BAILEY SULLIVAN

Chicago, IL (March 12, 2025) – James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef/owner Sarah Grueneberg and partners Jaime Canete and Rob Mosher are pleased to announce the promotion of Bailey Sullivan from Chef di Cucina to Executive Chef of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, as the restaurant approaches its tenth anniversary this fall.

“Ever since I met Bailey at a Ramen Battle, I knew she had the instinct, culinary drive and leadership skills to make a real difference in the restaurant industry. She joined the Monteverde team in 2016 and has proven to be the type of chef who not only has a great influence on our menu, but she’s cultivated lasting relationships with everyone in her midst, from our network of farmers and purveyors to fellow teammates to our guests,” says Grueneberg. “As Monteverde approaches its tenth year in business, Bailey is a natural fit to lead the day-to-day operations of the kitchen. It’s been an honor to watch her evolve and grow, and we are incredibly excited for her bright and dynamic future – both at Monteverde and as one of three Chicago chefs competing on Season 22 of Bravo’s Top Chef.”

“I have been working toward the role of Executive Chef since I fell in love with the food and culture at Monteverde almost a decade ago,” says Sullivan. “From my first day in the restaurant, I knew I’d found a special place where I could learn from an incredibly talented team and develop my skills. I am humbled to lead the kitchen in this new role, especially as Monteverde approaches its tenth anniversary.”

A native of La Grange, IL, Sullivan was born into the hospitality industry; her dad has owned Goldyburgers, a storied burger joint and beer garden, for over four decades, however, it’s not where she got her start in the kitchen. While earning her bachelor’s degree from Kendall College, Sullivan interned at the two-Michelin-starred, Coastal New England-inspired restaurant Acadia, where she worked both savory and pastry before joining the kitchen at Yusho Logan Square, where she became captivated by Asian ingredients, flavors and the art of ramen. Bailey made the most of the restaurant’s monthly Ramen Battles, which allowed her to meet and cook with some of the city’s best chefs—most notably, her future mentor Sarah Grueneberg, chef/owner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio.

After graduation, Sullivan worked at the Michelin-starred Parachute for a year before pursuing her deep-rooted love of noodles and a desire to learn the intricacies and art of hand-made pasta and regional Italian cuisine under Grueneberg, the James Beard Award-winning chef and Bravo’s Top Chef finalist on season nine. Sullivan immediately fell in love with Italian ingredients and sensibilities, and over the course of more than eight years, she has worked her way up the kitchen from line cook, sous chef, purchasing sous, executive sous and chef di cucina before her recent appointment to executive chef.

Known for embracing seasonal produce and global flavors with an Italian hand, Sullivan has earned a reputation for embracing the "atipica" side of Italian cuisine—blending tradition with bold, whimsical twists. Signature dishes include Mangalitsa Pork Belly Pampanella Skewers, smoked pork belly from heritage breed pigs raised by Mike and Michelle DeShaaf at their 1936 Meadowbrook Farm in Benton Harbor, MI, with Corno di Capra peppers, pickled vegetable giardiniera and honey; Skate Wing Schnitzel with Wok-Fried Ramps with Publican Quality Bread’s whole grain sourdough pullman-crusted skate wing, wok fried ramps and spring onions, Calabrian chile, lemon and toasted caraway; Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Sweet Corn and Truffle, guitar string cut spaghetti with sweet corn, Cantabrian anchovy, truffle and parsley; and Cannelloni Saltimbocca with braised lamb, prosciutto, sage, sofrito and Pecorina fonduta.

On November 11, 2025, Monteverde will turn 10 years old and in celebration of this milestone, Grueneberg, Sullivan and the entire team have launched Ten for 10: every month throughout the year, the restaurant will bring back a dish from the archives and donate $2 of every dish sold to a different philanthropic partner.

“It has been an honor to revisit the menu archives and reflect on some of our favorite dishes from the last decade,” says Sullivan. “Although every dish is near and dear to our team’s collective heart, we can’t wait for the opportunity to share them again with both new and loyal guests and team members. I am endlessly grateful to Sarah, Jaime, Rob and the entire team for the opportunity to celebrate this milestone anniversary of the restaurant that brought us all together.”