Copyright Chicago Tribune
When Brian Enyart learned he had been nominated by the District 230 Foundation for this year’s Legacy Hall induction, his first reaction wasn’t pride but laughter. “I thought it was kind of hysterical, honestly, because I wasn’t a great student in high school,” he said, adding that his mom pointed out that he had really high standardized test scores but graduated in the bottom half of his class. “I was not a homework doer or an engaged student. She’s been joking about this ever since she heard.” It was what happened after graduation that lit a fire in Enyart, who trained under renowned chef Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago for 14 years and went on to culinary greatness at other restaurants as well. “As soon as I got out of high school it seemed to get really serious really quickly,” he said. “I was going to culinary school and my roommate worked the grill at Frontera. They had an opening. I went in to apply,” said Enyart, who has an associate degree from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. “I was kind of adrift in my teen life and when I got this job I got locked in and it did really well for me. There’s something about that lifestyle and kitchen work that spoke to me at the time – a lot of fast pace and action and energy and was a lot of fun.” He had some experience cooking at home in the kitchen, which was the centerpiece of his blue-collar life with a brother and single mom. “We’d celebrate, mourn together, always cooking and a communal environment. I gravitate to that,” he said. “There was something about the work and community and eating good that really connected with me. I dove headfirst into it.” As an homage to his early days of cooking, Enyart includes a scallop dish modeled after shrimp de Johnghe (which was created in Chicago) in every restaurant he’s headed. “That’s a tip of the hat to Chicago and also my mom, who is an awesome lady.” Enyart began his professional life working with pastries at Frontera Grill in 1997 and that station also handled food for Topolobampo, which was next door. He worked his way up and in 2001 was promoted to the chef cuisine role at Topolobampo. “That role means I’m in charge of all the people and food at that restaurant – I was kind of Rick’s right-hand guy while I was there. I helped him with the emotions and cultural stuff of the brand he had at the time,” he said. It was while Enyart was there that he helped Topolobampo earn a Michelin star. The two restaurants also led him to find the love of his life – Jennifer Jones, a well-known pastry chef he hired to work at Frontera. They began dating when he left the restaurant, got engaged six months later and married six months after that. She is back working at Frontera as pastry chef. “My wife is my rock. We’ve been together for 12 years,” Enyart said. “We each march by each other’s side.” One of their team efforts was opening Dos Urban Cantina in 2015, which they ran until the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close in 2023. Enyart now works as executive chef at Leña Brava and Cruz Blanca, neighboring restaurants in Chicago, which serve Northern Baja Mexican cuisine. Joyce Bibzak, a retired guidance counselor at Enyart’s alma mater, Andrew High School, has kept up with Enyart over the years and said she nominated the 1995 alum for the honor because it shows what can happen when people discover their “true calling.” “When Brian was in high school, he hadn’t yet found his fire, his purpose,” she said. “Once he entered culinary school things changed. He discovered talent he may not have fully appreciated. And then things definitely clicked. When he began working with Chef Rick Bayless and chef identified brian’s Talent and began mentoring him, it all came together.” Bibzak praised Enyart for his “extraordinary level of energy, commitment and creativity,” adding that now he will be able to influence other young restaurant leaders and young chefs “and become one of Chicago’s most talented and recognized chefs and restaurateurs.” One of Enyart’s career highlights is earning a James Beard Award and cooking for President Obama for a state dinner at the White House for the president of Mexico. “Michelle and Barack were kind of regulars at the restaurant at Topolobampo. When he got nominated president-elect and got inaugurated, I think we were the second small restaurant that was invited to cook in the White House,” he said. “That was super incredible.” One requirement of joining Legacy Hall is that alums give back. Enyart has done just that during his career; in fact, it’s one of his favorite things about his job. “I love mentorship and teambuilding. I love when cooks or young managers are just getting into their role and guiding them: knife skills, how to build a dish,” he said. “Wish managers, how do you understand the philosophy of the team and how do you build people up and run a business well and pitfalls to look for? “There’s this old adage: Working in any organization is like a literal ladder. The rung that you’re holding onto is the one you need to let go,” he continued. “The skills that brought you to your current role might not bring you to your future role.” Enyart and seven others will be inducted Nov. 7 into Legacy Hall, established by the District 230 Foundation to honor distinguished graduates from Stagg, Andrew and Sandburg high schools. Since 2008, the foundation has recognized alumni for outstanding contributions in eight categories: arts and entertainment, sports and recreation, business and commerce, government and military, education and humanities, science and technology, philanthropy and nonprofit, and community and volunteerism. Nominees this year from Stagg are 1992 alum MacArthur “Mac” Antigua, who “leads initiatives advancing equality and opportunity for boys and young men of color as director at My Brother’s Keeper Alliance,” according to a news release; and 2009 alum Kevin Wolz, CEO of Canopy Farm Management and lead scientist at the Savanna Institute, who has dedicated his career to sustainable agriculture and environmental restoration. Andrew nominees are 2001 alum Dr. Katie O’Sullivan, a dual board-certified pediatric and adult endocrinologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago; 1984 alum John Lawler, who has held leadership roles in 34 years at Ford Motor Company, including CFO and CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles and now is vice chairman; and 2001 alum Tom O’Sullivan, a professor and researcher specializing in biomedical imaging technology for cancer care at the University of Notre Dame who also co-founded two medical technology companies. Nominees from Sandburg are 1979 alum Mary Coughlin Tolan, a philanthropist, business leader and health care innovator who built Accretive Health into a billion-dollar public company from a startup, cofounded Chicago Pacific Founders and has pledged $12 to the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business to fund health care innovation; and 1961 alum Raymond Heniff, who worked in horticulture and law firm management, including as vice president and treasurer of the Chicago Botanic Garden and as executive director for several law firms. He also was recently inducted into the Carl Sandburg Athletic Hall of Fame. Tickets to the induction celebration, which cost $60 per person, may be bought at www.d230foundation.org/tickets. The event takes place at Elements by the Odyssey in Orland Park.
