneur, and mother. Chef Gand has been recognized as Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year by The James Beard Foundation and by Bon Appetite magazine.

Gale’s latest restaurant project, Spritz Burger, is a collaboration with The Hearty Boys, (Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh) who won Food Network’s reality competition “The Next Food Network Star”, season 1. The menu features vintage seltzer cocktails, house-made sodas including Gand’s cinnamon-ginger-vanilla root beer, grass-fed burgers, and desserts by Gale. Spritz Burger serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday with a fabulous brunch on Sunday and is an urban n0-reservations joint that’s family friendly, fun, and modern. It opened in Feb of 2014, in the Lake View neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.

For 8 years, Gale hosted the Food Network series “Sweet Dreams,” the first nationally televised all-dessert show anywhere. Gale has made appearances on “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Oprah,” “The Dr. Oz Show,” “Baking With Julia” (Child), ”Good Morning America,” “The Rachael Ray Show” and “The Today Show.” She competed on “Iron Chef America” and has been featured as a celebrity judge on “Food Network Challenge,” “Last Cake Standing,” "Top Chef" and “Top Chef Just Desserts.”

Gale is the founding pastry chef and partner of the beloved Chicago restaurant Tru, opened with long-time culinary partner Chef Rick Tramonto and restaurateur Rich Melman in 1999. Tru quickly became a sensation among Chicago’s fine dining community and has earned ecstatic praise from reviewers, receiving accolades from the James Beard Foundation; the Michelin, Mobil and AAA guides; Relais Gourmand; Wine Spectator magazine; and was named Chicago’s Best Restaurant by Chicago Magazine. Prior to opening Tru, Gand and Tramonto earned increasing acclaim at their Chicago area restaurants Trio and Brasserie T, and at Stapleford Park, an historic country house hotel near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England, where in 1991 Tramonto and Gand became the first American chefs to earn a Michelin Red M.

Gale is a prolific cookbook author with eight titles to her credit, including her most recent “Gale Gand’s Brunch!,” released in 2009 and her next book, “Gale Gand’s Lunch!” to be released in April 2014. Earlier titles (written with Rick Tramonto) include: American Brasserie (1997); Butter Sugar Flour Eggs (1999); and Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant (2004). More recently, Gand authored Just a Bite (2001); Short and Sweet (2004); and Chocolate and Vanilla (2006).

Gale also produces her own artisan root beer, “Gale’s Root Beer,” which is available nationally. And each year in the spring months, Gale and her son Gio supply local restaurants with wild ramps foraged from wooded areas near their suburban Chicago home.

Gale was the Chef in Residence in 2011 and 2012 at Elawa Farm in Lake Forest, Illinois, a beautifully preserved and restored early 20th century “gentleman’s farm” that is now home to an organic community garden, an ecological learning center, and a meeting space for community activities and private events. Gale continues to host a series of cooking classes in the Elawa farm kitchen, including ingredient driven Master Classes and a Kids in the Kitchen Classes.

In addition, Chef Gand frequently teaches, speaks, and does cooking demonstrations and book signings at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, local elementary and high schools, public libraries, temples and churches, book shops, farmers markets, and myriad other locations around the Chicago area. Gale also appears frequently at national and international Food and Wine festivals such as The Epcot Food and Wine festival at Disney World, The Aspen Food and Wine Classic, The World Gourmet Festival in Bangkok, The San Diego Food and Wine Festival, Pebble Beach Food and Wine festival, etc. In the summer of 2013 Gale was the guest chef for 2 weeks on A-Rosa’s Rhone River Cruise through the south of France.

In the summer of 2008, two of Gale’s desserts were featured at the USA House at the Beijing Olympics. In 2011 Chef Gand was chosen by Mayor Daley to create the desserts for Chicago’s welcome dinner for China’s President Hu in 2011. Gale participates in many national and local charities. In 2010 and 2011, she was a mentor in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative, which helps fight childhood obesity through nutritional education.

Gale holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in silver and gold smithing, and attended culinary school at La Varenne in Paris. Gale’s father Bob and brother Gary are both professional musicians, and Gale performed frequently with them as a child in the Gand Family Singers including at Disney Land, University of Chicago Folk Festival, Ozark Folklore Center, Expo 67 in Montreal, and the 1973 World’s Fair in Spokane Washington. She resides in Riverwoods, Illinois with her husband, Jimmy Seidita, son Gio (17), twin daughters Ella and Ruby (9).

For the latest information about Chef Gale Gand, visit www.galegand.com.

Phil Stefani ~ Industry Leader

Born and raised in Chicago, Phil Stefani started his career as the owner of Travel Associates, which he continued for thirty years until 2002.

The Phil Stefani Restaurant & Signature Events Group success story began in 1980 when Phil opened Stefani’s on Fullerton Avenue. With great popularity came expansion, and the opening of Lino’s, and four Tuscany restaurants. All of these restaurants serve authentic Northern Italian cuisine. Cooking styles vary according to the chefs, who are primarily native Italians. Over the past thirty plus years, Phil Stefani Restaurants & Signature Events has become a household name for top quality food and service in Chicago. Phil Stefani now owns and operates over fifteen restaurants and private event venues including: Tuscany, Riva, Crystal Gardens, Chango Loco, Navy Pier Beer Garden, Castaways, The Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush, Phil Stefani Signature Events and Tavern on Rush. Additionally, Phil has a license agreement for his Stefani Tuscany Café concept at Midway and O’Hare airports.

The Navy Pier establishments are a large part of the Phil Stefani Restaurant Group. In 1995, Navy Pier was completely renovated. Since then, Phil Stefani has opened Riva (15,000 sq. ft. Seafood and Steak Restaurant), the Beer Garden (open May through October), The Crystal Garden Ballroom (30,000 sq. ft., Café during the summer and banquets year round, accommodating 800 people for a sit down dinner or 1500 people for a cocktail party), and The Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier (which can accommodate 1200 people for a sit down dinner and up to 2400 for a cocktail reception). All of these venues are located on Navy Pier, Chicago’s historical landmark and a destination spot for people of all ages.

Phil Stefani, his staff, and chefs have taken frequent trips to Italy including a visit to his home in Tuscany, which has enabled the team to sample wines and experience the newest recipes in Italian cuisine. Phil’s restaurants use only the freshest ingredients as well as manufacture most of the pastas at the group-owned pasta shop. Wood burning brick ovens and grills, rotisseries, and open display kitchens are often characteristics of a Phil Stefani Restaurant. Phil’s restaurants have all the components to guarantee every guest the best possible food, service, and all around dining experience.

Throughout the years, Phil Stefani restaurants have continued to maintain a loyal following and have attracted locals, celebrities, politicians, and conventioneers. Former President Bill Clinton has dined at Riva, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush and Tuscany, and continues to dine at Phil Stefani’s restaurants on his visits to Chicago. In 1998, Phil catered Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 50th birthday party. The restaurants have also served Mayor Daley, Jay Cutler, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, Vince Vaughn, and many more. On May 6, 1998, President Clinton invited Phil Stefani to a State Dinner in honor of Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy, where Phil had the privilege of being an overnight guest at the White House.

Additionally, Phil has been involved with many committees and has held positions on various boards throughout his career. Most notably, he was the Chairman of the Convention and Tourism Bureau for two years. This allowed him to assist with building tourism in Chicago, which is a primary catalyst for many local businesses.

A renowned philanthropist, Phil Stefani dedicates a great deal of his time and money to children’s charities. In 1988, Phil formed The Stefani Children’s Charities, which donates to several children’s charities including Children’s Memorial, After School Matters, Misericordia, Maryville Academy, Mercy Boys Home and Cystic Fibrosis. Additionally, Phil Stefani Restaurant & Signature Events Group holds a yearly golf outing to help raise money for many of these children’s charities. Over the years, Phil Stefani has raised over $2,000,000 for various children’s charities.

Chef Michael Kornick ~ Legendary Chef

Chef Michael Kornick is a nationally recognized leader in the culinary arts. Kornick works with the freshest seasonal ingredients and stays true to classical cooking techniques. It is his belief that great ingredients speak for themselves.

Michael Kornick graduated in 1982 from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work with some of the most influential chefs and restaurant operators in the United States, including Barry Wine at New York’s legendary The Quilted Giraffe, Gordon Sinclair, of Gordon Restaurant, and Richard Melman at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. At the age of 28, Chef Kornick was hired by the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, he was one of the companies youngest Executive Chefs. Kornick was then sought out to develop two successful restaurants–Marche 1993 and Red Light 1997 for KDK Restaurant Group in Chicago. Both restaurants received critical national acclaim, Marche was recognized by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the Country” and Red Light was included in John Mariani’s annual survey, “Best New Restaurants of the Year,” in Esquire Magazine. In 1998 Kornick, together with his wife Lisa, opened mk, the restaurant. Since opening, the restaurant has been acclaimed by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, and Chicago magazine, all recognizing mk with a three-star review. Condé Nast Traveler selected mk as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World,” and Esquire chose mk as one of the “Top Restaurants to Open in 1999.” Kornick was nominated five consecutive years as Best Chef, Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Kornick was a co-creator of Nine steakhouse which opened its first location in Chicago in 2000 and continues to thrive in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Kornick oversaw food and beverage operations for 9G in the Palms for over a decade.

In 2009, Michael Kornick partnered with David Morton to open DMK Restaurants, the group that owns 3 DMK Burger Bars, Fish Bar, Ada Street, County Barbecue, DMK Burger & Fish and Henry’s Swing Club. Although known primarily for his accomplishments as a chef, Michael Kornick has developed into one of the country’s leading restaurateurs. He is highly sought after as an authority on restaurant management and hospitality and is known as a generous mentor to those who have worked under him past and present.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Michael is very active in the community. He has raised awareness and money annually for Share our Strength, the Chicago Food Depository, Healthy Schools Campaign, Steppenwolf Theater, Perspectives Charter School, Sweet Water Foundation, Children’s Oncology services Inc., and many other worthy organizations. Chef Kornick lives in Evanston, Illinois with his wife and business partner Lisa and their children.

Larry Levy ~ Industry Legend

Larry Levy is a Founder and a Managing Partner of Levy Family Partners, a family investment office that oversees a broad portfolio of public and private investments, with an emphasis on hospitality, real estate, and technology companies. Larry is also Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Chicago-based Levy Restaurants as well as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of his real estate development company, The Levy Organization.

Levy Restaurants - Founded in 1978, Larry built Levy Restaurants from a single delicatessen in Chicago into an internationally recognized specialized food service organization with the market leading share of high-end sports and entertainment facilities throughout North America and Europe and a network of acclaimed restaurants. Under Larry’s stewardship, Levy Restaurants pioneered the concept of premium dining in sports and entertainment venues. From its initial start of catering the skyboxes at the Chicago White Sox’s stadium in 1982, the company has grown to become a full food service provider to 79 sports and entertainment locations across the globe including convention facilities, music/performance venues, stadiums and arenas for all major sports leagues. Throughout the company’s 35 year history, Levy Restaurants has hosted and continues to cater marquee events such as the Kentucky Derby, Major League Baseball’s World Series, the All-Star Games of MLB, NHL & NBA, NFL’s Super Bowl, the GRAMMY Awards and the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. Levy Restaurants also owns and operates a number of award-winning restaurants including Spiaggia and Bar Toma in Chicago, and Fulton’s Crab House and Portobello Yacht Club in Walt Disney World. Larry’s commitment to excellence, creativity and a passion for quality in each of the business groups has made Levy Restaurants one of the fastest growing foodservice companies in America. Larry sold his remaining interests in Levy Restaurants to the Compass Group of London in 2006 and he remains Chairman Emeritus.

Real Estate – Larry’s vision for real estate has guided many major real estate projects in the last three decades. Throughout his career, Larry has been a partner in more than 50 office, industrial, hotel and residential developments and has made real estate acquisitions in multiple US cities, the Caribbean and Mexico including: One Magnificent Mile, Woodfield Lake Office Campus, Waterfall Glen Office Park, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Center, One South Dearborn and Butterfield Center for Business. LFP, in partnership with Hines, is Managing Partner for River Point, a 1.1 million square foot mixed use development overlooking the Chicago River, the first new construction office building to break ground in Chicago since 2008.

Levy Family Partners – Larry formed Levy Family Partners as the vehicle for investing his four children’s portion of the proceeds from his sale of Levy Restaurants. With the assistance and expertise of a superb professional staff and world-class partners, Larry and two of his sons manage LFP’s portfolio of operating businesses and other investments. LFP has developed, owned and operated numerous restaurants, including Pollo Campero restaurants in Illinois and Florida, Bodie’s All American, and Babycakes NYC in Walt Disney World, and Lorenzo in Miami Beach. LFP also owns significant stakes in the Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and the Redbury South Beach hotel in Miami Beach. In May 2013, an LFP affiliate announced a new strategic relationship with Blaze Pizza, a fast fired custom built pizza concept focused on affordable high-quality food. Along with several celebrity partners, the company plans to open 25 Blaze Pizza outlets in Chicago and Miami over the next four years and hold a stake in the franchisor parent. Beyond the hotel and restaurant space, LFP has significant interests in several real estate companies that own and develop office, residential, and industrial buildings across the United States. The private equity holdings of LFP and the Levy family members include investments in a diverse set of companies, including Cleversafe, Home Depot Supply, Popchips, Nest, Digital Menu Box, Retrofit, Swipesense, Delhi Stock Exchange, Lakeview Investment Group, and Organic Life Holdings.

Awards and Recognition -Larry has been recognized by his industry and peers with numerous awards including: the 1999 IFMA Gold Plate Award as Restaurateur of the Year in the United States as well as the Ivy Award, the restaurant industry’s Academy Award, for Spiaggia, Bistro 110, and Levy Restaurants received the first Ivy Award ever given to a sports and entertainment foodservice company. Larry was awarded the prestigious Northwestern University Alumni Award in 1982, the Kellogg School’s Shaffner Award in 2003. Larry and his wife, Carol, created and endowed the Levy Institute of Entrepreneurial Practice and the Levy Social Entrepreneur Lab at Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Most recently, Sports Business Journal included Larry in its ranking of the “20 Most Influential People in Sports Facilities.” Larry received Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Illinois.

Boards - Larry remains active in the community and continues to serve on many civic, corporate and charitable Boards. Larry is a member of the Board of Advisors of Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a Trustee of Northwestern University, a life Trustee of the Lincoln Park Zoo, a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago and Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation. Larry previously served as the Chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee for 6 years, later acting as its chairman.

Larry received his B.S. and M.B.A. at Northwestern University.