In the Kitchen with: Chef Aaron Cuschieri from The Dearborn
Throughout Chicago, chefs and restaurants are experiencing that peak time of year where the warmth of summer still reigns, but all the amazing produce and flavors of fall are beginning to take center stage. Combine that with continued support from Windy City diners and we’re currently basking in a golden moment for chefs and restauranteurs. This is especially true at The Dearborn { 145 North Dearborn Street, Chicago; 312.384.1242}. As more and more visitors return to The Loop, The Dearborn continues to provide the stellar service and approachable seasonal fare they are known for. At the helm in the kitchen is Chef Aaron Cuschieri, who has helped lead The Dearborn team through some of the industry’s toughest times, and towards a delicious future. You’re not going to want to miss a single bite…
What is your earliest culinary memory?
Some of my earliest culinary memories are baking in the kitchen with my mom. My mom made all of the cakes growing up for our entire family. I remember always wanting to bake with her as a kid. I was in high school before I knew you could go to the store to buy a cake for a birthday party.
How would you describe your approach to cooking overall?
It’s very simple! I cook and serve food I want to eat. When we opened The Dearborn, the main theme of the kitchen was simple: Cook good food all the time. I feel like if I want to eat it, then most people will want to eat it. Cooking professionally can be a very selfless career. You spend your days and nights making food for other people and you generally treat yourself with fast food and junk food at the end of the day. I wanted to try to change that dichotomy with cooking at The Dearborn. I teach all the cooks to cook for themselves. Every dish you make, every sauce you pour, every chicken you roast, cook it as if you want it. Cooking for others becomes very easy if you can cook for yourself first.
How did your past jobs lead you to The Dearborn?
For a long time I believed the ‘restaurant bubble’ was the main attribute to my career as a chef. If you just look at my career path in Chicago, it stands to reason! I wouldn’t have worked at Alinea if they weren’t opening Next. I wouldn’t have gotten my job at Takashi if he wasn’t opening Slurping Turtle. I wouldn’t have become the chef at Kinmont if the Element Collective team hadn’t been opening multiple restaurants over the years. Lastly, Clodagh and Amy (from The Dearborn) had to make a choice whether or not to open their own restaurant apart from their brother Billy and go at it on their own. All of those career moves led me here.
Don’t get me wrong, I did and do work very hard, and I also love my craft! I love cooking, leading and motivating people, and I love the hospitality industry. So I do think I could have ended up here in many other ways. But there needs to be some credit given to entrepreneurs who have the courage and resources to open restaurants so that chefs (as artists) are able to showcase their skill and artistry through food.
What sets The Dearborn apart in the Chicago food world?
As a chef, it would be easy for me to say something about the food here, which I will get to in a moment. However, the first and main thing that sets us apart is our service standards. At The Dearborn, we truly understand what great service is, and what hospitality is all about. In a world with so many restaurants and so many places being short on staff these days, it is easy to forget what we’re really doing. But I believe The Dearborn has some of the best service I’ve ever seen and been a part of.
But also, everyone who comes into The Dearborn is here to eat. So it’s my job to be the lead creative in the restaurant, and make sure our food is relevant in a progressive food city and consistently delicious.
So far as the food goes, I think what separates us from everyone else is for a restaurant the size of ours to be using so much local, seasonal and fresh product. I think that’s very rare! We know where our food comes from and we can talk about it fluidly to our guests. I believe for a restaurant that can do 800-1000 covers on Friday and Saturday nights to be able to do that is a large accomplishment for us as a team.
What have you been most proud of your team for over the last year or so?
This one is easy! Dedication and loyalty from the top down. From the owners (Clodagh and Amy) diligently and pragmatically making the right business decisions to allow and protect the long term sustainably and survivability of the restaurant. To the chefs, cooks, servers, dishwashers and managers who have been dedicated to working with and returning to The Dearborn throughout these difficult times. We have retained so many employees even with closing and re-opening twice in the past year. It’s been amazing to see and be a part of the dedication that people have to our brand, mission and each other!
What are your favorite menu items for the remaining days of summer...and ones we should get on our radar for fall!
For summer, I am really excited about the Cinco Jotas Jamon Iberico dish, the Soft Shell Crab, and Whole Roasted Rainbow Lake Trout. All of these dishes are very seasonal, highlight both hot and cold elements in the dish and show off the bounty of the season. One Upcoming dish to get excited about is the Honey-Lavender Rohan Duck Breast, served with Kabocha squash soup, Castelvetrano olives, charred radicchio, fresh figs and duck confit “cigars.” I love serving duck and I think autumnal flavors really bring out the best in the bird. Next is The Pork Three Ways. We’re serving pork belly, pork loin and pork cheeks together, all prepared differently, alongside spinach and a warm fall vegetable salad with natural jus. This dish is hearty but still light at the same time. It’s going be a fun dish to have on the menu!
How does your beverage program impact and compliment the overall menu?
I’ll start by saying that I think our beverage program is amazing. I say that because it does two opposite things really well, just like our food. We have a perfect mix of classic, traditional cocktails mixed with very intricate custom cocktails that are incredibly clever and creative. There is something for everyone! I also love our wine list because we have a very extensive wine by the glass list and our bottle selection can allow anyone to enjoy something great at any price point.
This mirrors our food menu because we do the same thing in the kitchen. We have something for any type of meal you’re coming in for. Beer and a burger, we got you. Entertaining business clients, we got you. Fancy date night, we got you. This shows through in both our food and beverage menus.
What are the best parts of the Chicago hospitality industry?
The comradery amongst chefs and restaurants. I used to think that all restaurants were in competition with each other. Chicago has demonstrated to me how well chefs and restaurant teams get along and I love it! I’ve made many friends from just casual conversations with other industry people who are at the local after-work bar over the years. I love the willingness for restaurants to help each other out. Someone runs out of napkins or is short some burger buns, and we all step in. I love seeing other restaurants and chefs pitch in to help.
What are you most excited about for the later half of the year?
I’m naturally excited to see more and more restaurants open and re-open. I also can’t wait to see the holiday season in the city again with all the trees lit up and seeing people out and about.
What are you going to be eating until the cold weather hits?
Being a new dad of a 2-year-old and 4-month-old, I certainly don’t get out much these days. On the rare occasion we do get out before the cold weather hits, we’ll be looking for any patio we sit at and get good service. As far as restaurants go, EVER by Chef Curtis Duffy is the top restaurant on my must-do list by the end of the year.
Interview by Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor