RAISED ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF SENIOR SOUS CHEF JAMES KERWIN

Raised, An Urban Rooftop Bar, one of Chicago’s hottest rooftop destinations at 1 W. Wacker Drive, announces the hire of Senior Sous Chef James Kerwin. With experience working in some of Chicago’s top kitchens and receiving local and international recognition, Kerwin will oversee the creation of menus, day-to-day operations, and daily menu execution as the venue continues to flourish.

Since moving to Chicago in 2009, Chef James Kerwin has taken the food scene by storm. He joins the Raised team after four years as the Chef of Restaurants at the Marriott Hotels and Resorts: Chicago Downtown. As the Chef of Restaurants, Kerwin oversaw day-to-day operations of a primarily from scratch kitchen including stocks, charcuterie, butcher’s shop, pastry kitchen, rooftop garden and bee hives. Additionally, he executed food service for four outlets within the hotel from separate kitchens each day and focused on guest satisfaction. Before Marriott, Kerwin worked as the Executive Chef at Bolat, Sous and Catering Chef at Bonsoiree Restaurant and Sous Chef at Pops for Champagne and Watershed.

Beyond typical kitchen duties and leadership, Kerwin has worked to re-open restaurants from the ground up, from organizing staffing, acquiring food purveyors, budgeting and marketing and has worked with breweries for partnerships at different locations. He also hones his knowledge of exotic ingredients to carefully capture the vision of a menu in its taste and design.

Kerwin got his start in the business in 2008 as the Executive Chef at Aramark S&E – Orlando Science Center in Florida. There, he was responsible for all aspects of the concessions-based café and fine dining catering, food purchasing, menu planning and food preparation.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Kerwin studied Finance and Commercial Law from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan and attended the Orlando Culinary Academy with a major in Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida.

 

About Raised

Following much anticipation and careful planning by a creative and culinary team, Raised opened to critical acclaim in May 2016.  Under the direction of Executive Chef Daniel Perez, the regular menu at Raised features American bar food with a twist, highlighting sharable plates – ideal for mixing and mingling while soaking up the summer. Chef Perez focuses on all things local, sourcing his menu ingredients within 200 miles of Raised. The beverage program at Raised is curated by William Nykaza and features an array of wines on tap, an extensive offering of local craft beers on draft and by the bottle, and specialty cocktails served by the glass or in a shareable decanter. The creative libations with seasonal, fresh ingredients encourage guests to sample and share. Raised was designed by The Gettys Group, fusing an industrial aesthetic with eclectic style and raw finishes. The hours of operation for Raised are Monday – Thursday 4 p.m. – 12 a.m., Fridayand Saturday 2 p.m. – 1 a.m. (12 a.m. for terrace) and Sunday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more information about the space and the drink menu at Raised, An Urban Rooftop Bar, visit www.RaisedBarChicago.com or call 312.372.7200.