Portrait of Karen Urie Shields
i. Biography
Karen Urie Shields is the Executive Pastry Chef at Smyth in Chicago’s West Loop, where she co-leads the restaurant with her husband, John Shields. The couple returned to Chicago after four years in Virginia at Town House and Riverstead Inn, then opened Smyth and The Loyalist in 2016. Smyth has since earned three Michelin stars, and Karen was reported in 2026 as handling pastry and a meaningful share of the business side.
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Read about chefs like Karen Urie Shields in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
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