The Merchant of Venice : The Cuisine
"Signior Antonio, many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated meChef Michael Kornick will collaborate with Chicago interdisciplinary artist Jordan Mozer for a special, site-specific event creating a lending bank where guests borrow money to buy food and drink! Borrow gold and silver ducats from the Shylock (with U.S. dollars) and enjoy $5 and $10 Venetian culinary creations, Italian wines and Amaro cocktails while listening to music of the Venetian masters Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. Interest rates will apply throughout the night and proceeds from the loans will go directly to Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
About my moneys and my usances;
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For suff'rance is the badge of all our tribe”
–The Merchant of Venice Act II, scene 7
Chef Michael Kornick
Chef Michael Kornick is a nationally recognized leader in the culinary arts. Kornick works with the freshest seasonal ingredients and stays true to classical cooking techniques. It is his belief that great ingredients speak for themselves.
Michael Kornick graduated in 1982 from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work with some of the most influential chefs and restaurant operators in the United States, including Barry Wine at New York’s legendary The Quilted Giraffe, Gordon Sinclair of Gordon Restaurant and Richard Melman at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. At the age of twenty-eight, Chef Kornick was hired by the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, he was one of the companies youngest Executive Chefs. Kornick was then sought out to develop two successful restaurants—Marche 1993 and Red Light 1997—for KDK Restaurant Group in Chicago. Both restaurants received critical national acclaim; Marche was recognized by Condé Naste Traveler as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the Country”, and Red Light was included in John Mariani’s annual survey, “Best New Restaurants of the Year,” in Esquire Magazine. In 1998 Kornick, together with his wife Lisa, opened mk, the restaurant. Since opening, the restaurant has been acclaimed by the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Magazine, all recognizing mk with a three-star review. Condé Nast Traveler selected mk as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World,” and Esquire chose mk as one of the “Top Restaurants to Open in 1999.” Kornick was nominated five consecutive years as Best Chef, Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Kornick was a co-creator of Nine steakhouse which opened its first location in Chicago in 2000 and continues to thrive in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Kornick oversaw food and beverage operations for 9G in the Palms for over a decade.
In 2009, Michael Kornick partnered with David Morton to open DMK Restaurants, the group that owns four DMK Burger Bars, Fish Bar, Ada Street, County Barbecue, Henry’s and Rec Room. Although known primarily for his accomplishments as a chef, Michael Kornick has developed into one of the country’s leading restaurateurs. He is highly sought after as an authority on restaurant management and hospitality and is known as a generous mentor to those who have worked under him past and present.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Michael is very active in the community. He has raised awareness and money annually for Share our Strength, the Chicago Food Depository, Healthy Schools Campaign, Steppenwolf Theater, Perspectives Charter School, Sweet Water Foundation, Children’s Oncology services Inc. and many other worthy organizations. Chef Kornick lives in Evanston, Illinois with his wife and business partner Lisa and their children.
About DMK Restaurants
DMK Restaurants includes four DMK Burger Bars, Fish Bar, Ada Street, County Barbecue, Henry’s, Rec Room, mk The Restaurant and Graham Elliot Bistro.
DMK Restaurants co-owner Michael Kornick opened mk The Restaurant along with his wife, Lisa Kornick, in 1998. The entire restaurant was renovated in 2013 in celebration of mk’s fifteenth anniversary. Executive Chef Erick Williams and his team create beautiful seasonal menus along with a selection of bar exclusive bites in the new bar and lounge, featuring window seats and more than 60 new craft spirits to choose from as well as an ever rotating specialty cocktail menu. mk also boasts a beautiful private dining room with skyline views, perfect for any catering and special event needs. Come in and experience for yourself why Food & Wine magazine said, “Windy City diners are blown away by mk."
