Celebrity Chef Opens Restaurant Inspired by Childhood Memories

Celebrity chef Marcus Williams has restaurants in New York, London, and Tokyo, but his newest venture in his hometown of Chicago might be his most personal yet. "Homecoming," which opens next month in the West Loop, draws inspiration from the dishes his grandmother cooked in her modest South Side kitchen. "My grandmother raised me and my three siblings after my parents passed away," Williams explains as he walks through the nearly-completed restaurant space. "She worked two jobs but still managed to put incredible meals on the table every night. This restaurant is my love letter to her." The menu features elevated versions of the soul food classics Williams grew up eating—her famous buttermilk fried chicken is brined for 48 hours and served with honey fermented in-house for six months; the mac and cheese incorporates five artisanal cheeses and black truffle; collard greens are cooked with smoked ham hocks from heritage-breed pigs raised specifically for the restaurant. But Williams is quick to emphasize that "Homecoming" isn't about making these dishes fancy for the sake of it. "Every modification has a purpose—to intensify the flavors that made these dishes special in the first place. If my grandmother wouldn't approve of a change, it doesn't make the menu." The restaurant's design reflects this philosophy as well. Chicago-based interior designer Amara Johnson created spaces that blend luxury with nostalgia. Tables are made from reclaimed wood from South Side buildings, and the open kitchen features a restored 1950s stove similar to the one Williams' grandmother used, now modified to meet commercial kitchen standards. Perhaps the most touching element is the wall of framed handwritten recipe cards—actual cards written by Williams' grandmother, blown up and displayed throughout the dining room. "Some of these are stained with food, have measurement corrections, little notes in the margins," Williams says, visibly emotional. "They're the most valuable things I own." Williams' grandmother, now 92, will cut the ribbon at the restaurant's opening. A special table in the corner, with the best view of both the kitchen and the Chicago skyline, will be permanently reserved for her. "She still thinks I'm crazy for charging $32 for fried chicken," Williams laughs. "But I think once she sees how we've honored her legacy, she'll understand what we're trying to do here."