About Rose Mary
Joe Flamm won Top Chef in 2018, then left Spiaggia to open Rose Mary in Chicago's Fulton Market in 2021 — his debut as chef-owner, named for his grandmother and built around the food of the Adriatic coast.
Flamm calls the food 'Adriatic drinking food', a mash-up of his Italian heritage and Croatian flavours. The tortellini djuvec — red-pepper cream with eggplant and preserved zucchini — runs $24; the charcoal hearth turns out a 16oz bone-in lamb saddle at $56 and a 24oz ribeye at $85, with most pastas and risottos $23 to $27.
The room is loud and warm, a Fulton Market corner with an open hearth and an Eastern-European-leaning wine list. It is built for sharing — vegetables and pastas passed around the table, cevapi and burek off the grill — rather than a hushed tasting menu.
Rose Mary is listed in the MICHELIN Guide and named one of Eater Chicago's 38 Essential Restaurants, and was a 'Best New Restaurant' pick from the Chicago Tribune at opening. Flamm runs it under the Day Off Group alongside BLVD and il Carciofo.
Why It's Right for a <em>Team Dinner</em>
Shareable plates, a hearth turning out whole cuts and a wine list that rewards a long table make Rose Mary an easy team-dinner booking in Fulton Market. Order a spread of vegetables and pastas to start, then a lamb saddle or ribeye carved for the group.
Who It's Not For
Rose Mary is not for a quiet, romantic table for two or a formal tasting-menu occasion — the room is energetic and noisy, and the format rewards groups who share. Diners expecting classic Tuscan-Italian cooking should know the menu leans Croatian and Adriatic.
Frequently Asked
Who is the chef at Rose Mary?
Rose Mary is the debut restaurant of chef-owner Joe Flamm, who won Top Chef Season 15 in 2018 and previously ran the kitchen at Spiaggia. He opened Rose Mary in Chicago's Fulton Market in 2021 and now oversees it as part of his Day Off Group, which also includes BLVD and il Carciofo.
What is the signature dish at Rose Mary?
The defining dish is the tortellini djuvec, filled pasta in a red-pepper cream with eggplant and preserved zucchini, priced at $24. From the charcoal hearth, the 16oz bone-in lamb saddle ($56) and dishes such as burek and cevapi capture Flamm's idea of Italian roots meeting Croatian flavour.
How much does dinner at Rose Mary cost?
Vegetables run about $17 to $23, pastas and risottos $23 to $27, and fish and meat range from $19 small plates up to a 24oz ribeye at $85, with the lamb saddle at $56. A dinner of a few shared plates plus wine generally lands near $80 to $100 per person.
Where is Rose Mary and what is the neighbourhood like?
Rose Mary sits at 932 West Fulton Market in Chicago's West Loop, the city's Fulton Market dining district. It is a lively, design-forward corner room with an open charcoal hearth, surrounded by some of Chicago's best-known restaurants, and is easiest to reach by rideshare or the Morgan CTA stop.