On the heels of a newly coveted Michelin star, chef Jake Potashnick of Feld is still just processing the fact that his Ukrainian Village restaurant lives to see another winter.
He’s chuffed — completely. Creating his own restaurant has been a dream since he was 7 years old. But a star within 16 months of being open is unmistakably impressive, and something he struggles to wrap his head around.
Potashnick, a 32-year-old Chicago native who cooked in the highest-caliber kitchens of Japan, Sweden, France and Germany before returning home in 2022, knows Feld’s farm-focused menu that evolves each day is worthy of the accolade. The surprising bit is that the Michelin inspectors recognized a kitchen that does things so differently, Potashnick told the Tribune Thursday, a day after he flew back from the Michelin Guide Northeast Cities ceremony.
“I don’t think we ever cooked with a star in mind,” he said. “I think there’s a certain formula to get a certain type of recognition in this type of restaurant. And I’m really proud of the fact that I think we got this recognition by breaking that formula.”
At Feld, the extremely seasonal menu is driven by the ingredients for a 30-course tasting. But the term “courses” sends the wrong idea, Potashnick said, as it’s more like “30 different flavor combinations” than 30 entire plated dishes.
Potashnick noted that there’s a history to the latter style of menu in Chicago, such as at Alinea, which had a menu with dozens of courses when it first opened. Announced last week, Alinea, the modernist tasting menu restaurant in Chicago by chef and owner Grant Achatz, was demoted from three stars, the highest rating, to two stars. It had held three stars since the guide first came to Chicago in 2010.
For Thursday’s dinner service, Potashnick was preparing gilfeather rutabaga — an heirloom root vegetable — sunchokes, and several varieties of squash (honey nut, acorn and butternut). They also had just sourced their first ducks of the year.
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Feld also received a Michelin Green Star award, which “highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices.” (Daisies in Logan Square retained its Green Star for another year.)
The build-up to Feld’s star was also teased in a recently released Apple TV+ show called “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars.” The documentary followed chefs in various cities as they vied for Michelin Stars last year.
Potashnick said the show’s creators reached out to him after social media buzz around Feld’s opening. But his team quickly realized that they were pushing the limits while a camera crew followed them. A mere 24 weeks before the Michelin ceremony in 2024, Feld didn’t have a working oven, gas or a water filtration system. Potashnick hadn’t even cooked with his kitchen staff yet.
“They filmed a year too early!” Potashnick said, laughing at how the real-life hustle of hammering walls and chasing city permits was made-for-TV chaos. “Honestly, my mindset those first few months was just ‘let’s make this place the best it can be,’ and I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s really true. To be recognized (with a star) is truly such an honor… and for my amazing team to be recognized. It means so much to me that they are getting this.”
Not far from Feld, also in Chicago’s East Ukrainian Village neighborhood, Kasama, was bumped up to two stars at Tuesday’s Michelin Guide ceremony.
The Filipino bakery and restaurant owned by chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon first joined the guide in the Bib Gourmand list and then achieved one star in 2022, when it became the first Filipino restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star.
“Flores’ background provides inspiration for this modern interpretation of Filipino cuisine, while Kwon’s pastry training elevates the sweet side of things,” the guide said. “In a simple space, the two cook with striking originality. Homey traditional preparations are reimagined in elegant, inventive ways, as in an ‘adobo’ of mussels and wild mushrooms that balances tangy, sweet and savory.”
On Tuesday night, Flores was not at the ceremony, but Kwon had comically brought along a cutout of his head while she accepted the star.
“You know, we never thought we would open a tasting menu restaurant,” Kwon said. “We wanted to open a neighborhood place. And we opened it in July of 2020 and every decision that we’ve made has been to protect our team and ensure their job security. And looking back, I can’t even believe we’re here.”
The recognition for the Filipino restaurant comes the same year as the Michelin guide’s launch in the Philippines.
For most restaurants that take home a star, the day-to-day dance of service takes precedence over all things.
Amy Cordell, Ever’s chief operating officer, stands inside of the restaurant on Nov. 20, 2025, in Chicago. Cordell received a Michelin star for outstanding management for Ever’s front-of-house staff. It was one of five service awards given out at Tuesday night’s Michelin Guide Northeast cities ceremony. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
After Ever retained its two stars Tuesday night, it was back to the flow of things for Amy Cordell, the chief operating officer of chef Curtis Duffy’s fine-dining restaurant. Cordell was given a special Michelin service award for her front-of-house management and hospitality.
“It was a very surreal and humbling experience,” Cordell said Wednesday, hours after flying back to Chicago from Philadelphia, where the ceremony took place. “Things like this are never expected — I probably didn’t hear my name. I probably saw it first — I think (the team) had to pick me up at some point to stand up.”
In its guide, Michelin raves about Cordell, offering that the service at Ever is so striking that it’s been immortalized in the TV phenomenon “The Bear.” Cordell said the episode “Forks,” filmed at Ever, accurately captures what a typical service looks like.
“It’s such a cool thing to see, and when that episode was filmed, besides the main actors, everyone else was our actual kitchen staff,” Cordell said. “So we were essentially executing service as we would in real life, just in slow motion and a couple takes.”
(And yes, Cordell confirmed that forks and all silverware are polished daily as intricately as it is by Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s character Richie.)
Cordell said there is a high level of detail and emotional investment that goes into creating a seamless and memorable guest experience every single night.
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“We listen and observe tables from afar. Our guests spend three hours with us. We want to get to know every single one of our guests, what brings them in and find different little things that we can do to enhance their experience and specialize it for them,” she said.
Ever’s service director, Hannah, goes above and beyond, said Cordell, often surprising guests with little touch points after learning about them during tours. Ever offers diners a tour of the entire restaurant, Cordell said, noting that fans of “The Bear” get particularly delighted over the bit.
Cordell said she started working in restaurants when she was 14 and landed a kitchen internship. But she said she never returned to the kitchen after moving to the front of the house as a senior in high school.
“I just loved the instant satisfaction of seeing a guest enjoying themselves, getting to talk to them and hearing their stories,” she said.
Cordell previously worked at two-Michelin-starred Charlie Trotter’s and three-Michelin-starred Grace. Cordell met Duffy at Avenues in The Peninsula Chicago hotel. The restaurant had received two Michelin stars before closing in 2011.
The Michelin service award cements the precision and incomparable hospitality of her front-of-house team, Cordell noted, but the work never stops.
“You’re always wanting to learn and grow every single day, so it’s not about the accolades. They’re much appreciated and it’s a humbling experience every time where we’re able to hear about it and experience it,” Cordell said. “It’s also just as humbling to have guest feedback that they were blown away and had an amazing experience, and that’s what keeps us going and drives us forward.”
In addition to the new stars and special awards, the Michelin guide also announced new Bib Gourmands — Mirra, Nadu and Taqueria Chingón — and recommended restaurants — Astor Club: Chef’s Table, Creepies, Oliver’s and Tama.
Ever, 1340 W. Fulton St., ever-restaurant.com
Feld, 2018 W. Chicago Ave., feldrestaurant.com
Kasama, 1001 N. Winchester Ave., kasamachicago.com
Chicago restaurants with Michelin stars:
Three stars: Smyth
Two stars: Alinea, Ever, Kasama, Oriole
One star: Atelier, Boka, Cariño, El Ideas, Elske, Esmé, Feld, Galit, Indienne, Mako, Moody Tongue, Next, Schwa, Sepia, Topolobampo
The full Michelin guide for Chicago, including Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants, is available at guide.michelin.com
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/21/michelin-feld-ever-kasama-interviews/
