Bio

Joe Flamm, winner of Bravo's Top Chef Season 15, opened his debut restaurant, Rose Mary, with Sancerre Hospitality in Chicago’s Fulton Market District in April 2021. Inspired by his  Italian heritage and the bold, bright flavors of Croatian cuisine, the boisterous space—named  for Joe’s grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose, and the herb rosemary, which grows natively  along the Italian and Croatian coastlines—offers a seasonal menu of rustic yet refined dishes  that encapsulate what Joe has coined “Adriatic drinking food”. 

Prior to Rose Mary, Joe worked as the Executive Chef of Chicago's Michelin-starred Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia for nearly 6 years. There, he learned from and cooked with James Beard  Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano—the Godfather of Italian fine-dining in America—who is  forever family. 

Joe has worked in a number of other iconic kitchens alongside some of Chicago's best chefs,  including Stephanie Izard at Girl and the Goat, Art Smith at Table Fifty-Two, and Bill Kim at  bellyQ. He has also staged in some of Italy's most renowned restaurants, including Glass  Hostaria in Rome and Del Pescatore in Mantova. Still, Joe credits his Grandma Mary for kicking  off his career by teaching him how to truly cook pastas, ravioli, and pizzas—all made by hand. 

While Joe has cooked for presidents, celebrities, the James Beard Foundation, and more, his  favorite person to cook for is his wife, Hillary. In his free time, Joe enjoys #dayoffing with  Hillary and their children, Luka and Sydney—and catching a Chicago White Sox or Bears game,  of course.