Recess has a new Executive Chef at the helm: Chef Amanda Downing Salas is bringing her burger chops and comfort food favorites to the bar menu at the lively West Loop restaurant.
Salas will begin to roll out changes to the existing menu in the coming weeks but plans to continue to serve up the American fare guests have been offered at Recess.
“Recess has a lively, energetic atmosphere year- round and I’m excited to continuously evolve the menu to elevate the bar experience and keep things exciting for our guests,” remarks Salas. “There’s no better way to build community than across the table with great food that sparks conversation and camaraderie within the neighborhood.”
The oldest of six children, Chef Salas developed a passion and love for “family-style comfort food” at a young age. After earning her culinary degree, she worked her way up to executive sous chef at Michael Jordan’s One Sixtyblue restaurant. It was during her opening of River North’s Rockit Bar & Grill, as sous chef, in 2004, where she earned multiple accolades for her “Mac And Cheese Attack” burger including “Best Burger” from Good Morning America.
She was named Rockit’s executive chef and operating partner after expanding to its second location in Wrigleyville. After over 12 years at Rockit Bar & Grill, she then joined the Bistronomic team in 2017, before taking over as executive chef for Smoke Daddy in Wrigleyville in 2018.
In addition to Chef Amanda joining the team, Recess also recently made another update to their food offerings by partnering with local Chicago establishment, Bob's Pizza. Bob’s fourth location is now housed in one of the shipping containers lining Recess’s patio. Bob's Pizza provides a new addition to Chef Amanda’s menu, including their signature pepperoni and sausage pizzas, as well as creative offerings like the pickle pizza.
Recess has a new Executive Chef at the helm: Chef Amanda Downing Salas is bringing her burger chops and comfort food favorites to the bar menu at the lively West Loop restaurant.
Salas will begin to roll out changes to the existing menu in the coming weeks but plans to continue to serve up the American fare guests have been offered at Recess.
“Recess has a lively, energetic atmosphere year- round and I’m excited to continuously evolve the menu to elevate the bar experience and keep things exciting for our guests,” remarks Salas. “There’s no better way to build community than across the table with great food that sparks conversation and camaraderie within the neighborhood.”
The oldest of six children, Chef Salas developed a passion and love for “family-style comfort food” at a young age. After earning her culinary degree, she worked her way up to executive sous chef at Michael Jordan’s One Sixtyblue restaurant. It was during her opening of River North’s Rockit Bar & Grill, as sous chef, in 2004, where she earned multiple accolades for her “Mac And Cheese Attack” burger including “Best Burger” from Good Morning America.
She was named Rockit’s executive chef and operating partner after expanding to its second location in Wrigleyville. After over 12 years at Rockit Bar & Grill, she then joined the Bistronomic team in 2017, before taking over as executive chef for Smoke Daddy in Wrigleyville in 2018.
In addition to Chef Amanda joining the team, Recess also recently made another update to their food offerings by partnering with local Chicago establishment, Bob's Pizza. Bob’s fourth location is now housed in one of the shipping containers lining Recess’s patio. Bob's Pizza provides a new addition to Chef Amanda’s menu, including their signature pepperoni and sausage pizzas, as well as creative offerings like the pickle pizza.
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