Cafe Yaya
Day 1: 5-Course French Meets Middle Eastern Tasting Series
Opened this past March in Lincoln Park, this Mediterranean café from the team behind Michelin-Starred Galit hopped right onto Chicago Magazine’s “10 Hottest Restaurants” List and Eater’s list of “Best New Restaurants in Chicago.” Co-Chef/Owner Zachary Engel was Chef de Cuisine at Shaya Restaurant in New Orleans when it took home the 2016 James Beard Award for “Best New Restaurant”. In 2017, he followed that honor up with the James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” Award. His career includes time spent in the kitchens of Zahav in Philadelphia, Catit in Tel Aviv, and Michelin-Starred Madrona Manor in Sonoma County. At Café Yaya, he is dazzling diners with dishes like grilled zucchini with nuoc cham, aleppo pepper chili crisp, and coconut rice, mussels with marguez and harissa, roasted cod with beurre blanc and charred cabbage, and a killer baklavah for dessert (which Infatuation placed on its List of “Chicago’s Best New Dishes of 2025”). Chicago Magazine calls Chef Engel “one of Chicago’s best chefs,” so we are excited to visit his new venture and chat with him about his food ideas. Be sure not to miss this one!
About the Host:
Zachary Engel
Co-Chef/Owner
Before moving to Chicago and opening up Michelin-Starred Galit, Chef Zachary Engel honed his craft at Shaya Restaurant in NOLA, where he led a talented team to take home the 2016 James Beard Award for "Best New Restaurant". In 2017, he followed that up with a James Beard "Rising Star Chef of the Year" Award. His career includes time spent in the kitchens of Zahav in Philadelphia, Catit in Tel Aviv, and Michelin-Starred Madrona Manor in Sonoma County.
The Lineup
Courses #2 - #5 will be individually plated; course #1 will be served family-style. This menu will be Shellfish, Fish, Peanut, Leek, Scallion & Mushroom Free. For a list of restrictions/allergies Chef is accommodating, click here.
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Hummus & Salatim
brisket hummus | caramelized onion & miso labneh | arabic chopped salad | pickles
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Apple-Endive Salad
susie's apples, bulgarian feta, pecan, cider syrup
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Falafel
funky mango, labneh, persian-pickled turnip
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Beef Shank Tangia
saffron & cumin, hand-rolled cous cous, wood-roasted winter vegetables
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Mary's Baklavah
walnut, orange blossom, honey
Cafe Yaya
2431 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
More Event Info
Dietary Restrictions Accommodation Policy:
Due to the large-format nature of this event, all accommodation requests must be Added To Your Profile, or Emailed To Us no later than 72 hours before the event. Requests submitted after this date will not be accommodated. Additionally, Cafe Yaya will only be accommodating certain dietary restrictions/food allergies, and they are unable to make menu adjustments based on distaste for specific ingredients/flavor profiles.
See below for guidance on whether or not they will be accommodating your restriction. Or, if your restriction is not represented below, Contact Us prior to booking tickets for guidance.
- Vegetarians: There is Beef in Course 1 and Beef in Course 4. Substitutions will be provided.
- Pescatarians: There is Beef in Course 1 and Beef in Course 4. Substitutions will be provided.
- Gluten: There is Gluten in Course 1, Course 4, Course 5. Substitutions will be provided.
- Dairy:
• Butter: Butter is in Course 5. Substitutions will be provided
• Cheese: Sheep's Milk Cheese is in Course 2. Substitutions will be provided
• Yogurt: Yogurt is in Course 1, Course 3. Substitutions will be provided - Shellfish: This menu is shellfish-free.
- Fish: This menu is fish-free.
- Eggs: There are Eggs in Course 3. Substitutions will be provided.
- Peanuts: This menu is peanut-free.
- Tree Nuts: There is Pecan in Course 2 and Walnut in Course 5. Substitutions will be provided.
- Alliums: There is Chive, Garlic (Cooked), Onion (Cooked) and Red Onion (Raw) in Course 1 and Onion (Cooked) in Course 4. Substitutions will not be provided.
- Mushrooms: This menu is mushroom-free.
Handicap Accessibility:
Have Additional Questions?
Check out Event FAQs or Contact Us for assistance.
