Ahead of tonight's MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, we spoke to Chef John Shields, who together with his wife, Chef Karen Urie Shields, own Chicago’s Three MICHELIN Star Smyth and the Loyalist.
What was your vision for Smyth?
We are trying to express ‘farm on a plate’ — not in such a literal sense, but more as an idea. We want to create memories. We want people walking away saying, “I’m never going to forget that.”
Has that changed at all since opening?
We’ve changed a ton. Post-pandemic really took us in a different direction from our original goal. For me and Karen, we’re trying to incorporate the most perfect products into our menus and we want to connect to the people that bring us those products. We tried to keep it as close to home as possible, utilizing local Midwest farmers and building relationships with those that bring us their ingredients. When we opened, the farms were fortuitous, but in some ways limiting in terms of consistency and what our vision was for our guest’s experience. When you work with such small farms in the Midwest, product comes in and goes out so rapidly. While this made for a creative time, there was also tumult, and it was sometimes a difficult time to deal with limited availability of product. We now partner with outstanding farms and farmers all throughout the U.S., as well as the Midwest, and we’ve found more consistency in our delivery to our guests. I think we’re now able to spread our wings a little more and take advantage of this great North American land.
What do you think resonates with guests?
I think the biggest thing that we do here is that we are not your typical fine dining restaurant. We inherently have a different viewpoint than a lot and we don’t shy away from it. We focus on letting products be themselves. We take a very Japanese approach to it. Our products are pure, they have been handled well and we present them well, hopefully. And there’s a nice bit of creativity in there. It sort of also comes from my background with Alinea and some other places I came up. At the end of the day, the food is very pure and that’s our delivery.
What is it like owning two businesses together as a couple? How do you balance work/life?
It’s not easy but you have to find the right person. In marriage, it’s business and in business, it’s marriage. You have to be able to connect and see each other in a fluid way where there’s not much disagreement. It’s more so a collective vision, so it makes it easy and it's not difficult when you’re both on the same page. I think if you have different visions and different ideals, it’s not sustainable. The vision is the end, and what we work towards together is the same journey.
In 2017, Smyth received One Star, and then in 2018, it was Two. What was that experience like each time? Why do you think you were awarded One, and then Two Stars?
The first time, we were open for six weeks and it was pretty cool to get one that quickly. That was amazing, but at the same time I knew we had higher aspirations for ourselves. I was surprised and shocked that we got the Star, especially after only six weeks. I definitely didn’t expect the second star in 2018. It was life changing and I even shed some tears.
We were humbled to get the one Star and for me, it meant that we were always on an upward trajectory. And to put us at two Stars shows that Michelin wasn’t wrong to give us our first Star so early on.
What would it mean to you to win Three Stars?
It would mean everything in life. I never imagined being a chef working for stars because when I came up, Michelin wasn't here in the United States, so it was never a goal compared to European chefs in fine dining. Here it was about five diamonds from Mobil, five stars from AAA, or a James Beard Award. It just has such weight around the world. It would be humbling in a way that I don’t think I'm deserving of. I would be thrilled and honored. I know what it takes and I know what people have sacrificed who are at that level, and you don't get there without putting your entire life into your service. I would be humbled, honored, and it would change my life in the way I never knew could happen.
