Best Day Ever: Oriole's Noah Sandoval
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Noah Sandoval, chef/owner of Oriole. Photo by Garrett Sweet, courtesy of Oriole
Chef Noah Sandoval dreams up exquisite, contemporary American tasting menus nightly at Oriole, his two-Michelin-star restaurant in the West Loop.
- It's earned him a second trip to the James Beard Awards, where he's vying for Best Chef: Great Lakes on Monday.
Backstory: After starting his career in Richmond, Virginia, Sandoval moved to Chicago in 2008 to work at Marcus Samuelsson's C-House. He then went to Spring and Schwa before earning his first Michelin star at gluten-free Senza.
- In 2016, he and his wife, Cara, opened Oriole. It scored four stars from the Tribune months after opening.
- They later added Japanese-style dining bar Kumiko, run by partner Julia Momosé — also vying for a 2022 Beard Award for her book "The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes."
What's happening: We recently caught up with the chef to ask about his ideal day in Chicago.
🧇 Breakfast: "I love going to Windy City Cafe in River West. My go-to is the Second City Combo: bacon, sausage link, half a waffle."
🐕 Morning activity: "I'm always walking my dogs around my Albany Park neighborhood."
🥪 Lunch: "JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, near my home. What I love about their sandwiches is they're never stingy on their ingredients."
🎸 Afternoon activity: "If it's my day off on Mondays, it's always band practice." (Sandoval is also a guitarist in a rock band.)
🍽️ Dinner: "Korean BBQ at Chicago Kalbi. I could grill short ribs and eat plates of banchan all night."
🥃 Evening activity: "You'll find me drinking at the Montrose Saloon, usually something with Templeton rye."