Bio
Executive Chef Phil Rubino — Chicago-native Phil Rubino’s 20+ year culinary career has been inspired by not only a passion for the craft, but also a personal history in which cooking is one of the main ingredients. Phil’s father, who worked as a baker in Italy before immigrating to Chicago, took over their family-run shop Sicilian Bakery in 1984, where Phil worked and assisted from a very young age. After finishing high school, Phil attended culinary school at Illinois Institute of Art, learning the ropes through multiple stages before joining the team at acclaimed BIN 36 in 2005, working his way up from line cook to sous chef. After some time working at MICHELIN-starred Spiaggia, Phil partnered again with the BIN 36 team as a sous chef for their downstairs trattoria A Mano. In 2008, he worked with Executive Chef Laurent Gras at high-end seafood concept L2O as Chef de Partie, where he played an instrumental role in helping the restaurant achieve three MICHELIN stars. Phil continued honing his skills at spots like BIN Wine Café, Café des Architects, Acadia and as Executive Chef at Moderno. In 2013, he was recognized as a Rising Star Chef nominee by the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence and was a featured chef at the James Beard House. He was also part of the high-profile opening chef team at Chicago’s acclaimed Italian restaurant, Cicchetti, alongside Sarah Jordan and Michael Sheerin. Phil then took his skills to Los Angeles in 2017, where he teamed up with Wish You Were Here Group to open the renowned Elephante, a coastal Italian rooftop in the heart of Santa Monica. After returning to Chicago in 2021, Phil joined the team at fine-dining Italian restaurant Lucia Rose, working closely with Chef & Owner Nick Nitti (Forno Rosso, Cucina 3) on the culinary program. In 2023, he was tapped by Nitti and his business partner George Archos (Wildberry Café) to oversee their brand new upscale restaurant concept on Chicago’s iconic Michigan Avenue, The Evie. Taking the reins as executive chef, he brings to life a menu focused on signature sushi, premier steak selections and elevated seasonal American fare.