Andrew Mace
Executive Chef & Culinary Director
I cook the food of the Upper Midwest with a Basque grandmother looking over my shoulder. Eighteen years in professional kitchens took me from a garde manger station in Milwaukee to opening three restaurants in Chicago, and the thing I care about most has not changed: a dining room that feels like somebody's house, with cooking that could only come from this place. At Marrow & Ember we run a live-fire hearth, a small farm program with four growers in Michigan, and a kitchen where every cook rotates through the whole line within a year. I also consult on menu development and kitchen operations for opening teams who want a program that can survive its second year.
Signature dish
Hearth-roasted duck with sour cherry and burnt honey
Whole duck dry-aged nine days, roasted over oak and applewood, glazed with burnt honey and finished with Door County sour cherries preserved at the end of summer. Served with the rendered fat and a spoonful of the pan.
Cultural influences
Basque on my mother's side, Wisconsin supper clubs on my father's. Both traditions treat feeding people as a form of hospitality rather than performance.
Experience
Chef de Cuisine
The Lark Room · 2015 – 2019
Ran a 20-cook brigade across lunch and dinner service. Rewrote the menu quarterly and cut food cost by six points without dropping a supplier.
Sous Chef
Bar Otxoa · 2011 – 2015
Basque-influenced pintxos bar. Learned live fire properly and how to feed 300 people from four square feet of grill.
Education
Associate Degree, Culinary Arts
Kendall College · 2006 – 2008
Graduated with honours. Externship in San Sebastián.
Certifications
ServSafe Manager Certification
National Restaurant Association · 2022
Renewed 2022, valid five years.
Awards
Best New Restaurant, Finalist
Chicago Tribune · 2020
Marrow & Ember named one of five finalists in its opening year.
Chef of the Year, Great Lakes Region
American Culinary Guild · 2023
Recognised for the restaurant's regional sourcing program.
Portfolio
Video