On this week’s episode of Chicago Stories, celebrity chef Graham Elliot stopped by City Hall to talk to Mayor Rahm Emanuel about everything from Chicago’s dining scene to his newest projects, his advice to young chefs, and his grilled cheese secret. (Hint: It has to do with the crusts.)

After growing up across the country as a self-described “Navy brat,” Graham finally landed in Chicago in 1998 as a young protégé of legendary chef Charlie Trotter and has been here ever since.

Over the last two decades he has seen Chicago transform into a world-class culinary capital and the country’s premier dining scene. For Graham, that’s thanks to a mix of Chicago’s diversity, openness, and its competitive, supportive, and hungry community.

“I’ve had chef friends from D.C., New York, L.A., San Fran say they’re very jealous of that feeling Chicago has that ‘we are all together.’”

It’s in that spirit that Graham opened his latest restaurant, Gideon Sweet, with co-chef, close friend, and fellow Charlie Trotter-alum Matthias Merges in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.

“We’d been getting together and thinking ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we combined forces someday,’” Graham said, “so we made that happen with Gideon Sweet.”

Chicago’s restaurant scene isn’t the only thing that’s changed in the last 20 years. The entire restaurant industry has undergone a revolution thanks to the explosion of popular cooking shows (you can check out Graham on Bravo’s Top Chef) and social media. Yet, for all the focus on food, Graham says at its core is the desire for a connection.

Subscribe to Chicago Stories on Apple Podcasts to hear the full conversation: http://www.bit.ly/ChiStories

You can also listen to the episode on Spotify.

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