Rick Gresh
Executive Chef, David Burke's Primehouse at The James Chicago
A modern steakhouse menu is featured at David Burke’s Primehouse, with Executive Chef Rick Gresh at the helm. Growing up in the Cleveland area, Gresh earned his Associate Degree in Culinary Arts at the nationally renowned Culinary Institute of America. While in school, he landed an impressive externship at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and after graduation scored a spot on the line at Trio in Evanston. He then moved on to the Celebrity Café at the Hotel Nikko in Chicago before becoming consulting chef de cuisine at Tsunami, a contemporary Japanese restaurant located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. At just 23, Gresh accepted the Executive Chef position at Chicago’s hip jazz club, Green Dolphin Street, and won a three-star review from the Chicago Tribune. Being named Executive Chef a year later allowed the restaurant to thrive under his leadership. Pat Bruno of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “This is serious food.” His next move was to The Wyndham Hotel Chicago and the award-winning Caliterra Restaurant, where he proved himself once again and was quickly promoted to Regional Corporate Chef. In 2005 Gresh became the Executive Chef at the prestigious, private Saddle & Cycle Club, where he oversaw the entire culinary operation. Gresh was named a “Rising Star of American Cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation in 2001. In 2004 and 2006 he was a USA competition finalist in the world’s premier culinary competition, the Bocuse D’Or. In 2011, Rick was awarded the “Chef Humanitarian of the Year Award” by Plate magazine. |