‘Top Chef’ Joe Flamm confirms new Chicago restaurant’s name, opening date

Chef Joe Flamm confirmed Friday that his much-anticipated debut restaurant will open in early 2021 at Chicago’s Fulton Market district. In addition, the eatery, currently under construction at 932 W. Fulton Market, will be called Rose Mary, an homage to the popular herb, and to his maternal and paternal grandmothers Rose and Mary Rose, who instilled in him a passion for food and life.

The restaurant’s menu is described by Flamm as “Adriatic drinking food,” influenced by the cuisines and cultures of Italy (where his family is from) and Croatia (where his wife Hillary is from). ‘It’s he food you find at lively restaurants and taverns on the side of the road in countries along the Adriatic. Somewhere that’s casual and fun, with food that’s vibrant, bold, super flavorful, and of course, heavily rooted in Italian technique,” Flamm said.

Flamm is familiar to foodies for winning Season 15 of the Bravo reality series “Top Chef” in 2018, and for his former gig as executive chef at Chicago’s famed Spiaggia and Cafe Spiaggia restaurants.

“Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career,” said Flamm via statement. “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.”