Our Story
A love letter to fire.
Built on conviction,
cooked with fire.
Chef Daniel Voss left a senior role at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant on a Tuesday in 2017. By Friday he had signed a lease in River North. By 2018, Ember & Rye was open — and packed every night within a month.
The concept was simple: cook over real fire. Source the best dry-aged beef in the country. Build a team that believes service is an art form. Everything else followed from those three commitments.
Today Ember & Rye holds James Beard nominations, a four-star review from the Tribune, and a reservation list that runs two weeks deep on weekends. The grill hasn't cooled since opening night.
The Argentine parilla
at the heart of everything.
Our custom-built Argentine parilla was fabricated in Buenos Aires by third-generation grill makers and shipped to Chicago in 2018. It burns real hardwood — white oak and cherry — and reaches temperatures no gas grill can approach.
Every prime cut passes through 1200°F heat, which creates a sear that seals the exterior while leaving the interior perfectly pink. The wood imparts a smokiness that can’t be replicated. This is not theater — it’s the reason the food tastes like this.
Who Does the Work
CIA-trained with 15 years at Michelin-starred restaurants across New York and Chicago. Daniel opened Ember & Rye in 2018 after a formative trip to Argentina where he fell in love with wood-fire cooking.
Master Sommelier with an 800-label cellar. Maya curates our wine program with an eye toward Old World pairing traditions and New World adventure. She conducts quarterly wine dinners.
Spent a decade at The Langham and Four Seasons before joining Ember & Rye. Robert is the reason every guest leaves feeling personally looked after — hospitality is his art form.
Fire
Real wood. Real heat. No shortcuts. The grill is the restaurant.
Patience
28-day dry aging. Slow prep. No timers on quality.
Precision
CIA-trained technique applied to American steak traditions. Respect the cut.