MEET THE CHEFS FOR 2012
William Kim
Chef/Owner, Urban Belly & Belly Shack
Born in Seoul Korea in 1968, William was first inspired to cook by his mother.
In 1991 Kim enrolled in the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College (Evanston, Illinois). While there, he completed his first apprenticeship at Le Titi de Paris (Arlington Heights, Illinois) under Chef Pierre Pollin, who remains one of his biggest influences. In 1993 Kim graduated from Kendall and accepted a position as Chef de Partie at Ciboulette (Atlanta, Georgia) under the acclaimed Chef Jean Banchet. After a year at Ciboulette, Kim joined Charlie Trotters where he spent the next 2 years working his way up to Sous – Chef at Trotters four star restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.
After a year stint as Sous – Chef at Trio Restaurant in Evanston, Illinois, Kim decided to move out East. He joined Chef Susanna Foo at her acclaimed restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Executive Sous – Chef. During his tenure there the restaurant was awarded four bells by Craig LaBan (Philadelphia Inquirer) in 1998.
Kim decided to move to New York City and spend a year at Chef David Bouley’s prestigious restaurant Bouley Bakery as Sous – Chef where Kim was inspired by Bouley’s “delicate touch”.
Shortly after, Kim was persuaded to move back to Pennsylvania by a former colleague, Mark Dombkoski, to join him as Executive Chef/Partner of Inn on Blueberry Hill in Doylestown, PA awarded three bells (Philadelphia Inquirer) under the tutelage of Chef Kim. This opportunity allowed Chef Kim to finally “run his own show” after years of working under some superstar chefs. The Inn on Blueberry Hill closed after three years and Kim moved back to Chicago and accepted the Chef de Cuisine position at Charlie Trotters from 2004 – 2005.
In January, 2006 Kim became the Executive Chef at Le Lan Restaurant in Chicago and received 3 stars from Chicago Tribune food critic Phil Vettel.
Chef/Owner, Urban Belly & Belly Shack
Born in Seoul Korea in 1968, William was first inspired to cook by his mother.
In 1991 Kim enrolled in the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College (Evanston, Illinois). While there, he completed his first apprenticeship at Le Titi de Paris (Arlington Heights, Illinois) under Chef Pierre Pollin, who remains one of his biggest influences. In 1993 Kim graduated from Kendall and accepted a position as Chef de Partie at Ciboulette (Atlanta, Georgia) under the acclaimed Chef Jean Banchet. After a year at Ciboulette, Kim joined Charlie Trotters where he spent the next 2 years working his way up to Sous – Chef at Trotters four star restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.
After a year stint as Sous – Chef at Trio Restaurant in Evanston, Illinois, Kim decided to move out East. He joined Chef Susanna Foo at her acclaimed restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Executive Sous – Chef. During his tenure there the restaurant was awarded four bells by Craig LaBan (Philadelphia Inquirer) in 1998.
Kim decided to move to New York City and spend a year at Chef David Bouley’s prestigious restaurant Bouley Bakery as Sous – Chef where Kim was inspired by Bouley’s “delicate touch”.
Shortly after, Kim was persuaded to move back to Pennsylvania by a former colleague, Mark Dombkoski, to join him as Executive Chef/Partner of Inn on Blueberry Hill in Doylestown, PA awarded three bells (Philadelphia Inquirer) under the tutelage of Chef Kim. This opportunity allowed Chef Kim to finally “run his own show” after years of working under some superstar chefs. The Inn on Blueberry Hill closed after three years and Kim moved back to Chicago and accepted the Chef de Cuisine position at Charlie Trotters from 2004 – 2005.
In January, 2006 Kim became the Executive Chef at Le Lan Restaurant in Chicago and received 3 stars from Chicago Tribune food critic Phil Vettel.
In August 2008, Chef Kim followed his heart and opened the restaurant he’d always dreamed of, URBANBELLY, a bustling communal seating noodle and dumpling restaurant secreted away in an urban setting. Chef Kim and his wife, Yvonne Cadiz-Kim, created a quick serve lair for your taste buds. A year later, the bi-cultural duo saluted their Korean & Puerto Rican backgrounds by opening BELLY SHACK, where they merge the flavors and dishes of their childhoods.
URBANBELLY FOODS is the latest project that will debut in the fall of 2011. Chef Kim is launching a line of speciality sauces available for retail. | 
| 
|
Jared Van Camp
Executive Chef, Old Town Social
After graduating in 2000 from Johnson & Wales University with an AAS in Culinary Arts receiving Cum Laude Honors, Jared Van Camp went on to work with chefs such as Donald Barickman of Magnolia’s in Charleston, South Carolina, Paul Kahan of Blackbird and Rick Tramonto of Tru, in Chicago, Illinois. His interests have spanned the studies of painting and sculpting at the University of Illinois.
Chef Van Camp, as could be expected, is intensely passionate about every solitary detail involved with the presentation of every menu item to every guest. Although the creation of any menu item is fairly elaborate, as everything is hand made on site from the freshest products, to summarize what his intent is with the menu is not.
Food that is handmade and good, unpretentious, blue collar in spirit, seasonal and uses the freshest of high quality ingredients.
He maintains a close relationship with local farmers, has held and created dinners at Kinnikinnick Farms, a 40-acre certified organic Market Garden located in Northern Illinois approximately 80 miles northwest of Chicago, near the Wisconsin border. He has hosted and served meals to those same farmers. Chef Van Camp is so fervent about his work and his love for pork …. If you ever meet him in person, ask him to show you his left forearm, an English butcher’s diagram of a pig three inches in diameter is what you’ll find tattooed. Only local pigs are used to create Jared’s homemade in-house cured charcuterie. Every entrée, appetizer, and side is prepared in a way that is accessible and approachable rather than staunch and pretentious. His cuisine can be described as local, savory and delectable bar food – and it’s offered at a price that is easy on the pocketbook. He is currently the executive chef at OLD TOWN SOCIAL.
Executive Chef, Old Town Social
After graduating in 2000 from Johnson & Wales University with an AAS in Culinary Arts receiving Cum Laude Honors, Jared Van Camp went on to work with chefs such as Donald Barickman of Magnolia’s in Charleston, South Carolina, Paul Kahan of Blackbird and Rick Tramonto of Tru, in Chicago, Illinois. His interests have spanned the studies of painting and sculpting at the University of Illinois.
Chef Van Camp, as could be expected, is intensely passionate about every solitary detail involved with the presentation of every menu item to every guest. Although the creation of any menu item is fairly elaborate, as everything is hand made on site from the freshest products, to summarize what his intent is with the menu is not.
Food that is handmade and good, unpretentious, blue collar in spirit, seasonal and uses the freshest of high quality ingredients.
He maintains a close relationship with local farmers, has held and created dinners at Kinnikinnick Farms, a 40-acre certified organic Market Garden located in Northern Illinois approximately 80 miles northwest of Chicago, near the Wisconsin border. He has hosted and served meals to those same farmers. Chef Van Camp is so fervent about his work and his love for pork …. If you ever meet him in person, ask him to show you his left forearm, an English butcher’s diagram of a pig three inches in diameter is what you’ll find tattooed. Only local pigs are used to create Jared’s homemade in-house cured charcuterie. Every entrée, appetizer, and side is prepared in a way that is accessible and approachable rather than staunch and pretentious. His cuisine can be described as local, savory and delectable bar food – and it’s offered at a price that is easy on the pocketbook. He is currently the executive chef at OLD TOWN SOCIAL.
| 
|
Carl Shelton
Chef de Cuisine, Boka Restaurant
Lending a hand on an animal farm near St. Charles, Missouri, Carl Shelton grew up understanding the bond forged between farmer and buyer. Now, Shelton, the sous chef at BOKA RESTAURANT for more than two years, is on the other side, perusing Chicago’s farmers markets every week for the best product.
At the age of 16, Shelton began cooking his way through a myriad of St. Charles restaurants, which included both mom-and-pop shops and corporate high-volume restaurants. After moving to Chicago in 2004 and then, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, Shelton joined the Gibsons Restaurant Group. After this, he began to stage in restaurants around the city, most notably at Tru, before becoming the tournade at DeLaCosta. Each step, each chef and each station along the way has influenced Shelton’s philosophy on food, but no one has had more of an impact than his mentor, Giuseppe Tentori, executive chef at BOKA.
A firm believer in keeping cuisine simple and clean, Shelton painstakingly examines each product to ensure his dishes are the dishes he would want set on his own table.
A life-long and vocal St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Chef de Cuisine, Boka Restaurant
Lending a hand on an animal farm near St. Charles, Missouri, Carl Shelton grew up understanding the bond forged between farmer and buyer. Now, Shelton, the sous chef at BOKA RESTAURANT for more than two years, is on the other side, perusing Chicago’s farmers markets every week for the best product.
At the age of 16, Shelton began cooking his way through a myriad of St. Charles restaurants, which included both mom-and-pop shops and corporate high-volume restaurants. After moving to Chicago in 2004 and then, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, Shelton joined the Gibsons Restaurant Group. After this, he began to stage in restaurants around the city, most notably at Tru, before becoming the tournade at DeLaCosta. Each step, each chef and each station along the way has influenced Shelton’s philosophy on food, but no one has had more of an impact than his mentor, Giuseppe Tentori, executive chef at BOKA.
A firm believer in keeping cuisine simple and clean, Shelton painstakingly examines each product to ensure his dishes are the dishes he would want set on his own table.
A life-long and vocal St. Louis Cardinals fan.
About Boka:
| 
|
