Vegan queen Karyn Calabrese returns with virtual restaurant
Longtime vegan advocate Karyn Calabrese is returning to the restaurant world after a threeyear absence. Calabrese is partnering with popular
Logan Square restaurant
Jam to run a vegan takeout and delivery operation. For now it’s a pop-up, but Calabrese and Jam owner Anthony Fiore hope this revival of Karyn’s Cooked, her River North restaurant that closed in 2016, becomes a permanent neighborhood fixture.
Calabrese, 73, feels her best when she’s feeding other people, she says, and has been plotting her comeback since 2017. That’s when she closed her flagship Lincoln Park restaurant inside a space she occupied for 18 years. Losing her business forced her to change her lifestyle, including a move from her luxury Gold Coast condo to suburban Flossmoor. At the same time, the 73-yearold former model says she’s overcome even more.
Karyn’s Raw opened in 2000 in Lincoln Park, and Calabrese quickly became a star as she touted her diet and upscale lifestyle.
She appeared on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” that same year, which expanded her reach. More recently, Empire actress Taraji P. Henson points to a photo of the septuagenarian in a bikini as motivation in how to age gracefully.
Calabrese would open two other restaurants: Karyn’s on Green debuted in 2010 in West Loop and closed in 2015. Karyn’s Cooked opened in 2003 and closed in 2016. According to Calabrese, the West Loop restaurant doomed her business by being too big for the demand: “If it were open now, I’d be killing it,” she says.
Jam owner Anthony Fiore says he’s long been a fan of Karyn’s cooking. They’ve known each other for about 15 years, and Fiore has been searching for a way to continue operations. Jam, known for an eclectic breakfast menu — including a knockout French toast — has remained closed during the pandemic. Fiore says Jam isn’t wellsuited for social distancing.
Beyond the ghost kitchen with Jam at 2853 W. Kedzie, Calabrese has more plans. For now, check out the return of Karyn’s Cooked; order via UberEats or DoorDash.