Iliana Regan facts for kids
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| Born | 1979 Merrillville, Indiana |
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| Education | Indiana University Bloomington Columbia College Chicago |
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Current restaurant(s)
Elizabeth, The Milkweed Inn
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Previous restaurant(s)
Trio, Schwa, Alinea
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Award(s) won
2014 Michelin Star
 , Elizabeth2016 Food & Wine Best New Chef |
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Iliana Regan is a well-known American chef and restaurant owner. She operated her restaurant Elizabeth in Chicago from 2012 to 2020. During this time, Elizabeth earned Michelin stars every year, which is a very high honor in the food world. Since 2019, she has also owned The Milkweed Inn in Wetmore, Michigan.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Iliana Regan was born in 1979 in Merrillville, Indiana. She grew up on a 10-acre farm with her three older sisters. Her mother was a great cook, and her father, who worked in a steel factory, was also a gardener.
Regan first studied chemistry at Indiana University. Later, she earned a degree in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago. In the spring of 2022, she completed her master's degree in fine arts in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Culinary Career
Before opening her own places, Regan worked as a waitress and cook. She gained experience in several fancy restaurants in Chicago. These included Trio, Schwa, and Alinea. She learned from famous chefs like Grant Achatz and Michael Carlson.
From Farmer's Market to Supper Club
In 2008, Regan started selling fresh produce like microgreens and vegetables at local farmer's markets. Soon, she began selling homemade pierogi, which are delicious dumplings.
By 2010, she started a weekly supper club in her apartment. She would host 10 to 12 guests for special meals. Through this supper club, Regan met people who wanted to help her open her very own restaurant.
Elizabeth Restaurant
Regan named her first restaurant Elizabeth after her sister. It opened in 2012 in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Elizabeth was known for using ingredients that were grown at home or found in nature.
The restaurant first offered multi-course meals at three shared tables, just like her supper club. Later, she made the menu shorter and removed the communal tables. Elizabeth quickly became popular and earned a Michelin star in its second year.
In 2017, Regan opened another restaurant called Kitsune, which featured Japanese-inspired dishes. It closed in 2019. In July 2020, she transferred ownership of Elizabeth to her employees.
The Milkweed Inn
In 2019, Regan and her wife, Anna, opened The Milkweed Inn. This unique place is located in Nahma Township, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The Milkweed Inn hosts 10 guests each weekend from April through October. Guests pay for a special "new gatherer" food experience. The accommodations include three rooms inside the inn, a platform tent, and a small Airstream trailer. A typical weekend might start with pierogi and smoked lake trout on Friday. It then builds up to a 15-course dinner on Saturday. This dinner could feature wild blueberries, fried young milkweed pods, and moose tartare.
Published Works
Iliana Regan has also written books. In 2019, she published a memoir titled Burn the Place. A memoir is a book where someone tells stories from their own life.
In January 2023, her second memoir, Fieldwork, was published. This book shares her experiences spending years finding food in nature and living in the woods.
Awards and Recognition
Iliana Regan has received many honors for her work. In 2008, Chicago Magazine recognized her pierogi as the best in the city. In 2016, Food & Wine magazine named her one of the best new chefs. She was also included in Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 list, which highlights successful young professionals. Famous chef David Chang has called her one of the best chefs he knows.
Her book Burn the Place was considered for the National Book Award in 2019. This was a big deal because it was the first time in 40 years a food-related book received such recognition. Smithsonian magazine also listed Burn the Place among their top ten books about food in 2019. The book won the Midland Author's prize in non-fiction and a prize from Story Studio Chicago.
Personal Life
Iliana Regan is married to Anna Hamlin. They met when Anna worked with a wine company that supplied Elizabeth restaurant. They live at The Milkweed Inn with their four dogs.
