Chef Sam was raised between Michigan, Connecticut, and Northern Illinois. He comes from a family of gardeners and academics so his connection to food started with playing in the dirt and learning the science behind how food is grown and prepared. While pursuing his Food Science Degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he got connected with Boka Restaurant Group and worked between 5 of their kitchens over the course of 2 summers. After finishing his degree, he landed at the Girl & Goat Group, working between all 4 locations over 4 years, then moved into independent restaurants including Lao Peng You; Table, Donkey, and Stick; as well as helping open the kitchen at 1308 Chicago. In 2019, Chef Sam founded CultureBox, a fermentation business focused on building monthly, locally-sourced subscription boxes, supporting local small and medium-sized farmers to manage food waste, and educating on building home fermentation practices.
All prices are an estimation and vary based on guest count, event location, and menu. You will get a better estimate during the booking process.
I was raised between Michigan, Connecticut, and Northern Illinois and love living in Chicago.
I love making soup! Building a great stock, then pairing it with whatever fresh ingredients I have on hand is fun and forces some creativity. Ramen with a barely cooked egg or a classic potato leek have to be my favorites
My specialty is cooking simple, plant-forward food flavored with fermented products from many different cuisines. I gravitate towards American comfort, pan-European bistro, with Asian influences.
I wanted to become a chef because I was a highly food-motivated child that loved STEM and art. Cooking is as artistic as it is based in hard science and I love to play at that intersection. It was also my way to interact and learn about the natural world while enjoying its fruits.
In my free time I love to travel with my partner, Michaela. I compete on a bocce and softball teams. I also enjoy gaming, from running a Pokemon Draft League for friends and acting as game master for a host of TTRPGs.
Great food lives in the moment, so my aim is to make sure my cooking is as alive and as momentous as possible.
