Executive Chef Matthew Ford Takes Over Kitchens

Ravinia welcomes a new executive chef with the 2013 season, Matthew Ford, who last summer served as executive sous chef at Ravinia. Ford’s ever-evolving menus will feature the flavors of Chicago and the Midwest, relying on locally grown ingredients—including those fresh from his gardens on the Ravinia grounds. Prior to joining Levy Restaurants almost eight years ago, Ford honed his passion for French-Vietnamese cuisine at Le Lan in Chicago and also worked at Mackinac Brewing Company in Traverse City, MI, where he discovered his love of micro-brewed beers. He joined the Levy team at Wrigley Field as a sous chef shortly after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago in 2005. Proving himself to be an invaluable team member, he continued to rise through the kitchen ranks as senior sous chef overseeing the Stadium Club and Premium Suites, and in 2011 he was promoted to executive sous chef, helping to oversee all culinary operations for the Field Museum. Other major events Ford has contributed to over the course of his tenure at Levy include the Breeder’s Cup, Country Music Awards and most recently, the Ryder Cup.