Chef Curtis Duffy & Team
Curtis Duffy
Chef and Co-owner
Curtis Duffy is a renowned American chef and restaurateur who is celebrated for his artistry and ingredient-driven menus. He owns and operates the esteemed Ever Restaurant Group in Chicago and has garnered international acclaim, with Ever earning two Michelin stars and his previous venture, Grace, earning three Michelin stars from 2015 to 2018.
Duffy has been honored with Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating, Triple A's Five-Diamond rating, and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Great Lakes Award in 2016. Recently, he was honored as one of the top 50 most influential figures in fine dining by the Robb Report.
Chef Duffy's captivating journey is chronicled in the acclaimed documentary “For Grace,” highlighting his rise from adversity to culinary greatness.
In addition to his culinary pursuits, Duffy is deeply committed to giving back to the community. He sits on the advisory board of the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, where a $25,000 scholarship in his name is awarded. Duffy’s past charitable efforts have included volunteering and serving as chef chair for the Grand Chefs Gala, a fundraiser for the Greater Illinois Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He also participates in Chicago's Banchet Awards.
In 2022, Duffy opened After, a come-as-you-are bar, and The Canvas by Ever, a high-end event space. Both places are located next door to Ever and have already received high praise.
Amy Cordell
Chief Operating Officer
Amy Cordell’s hospitality career is defined by her commitment to exceptional service and long-standing partnership with Chef Curtis Duffy. The two first worked together at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago before opening Grace, where Cordell led the front-of-house team to three Michelin stars. In 2020, she helped launch Ever as Director of Hospitality and was named Chief Operating Officer in 2025, guiding the restaurant’s next chapter.
Before collaborating with Duffy, Cordell refined her skills as a Captain at two-Michelin-starred Charlie Trotter’s. Her work has been featured in the documentary For Grace and in Season 2 of FX’s The Bear, which was filmed at two-Michelin-starred, Ever.
Lucas Trahan
Chef de Cuisine
Lucas Trahan became Ever’s Chef de Cuisine in October 2023. Previously, he was Ever’s pastry chef from 2020-2023. Trahan worked with Chef Duffy at Grace from 2015-2017 and worked on the culinary teams of Entente, Fulton Market Kitchen and Pacific Standard Time. Trahan attended the Art Institute of Dallas and was named a Rising Star Pastry Chef in 2021 by StarChefs.