Sarah Rinkavage is the former Chef de Cuisine at Marisol, working alongside Chef Jason Hammel. At Marisol, Hammel and Rinkavage offered an ever-changing, hyper-seasonal menu filled with bright and contemporary flavors reminiscent of international artist Chris Ofili’s immersive art environment. Rinkavage places a strong emphasis on color and texture, pairing surprising-yet-simple ingredients together in layers of flavor and form. She takes her inspiration from the palette of the season, and elegantly prepares meats and seafood to highlight and dramatize vegetable-centered preparations.
Most recently chef de cuisine of Hammel’s Logan Square institution, Lula Café, Rinkavage has become known for her introspective, thoughtful and sophisticated culinary style. Hammel says, “As a chef, Sarah loves to surprise. She connects to ingredients in ways that are new and innovative with an intuitive touch and a love for assertive, yet balanced flavors. Her style brings out a hidden beauty in ingredients through novel use of texture and color.
Photo credit: Jeff Marini