Chef
Stephen Gillanders
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
i. Biography
"This is really more my style." In Stephen Gillanders’s work, the line functions as a working position: a preference for rooms, tempos, and formats that leave room for range. At Valhalla in Chicago, that shows up in a kitchen built to hold more than one register, so a diner can return and get a different read on the same chef. "People realized they could eat here more than once and have very different experiences" says the same thing from the table side.
The Path
Training at University of Nevada, Las Vegas gave Stephen Gillanders a formal base before Chicago became the city where his career took shape. His first executive chef role at Intro Chicago (from 2016) marked an early point of trust and public responsibility. That was followed by a long run as chef at S.K.Y. In Chicago (2017–2024), a stretch that sharpened a style defined by precision and breadth. today, Stephen is chef / owner of Apolonia and chef of Valhalla (since 2022), two posts that keep ownership and kitchen leadership in the same frame. The pairing points to a chef widening his scope without leaving Chicago, and using that structure to keep his work moving forward.
The Work Today
Valhalla in Chicago is where Stephen Gillanders’s current kitchen language is most plainly stated. The line "This is really more my style" reads as a choice of format as much as a personal note: a chef selecting the room that matches how he wants to cook and how he wants service to land. With Apolonia held alongside Valhalla, ownership and execution stay linked. That arrangement allows for a more flexible kind of restaurant work, one that can shift without losing control of the fundamentals. Chicago remains the constant across the resume, from Intro to S.K.Y. To Valhalla and Apolonia. The significance is continuity rather than repetition: the same city, but different posts, different lengths of responsibility, and a practice that keeps expanding within the same frame.
Signature
Stephen Gillanders’s signature dish is Octopus, Calabrian Chile Crisp, Lemon Garlic Purée.
In Their Words “People realized they could eat here more than once and have very different experiences.” “This is really more my style.”
Acclaim
The sequence of roles is the clearest measure of recognition in Stephen Gillanders’s record: first executive chef at Intro Chicago, chef at S.K.Y, chef at Valhalla, and chef / owner at Apolonia. Taken together, those posts show a chef entrusted with opening-stage leadership, then with long-term kitchen control, then with ownership alongside active cooking. The titles do the work without needing embellishment.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Stephen
What is Stephen Gillanders's current role?
As of 2026, Stephen Gillanders is Chef.
Where did Stephen Gillanders train or study?
Stephen Gillanders trained at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
