What’s in a name? The stories behind 7 Chicago restaurants named for women

Growing up, I didn’t really understand a small plaque in my grandmother’s kitchen on Chicago’s South Side. It read “Grandma Spells Love.” Eventually, I connected the saying with its location, where my grandma spent most of her time. Grandma lived to love us, and she loved us best through food.

Such is the case with some of our city’s top chefs. Ask them about the story behind their success, and they will likely acknowledge the mothers, grandmothers and aunts who helped get them there. In honor of Women’s History Month, these Chicago chefs shine a light on the leading ladies in their lives — and their kitchens.

Chef and barbecue pitmaster Dominique Leach learned much about cooking during visits to see her grandma Betty King in Lexington, Mississippi. “As a city kid, I was blown away by how they would gather snap peas directly from the garden outside the house and take them straight to the kitchen to cook,” says Leach, who grew up in Chicago. “Prior to that, I didn’t even know how to clean a pea!”

That slow-food upbringing led Leach to open Lexington Betty Smokehouse, a barbecue spot known for its brisket, Chicago-style rib tips and Southern-inspired sides. Regarding the sides, don’t miss Leach’s takes on yams and collard greens — both of which made regular appearances at Grandma King’s table. 6954 W. North Ave.; 756 E. 111th St.; 773-309-8240, lexingtonbettysmokehouse.com

Robert Maleski can remember from an early age being drawn to cooking shows over cartoons — and he credits his grandmother Emilia Maleski for that. “It seemed as though every time I visited her, she was in the kitchen. It caused me to develop a love of cooking from a very early age,” he says. “Food was a way she expressed her love for others.” Maleski strives for that same care in his work at Milly’s Pizza in the Pan, where he makes every pizza himself from scratch.

That attention to detail yields a light and airy pan-style pie with a caramelized crust and a colorful array of toppings, all of which quickly earned the venue recognition throughout the city and beyond. Be sure to order ahead; Maleski purposefully makes a limited supply of pies per day, ensuring a consistent quality that would “make Grandma proud,” he said. 1005 W. Argyle St., 224-656-4732, millyspizzachi.com

Chef Erick Williams (Virtue, Mustard Seed Kitchen, Top This Mac N’ Cheese) can remember the talks he had with his aunt Daisy, typically around a large kitchen table filled with food. “She was a huge supporter of me and my growth, and those memories will always stick with me,” says Williams, who strives to create a similarly supportive environment for his team at Daisy’s Po-Boy, a Hyde Park restaurant celebrating New Orleans fare through its favorite sandwich. In addition to informing Williams’ outlook on leadership, Daisy and her husband, Stew, played an essential role in the restaurant’s cuisine. “They would forever change the way I saw Cajun and Creole cooking,” Williams says. He makes his case with dishes such as fried chicken, muffuletta sandwiches and a medley of po’ boys with fillings such as barbecue gulf shrimp, roast beef and spicy sausage. 5215 S. Harper Ave., 773-675-8767, daisyspoboychicago.com

Growing up, chef Ryan Brosseau learned to cook with his mémé (grandmother) Margaret Tetreault in southwestern Ontario, learning everyday basics as well as seasonal dishes. Every autumn, for example, she and the family spent afternoons assembling meat or fruit pies.

Today, the restaurant honors Margaret’s cooking with several core philosophies, from using the whole animal to employing the season’s best produce and preserving it for later use. And then there are a few orders that point to the restaurant’s namesake — potato croquettes filled with oyster mousse and topped with Osetra caviar (a savory version of Tetreault’s cream puffs), or putsins, a French Canadian chicken and dumpling soup tweaked just slightly from the cherished version of the chef’s youth. 2965 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-360-8213, dearmargaretchi.com

When Lyndsey Kincaid-Gutierrez and her family learned the Chatham sandwich shop they had recently acquired was named for the original owner’s grandmother, Mae Anna, they liked it so much they decided to keep it. “The name hit close to home for us, as our own late grandmothers instilled so many values in us,” Kincaid-Gutierrez says.

Though a name change may be in the cards down the line, for now, Kincaid-Gutierrez and her family continue to honor Mae with photos and menu items (such as the Mae Anna jerk chicken wrap) while also imbuing the menu with influences from their own grandmothers — a walnut raisin chicken salad and grilled chicken salad with chopped walnuts, green peppers and cucumber. 312 E. 75th St., 773-891-1798, mabesss.com

Two women inspired this West Loop destination — Mary Roche and Mary Rose Flamm, both chef Joe Flamm’s grandmothers. “I’ve been fortunate to cook with my Grandma Mary my whole life, from rolling pasta for raviolis on Thanksgiving to cleaning squid on old newspapers on Christmas Eve,” says Joe Flamm. “She taught me the importance of tradition and that time in the kitchen is as important, if not more so, than time at the table.”

And the kitchen is where Flamm cultivates the restaurant’s Croatian-Italian fare, including pasta, fish and meat dishes such as the pork ribs pampanella, which is from Molise, Italy, where both Mary and Mary Rose’s parents were born. “I love having a dish on the menu that has a specific tie to that place — where it all began,” he said. 932 W. Fulton Market, 872-260-3921, rosemarychicago.com

Chef Trevor Teich’s mother, Claudia Teich, was the inspiration for his upscale Bucktown restaurant. “My mother loves to cook. When I was growing up, she was always creating a festive dining experience — not just on holidays, but anytime we had family over,” he says.

Creativity and hospitality were traits Teich inherited from his mother, as evidenced by his whimsical, multicourse tasting menu and his dishes such as the Snails in the Woods, an homage to Teich’s childhood playing outdoors. Carefully appointed interiors offer a home-away-from-home feel, and childhood charm runs throughout the space, including a Sherlock Holmes-inspired cocktail menu. 1952 N. Damen Ave., 773-697-9486, claudiarestaurant.com

Nicole Schnitzler is a freelance writer.