Chefs and Restaurants

This Chef/Owner Knew He Needed to Scale Back to Reopen

In the years since I first met Ethan Pikas, his Cellar Door Provisions in Chicago evolved from an ambitious, fermentation-focused bakery and café into a full-service, all-day restaurant. Add to that, he ran house cheese, vinegar, bread, and pastry programs—despite a relative paucity of space. 

The pandemic slammed Cellar Door shut in December 2021. But the closure had been building: the staff was overwhelmed; Pikas and...