Sous Chef

Jess was born and raised in Thailand, where her passion for cooking began at an early age. She pursued her culinary education at a renowned Thai culinary university, where she competed in both national and international competitions, earning numerous awards as a representative of her school.

Following her graduation, Jess honed her skills in the bakery world and eventually became the Head Pastry Chef at Sorn, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Thailand at the time. Eager to expand her horizons and gain international experience, she relocated to Australia on a one-year work visa, where she embraced the opportunity to relearn the fundamentals and build her skills from the ground up in a new culinary environment.

Her ambition later led her to the United States, where she worked at Smyth, a celebrated three-star Michelin restaurant. Over the course of more than a year, she developed advanced techniques and refined her craft across various areas of the kitchen.

Inspired by her diverse experiences, Jess chose to embark on her own path, seeking creative freedom and hands-on learning. She is now at Duck Sel, where she continues to explore her passion for cooking in a dynamic setting.

Sous Chef

Derrick’s start was originally food running and bussing tables at Barcocina. Transitioning into the expeditor and then into doing desserts and helping with the line over the course of 4 years. A random meet and interaction with Kathy Vega landed him a job at Taste of the Philippines where he has been for the last 2 years. He has become Kathy’s right hand man with cooking from his family roots and learning more traditional cooking and techniques.

Sous Chef

Michaelangelo has been an integral part of some of Chicago’s most reputable kitchens. Working under some of the best chefs in the city, he spent most of his career working at Next of the Alinea Group, Boka, and the S.K.Y./Apolonia/Valhalla restaurant group.

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Michaelangelo is inspired by his mom and dad’s cooking - recipes that came from their hometowns Zacatecas, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas. Working mostly with chefs who focus on sustainability and hospitality led him to pursue his Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management and Education from Robert Morris University, where he graduated in 2018.

In addition to helping Duck Sel and continuing to work at Apolonia, he is also currently the Culinary Director of El Hongo Magico, a new plant based taqueria in Chicago.

Steward

Luis has worked with chef Don for quite a few years. Starting with chef Don at WoodWind and then following him to Venteux, then Duck Sel. He has become the backbone to Duck Sel.

Lead Captain

A Chicago native, Erin grew up learning about food & beverage by eating and drinking her way across the multifaceted culinary tapestry of her hometown. Eventually, a summer job as a server during her college years got her hooked on hospitality. Since then, Erin has learned to love orchestrating memorable dining experiences with an approach to service that blends her background in both casual and fine dining establishments. Bringing a smile to guests faces with good food & drink really floats her duck boat, and she's always ready to welcome guests with good vibes and bad jokes.

Marketing Manager

Meet Mimi, the powerhouse behind Duck Sel's marketing and social media magic! Born and raised in Texas, she has a bachelor’s degree in biology and made the move to Chicago to pursue a career in healthcare. Realizing her true passions were restaurants and marketing, she intertwined the two and turned it into a career in 2018.

Most recently she was the marketing manager for Costera and Nisos Prime, both restaurants in the West Loop. Prior, she was the marketing director for Venteux (this is actually where she met Chef Don!) and was also the director of marketing for One of a Kind Hospitality in Logan Square.

Mimi currently runs her own marketing agency specializing in comprehensive marketing services, social media strategy, and content creation for the hospitality industry.