Galit & Cafe Yaya
- When
- June 5, 2025
- Where
-
Cafe Yaya
2431 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
An evening celebration in the event space at brand new Cafe Yaya. The festivities start with a cocktail reception that includes hors d’ouvres inspired by the Cafe Yaya bistro-inspired menu. Chef Zach Engel’s award winning cuisine from Michelin-starred Galit Restaurant with nods to Chef Jacque Pepin’s cookbooks and the impact they had in Chef Zach’s early cooking career. Wine pairings are included and curated by Beverage Director Scott Stroemer, taking guests on a wine journey through the Middle East, celebrating the extraordinary winemakers that are part of a wine revival in the region. Silent Auction items will be available as well.
Highlights
- Four course menu, served in Galit’s trademark communal style
- Menu featuring the critically-acclaimed Middle Eastern cuisine of Galit and Chef Zachary Engel
- Wine pairings by Beverage Director Scott Stroemer, highlighting boutique winemakers from around the Middle East
- Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Galit opened in 2019. Awarded a Michelin star since 2022, Galit has also been named a Finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant Award for 2025
Details
- 6 pm cocktail reception and silent auction begins. 7 pm dinner. 10 pm event ends.
- Dress suggestion for the evening: cocktail attire
- Thanks to the generosity of the participating event host, a portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to the Jacques Pépin Foundation to support our mission of expanding access to culinary education. We deeply appreciate your generous support.
- Jacques Pépin proudly supports our 90/90 Celebrations. While he can't be present at all of them, we invite you to check our website for details on the events where he will joining in celebration.
Event Host
Zachary Engel
Chef/owner, Galit and Cafe Yaya
Zachary Engel is the Chef/Owner of Galit, a Michelin-starred Middle Eastern Restaurant, and Cafe Yaya, a more casual sister restaurant, bakery and wine bar in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Previously, Zach was Chef de Cuisine at Shaya in New Orleans, leading a talented team to the 2016 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
In 2017, he followed with the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Award. He cooked in the kitchens of Zahav (Philadelphia), Catit (Tel Aviv) and Michelin-starred Madrona Manor (Sonoma). Zach’s time growing up in a Jewish household and many trips to Israel are the grounding elements of his Middle Eastern cooking. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Guest Chef
Bill Kim
Chef/owner, Urbanbelly
A graduate of Triton College and Kendall College, Kim immersed himself early in his career in classical French cuisine, working alongside such world-renowned chefs as Pierre Pollin, Jean Banchet and Charlie Trotter. In the 1990’s, he honed his skills and developed his distinct style at other acclaimed restaurants, among them Susanna Foo in Philadelphia and New York City’s Bouley Bakery.
In 2008, with the opening of urbanbelly, his BYOB noodle and dumpling joint in an unassuming strip mall in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, Kim spurred the wave of fine-dining chefs branching into creative casual dining. The following year, he opened Belly Shack in Logan Square, a mashup of Korean and Puerto Rican food inspired by his wife Yvonne’s Puerto Rican heritage. In 2012, Kim and Cornerstone Restaurant Group brought bellyQ which was modern interpretation of Korean barbecue, to the bustling Randolph Street corridor, and in 2016, also opened a second urbanbelly in Wicker Park.
Kim’s first cookbook,”Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces,” was released in April 2018. In October 2018, he and Cornerstone Restaurant Group opened a full-service restaurant at Oakbrook Center in partnership with Crate and Barrel. The Table at Crate officially opened in July 2019. In the fall of 2019, Chef Kim and Cornerstone Restaurant Group opened a kiosk inside the largest Timeout Market in North America. In fall of 2024 Chef Kim and Cornerstone Restaurant Group opened restaurants inside of Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, South Korea.
