chefs

Ted Allen, Food and Wine Ambassador for Discover Wine with Robert Mondavi
Rodelio Aglibot, Sunda New Asian
Jerome Bacle, Courtright's Restaurant
Jimmy Bannos, Heaven On Seven and The Purple Pig
Jimmy Bannos Jr., The Purple Pig
Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill/Topolobampo/XOCO
Fabrice Bouet, Lockwood at the Palmer House Hilton
Graham Elliot Bowles, graham elliot
Alexander Brunacci, Franks 'N' Dawgs
Frank Brunacci, Sixteen
George Bumbaris, Prairie Grass Café/ Prairie Fire
Niall Campbell, Firefly Grill
Gregory Carso, Metropolitan Club
Michael Cisternino, Tavern at the Park
John Coletta, Quartino
Federico Comacchio, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush
Judy Contino, Bittersweet Pastry Shop and Cafe
Cat Cora, Bon Appétit
Chris Curren, Blue 13 Restaurant & Bar
Jesse DeGuzman, Sunda New Asian
Radhika Desai, English
Federico Destro, Ristorante Luca
Stephen Dunne, Paramount
Dirk Flanigan, The Gage/ Henri
Jo-Marie Frigo, Nonna Santi's Biscotti
Klaus Fritsch, Morton’s The Steakhouse
Dirk and Terry Fucik, Dirk's Fish and Gourmet Shop
Meg Galus, Café des Architectes at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
Gale Gand, Tru
Jose Garces, Mercat a la Planxa
Luigi Garcia, RIVA Restaurant
John Gatsos, Tavern on Rush
Carlos Gaytan, Mexique
James Gottwald, Rockit Bar & Grill
Eliva Granados, Francesca's Restaurants
Laurent Gras, L20
Koren Grieveson, Avec
Mark Grosz, Oceanique
Stephen Henry, Lockwood at the Palmer House Hilton
Kevin Hickey, Four Seasons Hotel
John Hogan, Keefer’s
Sandra Holl, Floriole Bakery
Trevor Hoyte, IPO
Tony Hu, Lao Szechuan
Brian Huston, The Publican
Stephanie Izard, The Girl & The Goat
Randal Jacobs, Elate 
Paul Kahan, Blackbird
Gene Kato, Japonais
Paul Katz, Harry Caray's Restaurant Group
Bill Kim, Belly Shack
Dian Kochilas, Avli and Pylos
Eddie Lakin, Edzo's Burger Shop
Mariano Lanfranconi, 5411 Empanadas
Ryan LaRoche, NoMI
Bernie Laskowski, Park Grill
Chan Le, Le Colonial
Dale Levitski, Sprout
Joshua Linton, Aja
John Manion, Branch 27
Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia
Shawn McClain, Spring Restaurant Group 
Michael McDonald, one sixtyblue
Jason McLeod, Balsan at the Elysian Hotel
Nathaniel Meads, Fritz Pastry
Mario Navarro, Gene & Georgetti
Martial Noguier, Café des Architectes at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
Chris Nugent, Les Nomades
Jessica Oloroso, Black Dog Gelato
Terry Opalek and Michael Frontier, Terry's Toffee
Chris Pandel, The Bristol
Mark Payne, deca RESTAURANT + BAR
Nicole Pederson, C-House
Bradford Phillips, LM Restaurant
Ryan Poli, Perennial Restaurant
David Posey, Blackbird
Tony Priolo, Piccolo Sogno
Thierry Rautureau, Rover's Restaurant
Geoff Rhyne, SugarToad
Toni Roberts, C-House
Alain Roby, Hyatt Regency Chicago
Patty Rothman, More Cupcakes'
Arun Sampanthavivat, Arun’s
Marcus Samuelsson, C-House
Patricio Sandoval, Mercadito
Mario Santiago, May St. Cafe & Catering
Mindy Segal, Hot Chocolate
Alex Shalev, Sola
Patrick Sheerin, The Signature Room at the 95th
Jackie Shen, Red Light
Bruce Sherman, North Pond
Michael Shrader, N9NE Steakhouse
Kerry Simon, Simon at the Palms/ Simon LA
Art Smith, Table Fifty-Two
Mark Sparacino, Prosecco
Chad Starling, aria
Jeffrey Starr, Trinchero Family Estates
Sarah Stegner, Prairie Grass Café
Todd Stein, The Florentine
Carly Sullivan, The Gage
Giuseppe Tentori, Boka Restaurant
Jacques Torres, Jacques Torres Chocolate
Rick Tramonto, Tramonto's Steak and Seafood/ RT Sushi Bar & Lounge
Dan Tucker, SUSHISAMBA rio
Jared Van Camp, Old Town Social
Paul Virant, Vie
Fabio Viviani, Santa Margarita
Randy Waidner, Gibsons Restaurant Group
Carol Wallack, Sola
Scott Walton, Markethouse Restaurant and Bar
Stephen Wambach, Epic
Michael Wisner, Zapatista
Takashi Yagihashi, Takashi
Shelley Young, The Chopping Block
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia
Randy Zweiban, Province

master
sommeliers

Serafin Alvarado, Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois
Frederick Dame, Heirloom Wine Group
Doug Krenik, Dr. Loosen Wines
Geoff Kruth, Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant
Alpana Singh, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

speakers

Bridget Albert, Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois
Leone Bonacossi, Capezzana
Tim Clark, Chateau Ste Michelle
David Edmonds, Nobilo Wines
Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appétit
Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appétit
John Legnard, Blue Moon Brewing
Monica Pederson, HGTV
Peter Scott, Premium Port Wines
Martin Sinkoff, Frederick Wildman and Sons
John Terlato, Terlato Wines International
William Terlato, Terlato Wines International  
Lori Tieszen, Wines of Chile
Luis Torres, Constellation Wines US
Darryl Woolley, Kim Crawford Wines
 

Dale Levitski

Sprout

Dale Levitski didn't go looking for a spot in the culinary world. It found him, much like the way fame chased him as the runner-up on season three of Bravo's "Top Chef." Now he returns to a Chicago kitchen as the Executive Chef of Sprout.

A native of the Chicago suburbs, Levitski attended the University of Iowa, pursuing a degree in sociology and participating on the swim team as a springboard diver. When he needed a job, he landed one as a fry cook at the Ground Round, a casual dining restaurant chain in Iowa City.

"I fell in love with the rush of the kitchen - the rhythm of the process, getting the food out and, of course, the fun," says Levitski, 36. Just shy of earning his undergraduate degree, he opted to acquire some formal culinary training, planning to move to San Francisco to attend the CaliforniaCulinaryAcademy (Cordon Bleu). However, he never made it.

Returning to Chicago instead, he cooked brunch at Deleece and spent eight months at Blackbird before leaving to open the first Orange, a contemporary breakfast restaurant. Levitski enjoyed a brief stint at the now defunct Fortunato before heading to La Tache, a French bistro in Andersonville.

Then at Trio, the Evanston fine-dining launch pad of some of Chicago's best-known chefs (including Grant Achatz and Shawn McLain), Levitski began "cooking the best food of my career," he recalls. Excited to pick up where Achatz had left off, he worked at the famed restaurant for 18 months before owner Henry Adaniya decided to close the then more casual Trio Atelier and leave Chicago.

Levitski spent the next year consulting, helping to open Cru Cafe and Wine Bar on Chicago's Gold Coast (now Feast) before deciding on a whim to answer the casting call for season three of "Top Chef" in Miami.

The two years that followed proved to be a test of character, a time of growth and oftentimes, surreal. As the first Chicagoan on the popular reality television show and the runner-up, fame indeed followed. But during the same time, Levitski's mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. Then, his dream of opening his own restaurant, Town & Country, fell victim to the economic downturn.

Levitski is now ready for a new challenge. At Sprout, he showcases his style of cooking with "flavor math": calculating spices and components to bring perfect balance to a dish. He will also unearth forgotten dishes like gnocci Parisienne and duck l'orange and give them a contemporary spin. He's excited about creating dishes that focus on using one ingredient in multiple ways. "I'm a big meat-and-potatoes guy so you'll see game," he says. "I'm obsessed with sauces, too, and the depth of them. And I love to braise."

Chicago once again has the opportunity to embrace this hometown hero as he infuses Lincoln Park's intimate French-American bistro with his A-game of experience and passion for his craft.