Chicago’s The Publican Names Rob Levitt Executive Chef | Eater Chicago

"One of Chicago’s most influential restaurants, planted its flag in a still-developing Fulton Market in 2008 and helped raise expectations for the city's dining scene. Rob Levitt — who remembers the buzz when it opened and has taken over as executive chef after years overseeing the sister butcher shop — aims to return the restaurant to its roots by focusing on sourcing the best products and cooking them simply while adding small, interesting twists; as Levitt puts it, that philosophy set the place apart when few others were doing it. Reflecting on his background he says, "I staged at Avec. I staged at Blackbird." A modern twist on a beer hall tied to the original pillars of beer, pork, and oysters, the kitchen under Levitt is reenergizing the program by applying that same mentality to seafood and vegetables, sharpening cocktails, and keeping what he calls a dynamite beer selection even as craft-beer sales sag nationally. Recent menu touches mentioned by Levitt include ivory king salmon (a fish rarely seen in Chicago), short ribs braised with cherry beer, shallots, and sweet cherries, whole trout with a buttermilk vinaigrette and a salad of cherry tomatoes, lobster, charred Tropea onions, and cucumbers, and crispy whole spring onions as a creative vegetarian offering. Levitt also highlights the support of industry figures such as Paul Kahan, noting, "It's the most amazing feeling to get a text message from Paul Kahan that says, 'hey, garlic scapes are in season, we should buy a bunch.'" - Ashok Selvam