Our Humble Beginnings

In August 2021, Chef Jenner Tomaska and his wife and partner Katrina Bravo opened a fine-dining restaurant, Esmé in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. With Esmé, French for “beloved,” Tomaska and Bravo reimagine the tasting— menu model with philanthropy and art integrated into the foundation of the experience, an expression of their shared vision for the community-focused restaurant.