Every Sunday from August 16 through November 8, a Chicago chef will leave their own kitchen behind for one night to become a Stray Chef at The Alley Cat.
Stray Chef Sundays - the new 13-week Sunday pop-up series - brings Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard-recognized talent, neighborhood favorites, and rising stars together under one roof for one-night-only collaborations.
Each Stray Chef will create a one-night-only featured dish plus their own take on The Alley Cat's signature egg from its "Girl Dinner" pickle plate. The $25 special will be available beginning at 5pm each Sunday until sold out.
The series opens August 16 with Charles Wong - pitmaster and owner of Umamicue - serving his Vietnamese-Chinese BBQ take on Arby's Beef 'n Cheddar.
Wong will serve sliced smoked beef, Sichuan cheese sauce, his riff on Arby's Red Ranch sauce, and crispy onions on a housemade onion roll that’ll be served with curly fries. His cold-smoked deviled egg will be topped with Chinese sausage (lap cheong) and tangy pickled mustard greens.
Stray Chef Sundays beverage highlights include:
A $10 one-night-only Stray Chef Cocktail created by Alley Cat bartender Britt Bogdan and inspired by each week's featured chef and signature dish
$7 Miller High Life Handshake shot combinations
The Alley Cat's regular Happy Hour - offered Sunday through Thursday from 5pm to 7pm - featuring $9 specialty cocktails and half-price wines by the bottle and glass
"Our food menu has always been intentionally small because we wanted the flexibility to create experiences exactly like this," said Tony Dezutter, co-owner and executive chef of The Alley Cat. "Every Stray Chef gets complete creative freedom to cook something they're excited about while introducing guests to restaurants they may not have discovered yet.
"Chicago has one of the best hospitality communities anywhere, and this is our way of celebrating it one Sunday at a time. And Britt has been all-in from the beginning. Every week, she's creating a cocktail inspired by that Sunday's Stray Chef and their dish. It's a fun challenge for her and another chance for us to show guests just how deep our cocktail program really is.”
Menus and weekly cocktail reveals will be announced throughout the series on The Alley Cat's social media channels, giving guests a first look at each Sunday's one-night-only collaboration.
Meet the Inaugural Class of Stray Chefs at The Alley Cat:
August 16 — Charles Wong (Umamicue) August 23 — Rickie Pérez (Logan Oyster Socials) August 30 — Jason Melamed (Allez Cafe, Ambrosia Foods) September 6 — Henry Zimmerman (BébéLala) September 13 — Larry Feldmeier (All Well, Oriole) September 20 — Ryan Fakih (Beity) September 27 — David Choi (Seoul Taco, Prince St. Pizza) October 4 — Stephen Gillanders (Valhalla, S.K.Y., Apolonia, Le Mistral) October 11 — Donald Young (Duck Sel) October 18 — Sieger Bayer (bar Berria) October 25 — Oliver Poilevey (Le Bouchon, Chez Poulet, Obelix, Mariscos San Pedro, Taqueria Chingon) November 1 — Won Kim (Kimski, Lilac Tiger) November 8 — Max Robbins (Lettuce Entertain You)
What to Expect
Every Sunday from August 16 through November 8, a Chicago chef will leave their own kitchen behind for one night to become a Stray Chef at The Alley Cat.
Stray Chef Sundays - the new 13-week Sunday pop-up series - brings Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard-recognized talent, neighborhood favorites, and rising stars together under one roof for one-night-only collaborations.
Each Stray Chef will create a one-night-only featured dish plus their own take on The Alley Cat's signature egg from its "Girl Dinner" pickle plate. The $25 special will be available beginning at 5pm each Sunday until sold out.
The series opens August 16 with Charles Wong - pitmaster and owner of Umamicue - serving his Vietnamese-Chinese BBQ take on Arby's Beef 'n Cheddar.
Wong will serve sliced smoked beef, Sichuan cheese sauce, his riff on Arby's Red Ranch sauce, and crispy onions on a housemade onion roll that’ll be served with curly fries. His cold-smoked deviled egg will be topped with Chinese sausage (lap cheong) and tangy pickled mustard greens.
Stray Chef Sundays beverage highlights include:
"Our food menu has always been intentionally small because we wanted the flexibility to create experiences exactly like this," said Tony Dezutter, co-owner and executive chef of The Alley Cat. "Every Stray Chef gets complete creative freedom to cook something they're excited about while introducing guests to restaurants they may not have discovered yet.
"Chicago has one of the best hospitality communities anywhere, and this is our way of celebrating it one Sunday at a time. And Britt has been all-in from the beginning. Every week, she's creating a cocktail inspired by that Sunday's Stray Chef and their dish. It's a fun challenge for her and another chance for us to show guests just how deep our cocktail program really is.”
Menus and weekly cocktail reveals will be announced throughout the series on The Alley Cat's social media channels, giving guests a first look at each Sunday's one-night-only collaboration.
Meet the Inaugural Class of Stray Chefs at The Alley Cat:
August 16 — Charles Wong (Umamicue)
August 23 — Rickie Pérez (Logan Oyster Socials)
August 30 — Jason Melamed (Allez Cafe, Ambrosia Foods)
September 6 — Henry Zimmerman (BébéLala)
September 13 — Larry Feldmeier (All Well, Oriole)
September 20 — Ryan Fakih (Beity)
September 27 — David Choi (Seoul Taco, Prince St. Pizza)
October 4 — Stephen Gillanders (Valhalla, S.K.Y., Apolonia, Le Mistral)
October 11 — Donald Young (Duck Sel)
October 18 — Sieger Bayer (bar Berria)
October 25 — Oliver Poilevey (Le Bouchon, Chez Poulet, Obelix, Mariscos San Pedro, Taqueria Chingon)
November 1 — Won Kim (Kimski, Lilac Tiger)
November 8 — Max Robbins (Lettuce Entertain You)
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