i. Biography
Erick Williams has made Virtue Restaurant & Bar in Chicago the center of his public work since 2018. The restaurant sits at the meeting point of ownership and cooking, and that combination has defined his standing in a city with a deep bench of restaurant talent. His reputation has been built through persistence in Chicago’s dining room and on the line, with recognition arriving after the work, not ahead of it.
The Path
At mk in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Chicago, the craft foundation was laid in a salad chef role that Williams held until 2008. At mk, he moved into the executive chef role from 2008–2017, and by the end of that stretch he had also become part owner there until 2017, extending his reach from execution to the shape of the business itself. That base in Chicago has since expanded into a wider set of ownership roles, each one adding to the same pattern of durable, local work. Today, Erick is owner and chef of Virtue Restaurant & Bar since 2018, and that remains the core of his professional identity. He is also owner of Mustard Seed Kitchen since 2021, owner of Daisy's Po-Boy and Tavern since 2022, and owner of Top This Mac N' Cheese. The common thread is not scale for its own sake, but a sustained commitment to restaurants that carry his name and his operating standards.
The Work Today
At Virtue Restaurant & Bar since 2018, the work is defined by direct control: ownership, cooking, and the daily management of service all sit in the same hands. That matters in practice, because it keeps the dining room and the kitchen tied to a single point of accountability. Virtue is where that model is most visible, and where Erick Williams’s approach to hospitality reads as an operating philosophy rather than a slogan. He is also the founder of Virtue Hospitality Group, which places his restaurants within a broader business structure without changing the basic terms of the work. The throughline across these projects is consistency—building, maintaining, and extending a restaurant presence in Chicago through repeated execution rather than one-off attention.
Acclaim
The honors track the same arc as the career: sustained work first, recognition second. Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region (2022) arrived after years of visible leadership in Chicago. So did Innovator of the Year, Chef of the Year (2020), and the Gamechanger Award. Taken together, the awards register a body of work that has been acknowledged over time for ownership, consistency, and influence in the city’s restaurant field.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Erick
What is Erick Williams's current role?
As of 2026, Erick Williams is owner and chef.
What recognition has Erick Williams received?
Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region (2022).
