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⭐️ Michelin Star Mission-driven fine dining concept by @jennertomaska & @bravo.katrina located in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
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Recent posts
Meet Gustavo Mejia, Chef de Cuisine at Esmé. 🤍
Gustavo was born in Honduras and moved to the U.S. at eleven. At fourteen he started as a busboy in Denver, then worked his way into the kitchen. That path led to Chicago, to Alinea, and in 2021 to the opening team at Esmé alongside Chef Jenner Tomaska.
He’s proud to be a DACA recipient, and today he’s passionate about mentoring the next generation of immigrants who are curious about fine dining, just as he once was.
He leads a team of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and every station has a chef eager to master its specialty, from pastry to seafood, red meat and poultry. He builds roles around people’s passions too. Our pastry station was designed around Brie, who dreams of opening her own pastry restaurant one day.
Every new menu at Esmé is inspired by a visual artist, and Gustavo leads that process, from creating the dishes to teaching the team the meaning behind each course.
Say hello to Gustavo the next time you’re in. He’d love to meet you.
06 Nov 2026
Open the drawer. 🍅
Fromage blanc, green tomato tartare, caper salt, and basil sorbet, served in one of Hebru Brantley’s puzzle boxes. A playful first bite from our Once and Future tasting menu.
04 Nov 2026
About last night… 🔥 @mytheresa.com x @esme_chicago x @verns_chs + @hebrubrantley vibe 👌 Unreal food, the best company and some unexpected familiar faces. What a night! 🥂 Das Finale!
#Mytheresa #EsmeChicago #Verns #ModernLuxury #FoodMeetsFashion
03 Nov 2026
Beet Generation. Named for the Beats, the original counterculture, and inspired by Kerouac's On the Road. A milk punch of goat cheese, Kyro single malt, beet, and peppercorn, crowned with honey whip cream. Whipped cream on a milk punch? Radical, man. Peace, love, and a savory sip at Esmé.
29 Oct 2026
Jenner Tomaska is redefining Chicago’s creative culinary landscape by turning fine dining into a unique artistic experience. ✨
Rooted in Chicago since he began his kitchen journey at age 14, he now co-owns the mission-driven restaurant Esmé alongside his wife and business partner, Katrina Bravo.
Through quarterly menus inspired by contemporary artists, every tasting becomes a carefully crafted masterpiece.
#FoodForThought #FineDining #EsmeChicago #CulinaryArts
26 Oct 2026
Above the Clouds. Crisp-skinned red mullet on a cloud plate by Depy Zepo, with fermented Jimmy Nardello pepper, plum, basil, and beef tongue rillettes finished with a fennel nage. Sweet, savory, and a little funky in the best way.
Part of Once and Future, Hebru Brantley’s exhibition at Esmé, curated by Frame Chicago. Reserve your table, link in bio.
20 Oct 2026
Watermelon. Tableside, watermelon dashi is poured over king crab, compressed watermelon, and heirloom tomato, finished with melon flowers and pea tendrils. Part of Hebru Brantley’s tasting menu at Esmé. 🍉
Illumination. Norwegian king crab, compressed watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, and finger limes, with salsa macha and lemon verbena oil pooled underneath.
The last touch is a spoonful of tomato-kukicha granita, which melts into the watermelon dashi as you eat.
15 Oct 2026
One kitchen. Two chefs. One night to taste what they’ve been planning. ✨
Next Wednesday, October 21, Chef @austinwaiter and Chef @jennertomaska a of Chicago’s Michelin-starred @esme_chicago and @petiteedith_chicago come together at 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 with @thesaltymag_ for a special multi-course dinner rooted in French cuisine, with a little Chicago and British influence along the way.
The tasting menu is $195 per person, with optional beverage pairings available.
Consider this your cue to make the reservation. 🍷
Reserve your table at https://bit.ly/4hysYUv
14 Oct 2026
Esmé belongs on your Chicago special-occasion restaurant list. This dinner reminded me why.
For one night, Salty Magazine brought Chef Jonny Black of Chez Noir in Carmel-by-the-Sea together with Chef Jenner Tomaska at Esmé in Lincoln Park. Coastal California met the Midwest over a tasting menu that felt remarkably seamless.
Two standouts I’m still thinking about:
🐟 Esmé’s rouget with beef tongue rillettes, fermented Jimmy Nardello peppers, plum, fennel, and basil. Crisp fish skin, deep savory richness, and enough bright acidity to keep every bite interesting.
🍅 Chez Noir’s heirloom tomato terrine with Big Sur calamari, mussel escabeche, and guindilla pepper. Sweet summer tomatoes, tender seafood, brine, and a vinegary kick. A cold dish with a lot to say.
What keeps bringing me back to Esmé is the curiosity behind the cooking. This Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant brings local artists into the experience, gives back to its community, and makes an ambitious meal feel playful and welcoming.
The collaboration was one night only. The restaurant is worth seeking out for its own evolving tasting menu.
📍 Esmé | Lincoln Park, Chicago
Save this for your next anniversary, celebration, or dinner worth making a whole evening out of. Send it to your favorite dining partner.
08 Oct 2026
Would you eat the art? Here, you do. 💥
Passion fruit sorbet, clementine, black sesame praline and an edible Fly Boy. Swipe for the break.
The pre-dessert is an edible print of Hebru Brantley’s Fly Boy, set in a Frame Chicago frame on a custom DTK ceramic plate. Swipe to see it shatter.
Part of the Hebru Brantley tasting menu at Esmé, Chicago.
04 Oct 2026
Still thinking about this one.
An unforgettable evening at Esmé welcoming Chef Jonny Black of Michelin-starred Chez Noir into our kitchen alongside Chef Jenner Tomaska for a dinner built around collaboration, creativity, and a shared love of hospitality.
A huge thank you to Jonny and the entire Chez Noir team for making the trip to Chicago and sharing your talent with us, to our incredible Esmé team for bringing every detail of the evening to life, and to Salty Magazine for bringing us all together in the first place.
These are the nights we love most: chefs learning from chefs, teams working side by side, new ideas taking shape, and a dining room full of guests there to experience it all.
To everyone who joined us at the table, thank you for being part of it. And to every person behind the scenes who made the night possible, we couldn’t have done it without you.
Until the next one.
29 Sep 2026
Every puzzle piece is different, and every piece belongs to something bigger. That idea sits at the center of our Marigold canapé.
A custom puzzle box arrives tableside. Pull open a drawer and find the Marigold: tempura fried marigold, peach, truffle, and pickled candy striped and yellow beets, cut into interlocking puzzle shapes.
25 Sep 2026
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