If you’re from my hometown of Chicago, or visiting the Windy City soon, I want to share news about the opening of my nephew, Joe Flamm’s, new restaurant, Rose Mary, in the Fulton Market neighborhood. Joe appeared on Top Chef in 2018 and was the season 15 winner. My mom even made a guest appearance on the show…it was an exciting time for all of us!
Formerly the chef at Spiaggia, Joe has been working on his new restaurant for the past few years, but of course, Covid disrupted his plans a bit. The restaurant features a Croatian-Italian menu, inspired by my family’s Italian background and Joe’s trips along Croatia’s Adriatic coast with his wife, Hillary, who is Croatian. The name, Rose Mary, pays homage to Joe’s paternal grandmother, the late Mary Rose, and my mom, Mary, who instilled Joe’s love for cooking and Italian food. And, of course, the herb Rosemary is a big part of the cuisine, not to mention a sign of good luck!
Anyway, check out the website at Rosemarychicago.com. I understand reservations are hard to come by right now, but I hope you’ll visit Rose Mary at some point. I can’t wait to check it out the next time I’m in town!
Robert Roche 