Jason Hammel never set out to be a chef. With an English degree and dreams of becoming a writer, he went to Italy in 1994, staying across from the city’s central market. Today, Hammel is the Executive Chef and Owner of Lula Cafe, a Chicago institution in Logan Square that has been doing farm-to-table since 1999.

Hammel’s influence extends far beyond the kitchen. He’s the Culinary Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s restaurant, Marisol. Jason is also the co-founder of Pilot Light, a non-profit bringing food education to over 10,000 students. His restaurants have earned praise from The New York Times, Michelin’s Bib Gourmand, and in 2024 Lula Cafe received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.

Hammel uses food as a vehicle for community, creativity, and education. He’s a chef who thinks like a writer, and that perspective shapes everything he does.

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