Ever is the third restaurant run by chef Curtis Duffy alongside his business partner Michael Muser, after the pair worked at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago and then together created the three-Michelin-star Grace.

The heart of Ever

Described by the Michelin Guide as “a stylish, graciously run destination” and on the restaurant’s website as Duffy and Moser’s “creative obsession,” two-Michelin-starred Ever is a stunningly designed space. Every detail is conceived and realized with a firm focus on enhancing the experience of Duffy’s signature brand of “thoughtfully progressive” cuisine: micro-seasonal. Ingredient-led, and highly innovative in both preparation and presentation.

Building on the restaurant’s success, Duffy and Muser have also opened the lounge bar After and the high-event space The Canvas by Ever, both next door to the restaurant.

Minimalist and futuristic, Ever is in a new office building in Fulton Market, Chicago. The restaurant seats around 75 people, including up to 12 guests seated in a private dining room.

Its design was entrusted to architects Micah Stanley and Christopher Lawton, who were responsible for Duffy and Muser’s previous venture, Grace. The layout, materials, lighting, and acoustics are all intended to reflect the multisensory journey diners can expect to enjoy therein, gently guiding them from the hustle and bustle of the city outside into a physical and mental space where they can focus fully on the dining experience. From the foyer, guests proceed down a curving corridor with acoustically reflective walls to the Ma Room, a liminal space with soft light and softer acoustics. A final passageway then takes them to the silence and calm of the dining room, an elegant inner sanctum.

Curtis Duffy was born in Colorado Springs, moving reluctantly to Ohio aged 12, where small town boredom and family issues made for a turbulent childhood. Encouraged by a middle school teacher who remains an inspiration to this day, he found solace in cooking, which soon became his overriding passion. Duffy gained his first experience in a professional kitchen whilst still at high school, and after graduating from Ohio State University, his burgeoning talent was quickly recognized. This enabled him to develop his craft in a series of renowned Chicago restaurants, from the legendary Charlie Trotter’s to Trio, Alinea, and Avenues, as well as The French Laundry in California. At Avenues he met Michael Muser, the man who would become his longtime business partner and co-creator of first Grace and then Ever.

After its launch in 2020, Ever received a string of recognitions in best new restaurant lists published by La Liste, Chicago Magazine, Esquire, and The Chicago Tribune.

The restaurant was awarded two stars in the Michelin Guides of 2021, 2022, and 2023, an AAA Five Diamond Rating in 2022 and 2023, and a four-star rating in the Chicago Tribune shortly after opening in 2020.

Ever also boasts the honor of appearing in the TV drama The Bear, albeit in a somewhat fictionalized interpretation.

Duffy himself has received numerous accolades and awards over the course of his career, and recently featured in the Robb Report’s list of the 50 Most Powerful People in American Fine Dining.

The Chef

Duffy’s journey from childhood adversity to culinary greatness is extraordinary. As a troubled middle school pupil in small-town Ohio, encouraged by a teacher whom he still cites today as one of the greatest influences on his life, he developed a passion for cooking. Whilst still in high school, he began working in the kitchen of a private golf club. Then, after graduating from Ohio State University, he moved to Chicago, where he gained valuable experience in a series of esteemed restaurants, culminating in his time at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel. With Duffy as its chef, Avenues received numerous accolades, including two Michelin stars. There he met Michael Muser, who became his business partner. Together they created Grace, which received two Michelin stars in its opening year and three stars every year from 2015 to 2018 before abruptly closing. The pair then opened Ever, which earned two Michelin stars in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Duffy won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Great Lakes award in 2016. In 2023, he was included among the 50 Most Powerful People in American Fine Dining, published by the Robb Report.

Restaurants

Duffy and his business partner Muser opened Ever in Chicago in July 2020, and the accolades began to arrive almost immediately. First was a four-star rating in the Chicago Tribune. This was complemented the following year by appearances in La Liste’s Best New Arrivals of the Year and the best new restaurants lists of both Chicago Magazine and Esquire. Ever also received two stars in the Michelin Guide in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and an AAA Five Diamond Rating in 2022 and 2023.

Ever’s website describes the restaurant as the “creative obsession” of Duffy and Muser, and the pair’s creativity and obsessive attention to detail can be seen not just in the exquisitely imaginative tasting menus but also in the discreet but expertly tailored service and in every aspect of the futuristic design. It has been characterized by Muser himself in Eater as “the type of restaurant at home on Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise starship.”

Next door to Ever, Duffy and Muser have opened two complementary locations: a lounge bar named After and a high-event space called The Canvas by Ever. Both have received highly positive reviews.

Recipes and dishes

Guests at Ever experience an ever-changing eight-to-10 course tasting menu built around proteins from land and sea, fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts. The Michelin Guide has described the meal as “a visual thrill with inventive presentations that entice at every turn.”

Duffy’s cuisine is micro-seasonal and places the ingredients front and center. He dedicates a huge amount of time to researching and perfecting his creations, often employing innovative techniques to bring out the most exquisite flavor from each ingredient.

Despite this intense process, Duffy still finds time for extra-curricular activities, including being recorded for posterity on page and screen. He is the author of Fireproof: A Memoir of a Life on Fire, which is scheduled for publication in 2025.

A few years ago, he starred in the acclaimed documentary For Grace, which talks about his difficult childhood, his ambition, and the sacrifices required to make it to the top of his profession.

Duffy also appeared alongside Dominique Crenn in an episode of Netflix cooking show Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Finally, as die-hard fans will know, a partially fictionalized version of Ever featured prominently in seasons two and three of hit TV drama The Bear.

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