About Chef Al Sternweiler

Moments Matter.  Covid made two things abundantly clear…our time is precious, finite, and fleeting; AND the moments we spend with those we hold most dear are priceless. This has been a principle of life for Chef Al Sternweiler. Many of his relationships have evolved while hunting, fishing, foraging, cooking and breaking bread with family and friends. Chef Al welcomes the opportunity to make your moments matter. 

Chef Al began cooking with his German immigrant mother as a young boy, exposing him to European cuisine and sparking a life-long passion for cooking. It was from her he learned Hungarian Goulash, spätzle…and the back of a wooden spoon! Good methods and techniques rooted in simplicity are his keystone, which have been evident throughout his illustrious career. Over the past several decades in Chicago, he has earned a reputation as a world-class, passionate, and dedicated chef with an exceptional talent for game meats, in addition to a well-rounded repertoire of market-driven cuisine with European and Asian influences.

After graduating from Johnson & Wales College with an associate degree in culinary arts, Sternweiler joined the team at Chicago’s Printer’s Row Restaurant, working his way up the ladder from line cook to chef de cuisine/restaurant manager and earning the restaurant a three-star rating from the Chicago Tribune. During his tenure he took a 6-month sabbatical to work in France.

He worked at Hotel Larivoire in Lyon, Restaurant D’ La Marine in Normandy, and Poquelin in Paris – all Michelin-Starred establishments. In 1997, Sternweiler received distinction as one of the country’s leading culinary talents when he was appointed executive chef at Harvest on Huron, where he was recognized as one of the country’s top wild game chefs by Wine Spectator magazine in 1997 and again commanded a three-star nod from Chicago Tribune’s dining critics. After a four-year tenure at the beloved Chicago dining destination, Sternweiler transformed the restaurant into Allen’s New American Café, where he continued to garner critical acclaim – including yet another three-star review from the Chicago Tribune and the award as “Favorite Chicago Chef” from the newspaper’s 2002 reader’s poll – a tremendously loyal following from Chicagoans and visitors to the city alike. In 2011, Chef Al shifted gears and co-founded Butcher & The Burger. In 2017, Sal’s Trattoria was opened to broaden his casual dining portfolio.