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For this month’s special dinner, I am going back to my first encounter with Italian cuisine.

When I was a young cook in Chicago, I worked in several Italian and Italian-inspired kitchens under many talented chefs. One of the places that had a great deal of influence on me was *Avanzare in downtown Chicago. It was my first real encounter with Italian ingredients and techniques.

I got the job thanks to my older brother, Chef Saul Suarez, who at the time worked the line alongside a couple of older cousins and family friends.

Avanzare was an enormous restaurant. I had never seen anything like it before, and I remember being intimidated by the size of the place. It was described as Northern Italian, but looking back on it now, after working in other Italian kitchens, I think of it as Italian ingredients, techniques, and drinks interpreted through the vision of Executive Chef Dennis Terczak and his talented crew. Among the people I had the opportunity to work under at Avanzare were Chef Terczak, Chef Andy Webber, who was the sous chef at the time, and Chef John “Chocolate” Chiakulas.

Chef John left the longest-lasting impression on me.

When I first met John, he was already a seasoned cook who knew his way around a kitchen. During my time at Avanzare, John worked his way through several positions, including line cook, seafood butcher, saucier, and pastry cook.

Like my older brother Saul, John was friendly and supportive. He would answer any question I had and always encouraged me to continue learning

“I can tell you have a passion for this, Santiago.”

Sometimes I would arrive early and stand near his station before the start of my shift. I would watch him butcher fish, prepare ingredients, or work on whatever needed to be prepared. My very limited English and never-ending questions never bothered him.

When John realized my apartment was somewhat on his way to work, he offered to give me a ride on days when we had the same start time. I would walk a couple of blocks to the nearest large intersection, and he would pick me up. It saved me bus fare and a long commute in the cold, which I was still adjusting to.

During the colder months, John would drink hot chocolate or coffee in the mornings while he prepped. He would always offer me a cup and pour it for me himself, making sure the other lead cooks, or whoever happened to be higher up in the kitchen ranks, wouldn’t give me a hard time.

One day, one of the lead pastry chefs noticed my cup. She took it from me, threw it away, and said something like, “Never again. That’s not for you.”

After she walked off, John chuckled and said, “Some people think they run a place because they’ve worked there a couple more years than you have. Don’t worry about it.”

He then poured me another cup of coffee and continued telling me about what he was prepping.

That may sound like a small thing, but I never forgot it. He never treated me differently because I was a kid, because I spoke little English, or because I was a prep cook standing beside people with far more experience than I had. He shared what he knew. He answered my questions. He made me feel like I belonged in that kitchen.

John went on to have a very successful career, serving as Head Chef at many highly regarded restaurants before becoming Corporate Executive Chef of Lettuce Entertain You. I recently learned that John passed away in 2021. May he rest in peace.

This month’s dinner is inspired by my time learning from chefs like John at Avanzare and at other Italian and Italian-inspired restaurants during my formative years.

We will be serving four courses paired with Italian wines, followed by a digestivo cocktail to finish the evening.

Chef John’s nickname was “John Chocolate.” In his honor, the final course is a pear poached in Italian white wine and finished with fine Italian chocolate. I hope it would have made him proud.

Though its been a very long time now, I can still remember standing there with my coffee, asking questions, and trying to learn as much as I could on those cold Chicago winter mornings.

Chef Santiago

*For clarity, I am referring to the original downtown Chicago Avanzare opened by Lettuce Entertain You. It is not affiliated in any way with the restaurant currently operating under the Avanzare name in Lombard.