UNITED PLATES OF AMERICA
Kendal Duque takes the helm at a new River North eatery
Atwo-floor, 17,000-square-foot space with the largest HD TV in the Midwest isn’t where you’d expect to find a two-time James Beard-nominated chef. But that’s exactly what’s happening at new River North spot American Junkie, where Kendal Duque (formerly of Sepia, Chicago Firehouse and City Tavern) is bringing his approachable yet sophisticated fare to the bar and restaurant. On the menu? Gourmet bar favorites, such as smoked chicken nachos ($12) and pork belly sliders with quail egg ($10), and complex dishes like a sea scallop pasta with artichokes and goat cheese sauce ($21) and a bison ribeye with Brussels sprouts and mushroom sauce ($29).
Upon being introduced to the team behind Riot Hospitality Group, which owns American Junkie outposts in Arizona and California, Duque knew it was the right fit. “In the restaurant industry, it’s hard to find someone who is very real. But with them, what you see it what you get. It was refreshing.” Over a plate of arctic char with a citrus salad ($17), the chef dished on his career evolution.
Splash: While you were coming up, you worked in some notable kitchens, including Jean Georges. Which stand out to you?
Duque: Rocco [Dispirito] had one of the toughest kitchens. There were people who didn’t even last a day. We worked from morning to night, six days a week. It was so tough. He ran a really militaristic kitchen. But he was such an innovative chef. I still use what I learned.
S: Would you say you run a tough kitchen?
D: For me, it’s about inspiration, reminding them why they got into this business. With celebrity chefs and the popularization of food in general, a lot of kids are getting into this business [with different expectations]. In reality, it’s tough being there 12-14 hours a day, doing the same tasks and sometimes having someone yell at you. So you have to stop and ask them, ‘Are you sure
this is what you really want?’ ”
S: How have you seen the industry change since you started out in the 1990s?
D: I grew up in that world of the old-school chef, where they were nobodies — the celebrity thing [hadn’t happened yet]. All the horror stories that you’d hear about the yelling and the throwing stuff — I think my generation has sort of eschewed that. But there’s a fervor that still lives within us that’s almost nostalgic. It’s two completely different worlds, and at least I think I sort of have a duty to remind [young chefs] that this is where I came from and why.
S: What do you do in your downtime?
D: Life is short, and now that I’m older, I feel more like there’s not enough time in life to do what we want to do. I have a couple TV shows here and there that I watch with my wife, but as chefs, we’re always moving a million miles an hour. It’s something that you have to love or you sink, because there’s always someone more passionate or more creative or someone with more energy. You can never rest on your laurels.