Esmé restaurant supports local artists with rotating installations; 'The space is really just a gallery'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Art is on full display at a Lincoln Park restaurant, where two chefs showcase their detailed dishes in an artsy space.
It's said among chefs that you eat with your eyes first, and at Esmé in Lincoln Park, they have seriously taken that to heart.
"So the space is really just a gallery, in a sense," said head chef Jenner Tomaska.
Tomaska and his wife/business partner Katrina Bravo opened Esmé with the intention of serving beautiful food, and surrounding it with art and craftsmanship from around the city.
"The space is really about showcasing others and their kind of creative stance, right? And how they get from A to B. And we just use food as a medium to kind of tell that story," Tomaska said.
It's not just the edible art on your plate, which earned them a Michelin star last year.
Nor is the focus solely on the art adorning their walls.
It's actually almost everything that the guests interact with – from the alcohol behind the bar to the service pieces brought to your table.
It's almost entirely generated by local artists and professional tradespeople, whose business cards you can find up at the front.
"Yes, it takes a great chef to make food, but there's so much, so many other things that go into making an experience. And we want to highlight those people, because without them, this is really kind of just boring. We wanted this to be a place where, whether you're established as an artist or you are not, it is a place to help you grow, or help you, you know, continue on your own trajectory," Bravo said.
The art installations change quarterly, as does their tasting menu alongside it, allowing the restaurant to showcase several Chicago artists throughout the year.
"You know, we really just wanted to pay it forward. You know, I think we're very thankful for having the opportunity to do what we love. And, you know, we wanted to create that place for others; and that jumping-off platform for others is either physically on the wall, sometimes on the table, the music, etc.," Tomaska said. "You know, there's really no certain medium that we've decided to focus on when it comes to the arts."
"We really want to champion people, because, you know, at some point, someone championed for us, and that's why we're here. We are giving what we've received," Bravo said.
