Chefs to Watch 2019: Lawrence Letrero, Bayan Ko and Clave, Chicago

How do you properly pull off a mash-up of Cuban and Filipino food? You start with the mamas. Lawrence Letrero and Raquel Quadreny looked to their families for inspiration while concepting Bayan Ko, which translates to “my country” in Tagalog. The year-old restaurant in Chicago has 30 perpetually packed seats for Letrero’s mix of Cuban and Filipino classics that seamlessly blend flavors and ingredients from each culture. “My grandma and mom are huge...