Joe Flamm

The Path

Technique came first at Le Cordon Bleu, where Joe Flamm’s training set a baseline of repetition, discipline, and control that carried into every role that followed. Chicago kitchens provided the next layer: as a cook at Foodlife in Chicago, he learned service from the line out, then moved into the more exacting pace of Head Chef at Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia in Chicago. That progression continued when he became executive chef at Spiaggia in Chicago from 2018. Today, as culinary director and partner of Day Off Group, Joe Flamm applies the same measured approach to a wider set of decisions, still working from the city that shaped his standards.

The Work Today

Since 2022, Rose Mary in Chicago, Illinois has been chef/owned by Joe Flamm, with the restaurant also associated with Day Off Group in Chicago, Illinois. Rose Mary debuted in 2021, and its framework is clear: Italian heritage on one side, the bold, bright flavors of Croatian cuisine on the other. The name carries the same layering, with references to his grandmothers Mary and Mary Rose, as well as the rosemary herb. The result is a room where personal history is not treated as decoration, but as part of the recipe structure itself. Flamm has described the operating model in direct terms: "I only have three business partners. We don’t have outside investors, we don’t have private equity. Our growth is very, very intentional. We’re doing projects we want to do—things that make sense and excite me." That mindset matches the pace of the work: controlled expansion, selective projects, and decisions made with an eye toward fit rather than scale. In practice, it reads as a kitchen career built step by step, with each move extending the last.

Signature

Joe's signature dishes include Cevapi, Tuna Crudo, Zucchini Fritters, and Radiatore 'Cacio e Pepe'. Together they show range without drift: savory, bright, familiar, and tightened up by technique. The list points to a kitchen that works across registers while keeping the hand steady.

In Their Words “In this industry, we have to keep going because this is all we got.”

Acclaim

Joe's honors include Bravo's Top Chef, Season 15 winner. For Joe Flamm, that recognition marked a clear public milestone, tied to the work that took him from Chicago kitchens to a wider audience while keeping the cooking itself at the center.