Chef of the Month / Joe Rizza/ September

Chef Joe Rizza

Restaurant: Chicago Cut Steakhouse  

300 N LaSalle St.

Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 329-1800

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?

I knew I wanted to be in the restaurant industry at a very young age. My grandparents owned a restaurant for twenty years, so it is in my blood. When I was eight years old, on Sundays I would wake up before everyone else and cook brunch for my whole family. The whole nine yards, from pancakes and poached eggs to French toast and frittatas. I even used to set the table exactly like it would be in any formal dining room. 

What are your hobbies outside of the kitchen? 

Outside of work, I basically like to stay as relaxed as possible. I like to eat at different places all over the city, try new restaurants and old favorites. It is always nice to have someone else do the cooking.

Everyone remembers their first encounter with burrata.  What is yours? 

My first encounter with burrata, I was working at an Italian wine bar and pizzeria. We had a burrata and fig dish that was a big hit. I had never worked with the product before, so of course I tasted it. After that, I used to get in a little trouble because, I would always eat it. It’s so delicious that it’s hard to stop. 

If you could make dinner for one person, who would it be? 

If I could cook for one person, it would definitely be my Nani, in my family that’s how we say grandma and my father. They never had the chance to see me grow into the chef that I am today. 

What is your favorite dish to cook and why?

This is by far the hardest to answer because I have such a passion for cooking, but if I had to pin point one thing it would definitely be handmade cavatelli with my mother’s phenomenal marinara sauce. And now I know I would finish the dish with Di Stefano Burrata on top.