Ryan Mc Caskey - Chef Born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1974, and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Ryan discovered his passion for cooking at an early age. During his junior year of high school, he was one of nine pilot students to attend the Harper College Culinary Arts program. From there he enrolled in the culinary program at Kendall College in Evanston. While attending school, he juggled his studies with working at the three- star American restaurant, the Greenery, in Barrington under David Koelling. During his second year at school he landed a spot at the famed Mediterranean taverna, Tuttaposto, with which he learned a variety of cuisines from prestigious chef Tony Mantuano. While still a student, and just nineteen years old, Ryan landed a job as Sous/ Pastry Chef at Goose Cove Lodge in Maine. Heralded by the New York Times as one of the top six restaurants in Maine, Ryan spent summers cooking seasonal food, while finishing school in the off- season. After completing his studies, he moved to Wisconsin and worked as the Chef de Cuisine and Pastry Chef of the Black Locust restaurant in Fish Creek. During his three-year stint in the kitchen, the three and a half star restaurant was named "One of the Top Three Restaurants in the state of Wisconsin" by the Milwaukee Journal. Ryan then returned to Chicago where he was, most notably, the Chef de Cuisine of Vivere. After Vivere, Ryan took a year off to explore catering and to further his education by doing brief stints at notable restaurants such as,Trio, Tru, Les Deux Gros, Courtright's and Allen's. Ryan then landed the position as Chef at Tizi Melloul, where he brought contemporary Moroccan cuisine to the media forefront, landing him a spot on the Food Network and with local stations. Now at Rushmore, Ryan hopes to continue his pursuit of excellence with contemporary seasonal interpretations of classic American cuisine. Ryan balances his love of cooking with an appreciation of the arts and music. He is an avid film buff and is currently working on a screenplay for a movie of his own someday. As an amateur writer and musician, he also has somehow found time to write short stories, poetry and play guitar. He is currently working on an autobiography about his life's adventures. Rushmore - FINE AMERICAN FOOD | 1023 West Lake Street, Chicago IL | 312.421.8845