WILLIAM CABREROS

Nirvana Kitchen and Wine Bar

My Name is William Cabreros. I’m a Filipino American chef who grew up on Chicago’s North Side a couple blocks away from Little Saigon. Food has always been an integral part of my life, from eating around the city with my father to spending time with my extended family at my late aunt and uncle’s restaurant. I started my career at P.F. Chang’s as a dishwasher where I would work my way onto the line, during college I would take on a part time job as a line cook at Magnolia’s, a fine‑dining establishment located in Macomb, IL. Despite it only being a part time job, I would find myself honing my knife skills and studying world cuisine during my free time to give me a better understanding of what I was doing at work. After a few years of balancing school and what I thought would only be a part-time job, I fell in love with the culinary world and made the decision to pursue it as a career. From there I knew I had to sharpen my skills and push myself to be much better. I would find myself working at Medinah Country Club.  For the next five years I would work alongside some of the most experienced, talented and hard-working chefs and cooks the industry has to offer, many of whom would be Mexican immigrants.  During this time, I would learn how much we share culturally as a Filipino American. Experiences like these keep me grounded and remain to be a foundational part of who I am as a person and as a chef. I am currently working at Nirvana Kitchen and Wine Bar in Vernon Hills, where I continue to grow as a chef and cook food that reflects my background and experiences.