Dylan Patel

Raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Dylan Patel became interested in food as a child when his uncle moved in with him and his family. Often cooking traditional Indian food or lighting up the grill to barbecue, Patel found himself drawn to watching his uncle cook. This spark would eventually lead him to enroll at Kendall College after high school to pursue a career in culinary arts.

While attending Kendall, he was recommended by his professor to intern at the James Beard award-winning restaurant avec by acclaimed Chef-Partner Paul Kahan and One Off Hospitality in Chicago’s West Loop. Under the guidance of then Chef de Cuisine Perry Hendrix, Patel expanded his culinary knowledge to all corners of the Mediterranean, learning to cook the popular shared dishes at the intimate restaurant. His internship ultimately led to a place on the avec team, and after a year or so, he was promoted to kitchen supervisor before becoming sous chef in 2017.

In 2020, Hendrix gave over the reins and title of chef de cuisine to Patel, allowing him to introduce the familiar flavors and portfolio of spices from his personal background to expand upon avec’s portfolio of creative, wine-friendly fare. At the age of 27, Patel was promoted to Executive Chef of avec River North and bar avec, the sister rooftop of avec’s second location, and was recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News on their 2022 Chefs “Power List” as well as being named a “Top Innovator” by CS Magazine for the culture he’s cultivated for the avec brand through the years.