It was on season 15 of Top Chef—the season he won—that Chicago-based chef Joe Flamm first spoke of opening his own restaurant. “Tyler [Anderson] was the first person I pitched on doing something with Italian and Croatian food and the link they share,” says Flamm, recalling his friend and fellow chef’s encouragement and the momentum it gave him to get things going.
Fast-forward four years (and one unforeseen pandemic pause), and today, April 20, Flamm is ready to open the doors to Rose Mary, a Fulton Market restaurant focusing on the bold culinary bridges between Italy and Croatia. And while Croatian cooking and culture will be newly explored territory for Flamm, he plans to approach the menu in the same way he did at Spiaggia, the Michelin-starred restaurant he helmed under chef Tony Mantuano for more than five years. “At Spiaggia, we rotated out menu items based on regions and their prime seasons, and we hope to have similar philosophies here,” he says. “While I am putting my spin on dishes, we want to be sure that they’re steeped in tradition, too—so that when people try these plates for the first time in a possibly very long time, they might bring back memories.”
Pinziminio. Credit: Courtesy of Rose Mary
Here, Flamm talks to La Cucina Italiana about Rose Mary, his Croatian travels, his most influential kitchen mentors, and the power of food memories and the grandmothers who spark them.
What inspired the restaurant’s opening?
My wife’s family is from Croatia, and when I met her 12 years ago, I didn't know anything about Croatian food or culture—just that I found it to be super interesting and that there might be a cool opportunity there to tell that story through food. A few years ago, we had the chance to travel there together, and my business partners flew in to meet us. At the first restaurant we sat down at for lunch, our decision was made. It was a gorgeous day, the water was crystal clear; you could see the sea urchins through it. Everybody was like, “Yeah, this is what we have to do.”
What surprised you most in learning about the country’s food and culture?
The connection between Venetian food and Croatian food is incredible. Also, how similar the food of Istria is to that of Friuli. I was really impressed by how much variety exists in a country that is not geographically huge. There are so many influences there.
Which dishes are you most excited to feature on your menu?
We’re really excited to make our own Croatian bread, lepinja, along with pasticada, which is a Croatian version of gnocchi, but with beef cheeks that are braised with red wine, tomato, and a little sweet fruit—usually figs or prunes. I think the dish I'm most looking forward to offering is one inspired from the time my wife and I first met, when we started going to dinners with her family and they always had this one item called skradin, which is similar to risotto but slow-cooked with veal, chicken thighs, and tons of parmesan cheese. It’s the dish that feels the most personal and, therefore, also the one that makes me the most nervous about serving, since my in-laws introduced me to it. The pressure is on!
Pork Ribs Pampenella from Rose Mary. Credit: Courtesy of Rose Mary
Of your recent travels to Italy and Croatia, what experience impacted you and your approach to this restaurant the most?
It would be dinner at Restaurant Dal Pescatore Santini, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Canneto sull'Oglio, a 34-person-town in Northern Italy. The chef is Nadia Santini. Her husband works the front of the house with one of her sons, and her other son is in the kitchen with her. The restaurant has been there forever, and because there’s nothing in the town, you have to stay two villages over. For a Michelin-starred restaurant, it was the most welcoming place you could imagine—it felt we were in this family's home, and they just happened to be running one of the best restaurants in Italy. And then, Chef was telling me all about the inspiration behind the restaurant—how the reason she cooks is to keep the recipes of their ancestors alive for future generations—and this is all in the middle of dinner service. So here she is, just holding my hand, telling me these personal stories in between sear-offs of foie gras.
What was it about the experience that hit home for you the most?
There was a confidence in the simplicity of it. They did a risotto where they were just like, “Oh yeah, the rice grows down the street and we get the goat cheese from this farmer and we get the honey from our cousins.” And that was it—there was nothing else to that dish, and it was beautiful. It made me think, “If they can do something that simple and elegant here, why can't I cook that kind of food in my restaurants?” I refer to that kind of food as “grown-up cooking”—similar to the way Missy Robbins cooks in New York. I always say to her, “I want to cook like you when I grow up.”
Can you tell us more about the restaurant’s name?
Rosemary, the herb, literally means “dew of the sea,” and it grows all along the coast of Italy and Croatia. Also: My Irish grandmother’s name was Rose, and my Italian grandmother’s name is Mary. It felt very fitting to honor these two important women in my life in this way.
Rosewater Fritule. Credit: Courtesy of Rose Mary
Is there a dish or two that pays particular homage to them?
Cooking squid always reminds me of my grandma Mary—we’d get it for Christmas Eve, spread out newspapers on the table, and scrape the squid clean. I can still remember the smell of the newspaper and how the knife felt in my hand. Whenever I'm working with squid or calamari, it reminds me of her.
Who has been one of your biggest inspirations in the culinary world?
Stephanie Izard and Tony Mantuano are by far the greatest influences of my culinary career. Stephanie’s drive and creativity are unparalleled, and she’s one of the most talented chefs I’ve ever worked with—no one works harder than her or with such integrity. And then with Tony, working with him was like attending finishing school. He was willing to let his restaurant evolve naturally through time and trust the people around him. He has also been a great role model in being a family man in the industry, demonstrating how you can stay in this business for more than 30 years and have great relationships with your partner and children, a hard balancing act to achieve.
What is your favorite thing about serving food to others, especially in times like these?
I’m really looking forward to making that connection again with guests through food. My hope is that I can spark the same kinds of memories for others that I have of my grandma when I have certain dishes. If I could help to ignite someone’s imagination through something they haven’t seen or tasted in a long time, that is a success. That, for me, is the best thing about cooking.