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    James Beard Award winner

    Tanya Baker

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    James Beard Award winner
    Portrait of Tanya Baker

    Portrait of Tanya Baker

    i. Biography

    Spanish, French, and Contemporary American cooking form a practical working range here: structure, restraint, and a hosting sensibility carried through restaurant and private-chef formats.

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    The Climb

    Formal training came through Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, after which the Chicago dining scene provided the working context for Tanya Baker’s progression. The opening-team role at The Boarding House in Chicago led to Executive Chef at The Boarding House in Chicago until 2017, a path built inside service rather than outside it.

    Today

    The present brief is hospitality at close range: hosting, feeding, and making guests feel marked by the meal.

    Signature

    The signature range includes named dishes and formats that move between composed restaurant cooking and direct hospitality: The Taming of the Shrew, Braised Pork Belly with Kohlrabi Slaw and Lifeway Kefir, Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad With Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, Cajun White Castle Burger, and Sujeonggwa cheesecake.

    In Their Words “For me, cooking is my most genuine form of expression and gratitude. I love to host people and make them feel celebrated through food.”

    Recognition

    Tanya Baker has received James Beard Foundation Awards: Rising Star Chef of the Year finalist (2015). Peer-facing recognition came with Rising Star Chef of the Year finalist (2015).

    ii

    FAQ

    Asked of Tanya

    • Where did Tanya Baker train or study?

      Tanya Baker trained at Le Cordon Bleu Chicago.

    • What recognition has Tanya Baker received?

      Rising Star Chef of the Year finalist (2015).

    The Sunday email

    Get new Made By stories every Sunday.

    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.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.