Time Out’s Best Young Chefs in Chicago right now

Javauneeka Jacobs just got promoted to executive chef of Rick Bayless’ Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, Frontera Grill—and she’s just 28. Although it may seem like a quick rise to the top, it’s been a long time coming for Jacobs. “It goes all the way back to when I was young. I was fascinated with the Food Network, and I would always try to replicate the recipes. Eventually, I decided to give this cooking thing a try,” Jacobs recalls.

After culinary school and an early stint in the kitchen at Mariano’s, Jacobs landed at Bayless’ River North Mexican restaurant Xoco—marking the beginning of a decade-long career in Bayless’ vibrant universe. Shortly after the pandemic, the celebrity chef asked Jacobs to be his culinary assistant while working as a line cook at his spot Topolobampo. He reassured her that, despite her insecurities about taking on such a major role, he would teach her everything she’d need to know. “That was when he really took me under his wing and taught me how to make, test and write recipes,” she shares. “Being mentored by Rick and seeing what really goes on behind the cooking shows and cookbooks was my biggest achievement.”

Since then, Jacobs has developed countless standout dishes and longstanding staples like Topolobampo’s mini hand-rolled empanadas, which she created nearly seven years ago while a line cook there. But with immense success, she tells me, comes a seemingly inescapable sense of imposter syndrome, especially when you’re leading a kitchen with chefs who have more than 20 years of experience on you. “It’s one thing to be a Black woman in this industry, but it’s a whole different thing to be a young Black woman cooking Mexican food,” Jacobs says. Like any great mentor, Bayless offered guidance and a loose grip on the kitchen to allow Jacobs to fully explore her creativity—perhaps, more importantly, to take risks. “[Rick] told me, ‘You’ve been one of the best chefs I’ve ever had,’ and that means a lot coming from him,” she says. “With that, I can hold my head up high and continue to be bold.”

When I meet with Josh, he’s just finished a hectic day of delivering seafood. The 27-year-old currently works for specialty food supplier Chef’s Warehouse, which supports many high-end restaurants and bars, including nearly every restaurant where Mummert has worked. “I left kitchens, full-time, at least, last year,” he tells me. “I started as a line cook when I was 15, and I haven’t stopped since. It’s no secret that it’s an intense lifestyle, and I realized I needed to take a step back, both for myself and my family, and to make sure that the product I put out is the best it can be.” 

Mummert has quickly become one of Chicago’s most exciting on-the-rise talents: he’s spent time at Elske, among other acclaimed restaurants, and was awarded the Michelin Guide Chicago Young Chef award in 2024 for his work at Michelin-starred Kumiko, where he spent three years and served as executive chef upon Noah Sandoval’s exit.

But seemingly nothing can keep him out of the kitchen: Mummert currently is juggling a handful of side gigs, including his Puerto Rican pop-up series Soraida, a dinner series named after his mom. “I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and we were, for a lot of my life, very disconnected from the  Puerto Rican side of our family, but it's something that my mom always made sure we were aware of,” he says. “Later in life, I decided I wanted to honor my mother, our family, the heritage, and the incredible food systems and people of Puerto Rico and Chicago.” The next Soraida pop-up will take place later this year at Konbini & Kanpai in Wrigleyville and will infuse Japanese elements, with the help of Mummert’s friend and the spot’s co-owner, Jun-Jun Vichaikul. “It will honor the time in my career that I spent working at Kumiko, and the food and people that I love so much.” 

Mummert’s innovation and mastery of craft are only part of what makes him one of Chicago’s best young chefs—his unwavering devotion to excellence and commitment to making kitchens better, more sustainable spaces are exactly what the industry needs right now. “We’re an industry that’s built on diversity, and we have to look out for one another,” Mummert concludes. “I like to think that what we do as hospitality professionals is to care for people. And if we’re not doing that, then nothing else matters.”

Megan McGarvey was born to be a pastry chef. In fact, she never even imagined herself doing anything else. “I remember making mousse as a kid with cookbooks from the library,” the 27-year-old pastry chef of Michelin-starred Boka and Alla Vita tells me. “I started by watching cooking shows and the Food Network, and just threw myself into it. I love what I do.” 

After culinary school, McGarvey headed to Aspen, where, for nearly five years, she cut her teeth as a pastry chef at a hotel restaurant, which she admits is much different than helming the kitchen of a stand-alone operation. “Hotels are big machines with a lot of moving parts,” the Palatine native shares. But in 2024, with years of experience under her belt, she was ready to start her next chapter. “I wanted to see something different, a place where I’m not being pulled by the constraints [of the hotel].” After landing the job at Boka, McGarvey quickly realized this was a place where she could explore her creativity and have the freedom to grow. She felt like she and Boka’s chef, Lee Wolen, could immediately trust each other.

These days, she’s focused on updating the menus with two new desserts each month. Often inspired by what’s in season or a flavor she’s loving at the moment, her standout creations include a melt-in-your-mouth soft serve with fresh strawberries and cookie crumble, and a rich sourdough steeped in cream with roasted balsamic strawberries and mousse. “Keeping it interesting and fun for myself, and my cooks and servers, pushes me to go beyond the comfort of my boundaries,” she says. 

McGarvey’s innovative spirit not only enhances the menus at her restaurants but also the environments themselves. She’s passionate about leading a change in kitchens to create a healthier work environment for everyone in the hospitality industry.  “Working in kitchens is not an easy environment,” McGarvey says. “I’m making [my] kitchens a different place, and not the way they were 15 or 20 years ago. You have to take care of and be nice to yourself.” It’s sage advice she received from a chef she previously worked with, and it’s a poignant reminder that affects those even beyond the kitchen.