David Utterback Pops Up at Bar Esmé April 24-25

Japanese-American sushi chef David Utterback – a multiple-time James Beard Award Finalist (including for 2026), and the first Nebraska-based chef to ever be named a finalist for Best Chef: Midwest – is visiting Chicago for an exclusive, two-night pop-up at Lincoln Park’s Bar Esmé, the bar space adjacent to chef Jenner Tomaska’s Michelin-starred Esmé, on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th.

David helms the Omaha, Nebraska restaurants Yoshitomo, Ota, and Koji (his flagship Japanese restaurant, omakase counter, and izakaya concept, respectively), and he's been credited with changing how Americans think about sushi.

A self-taught sushi chef, David is known for melding Midwestern ingredients with Japanese precision and technique, creating a style that honors tradition while pushing the boundaries of what sushi can be. During this pop-up, David will present a multi-course, omakase menu that showcases this sensibility, offering Chicagoans a rare opportunity to experience his genre-bending approach to sushi in their own city.

Two seatings are available each night (5pm and 8pm), and limited tickets remain for purchase via OpenTable ($285pp exclusive of beverages, tax, and gratuity).