Haute Secrets Chicago: Lee Ann Whippen

Insider’s Guide to Chicago

Name: Lee Ann Whippen, Chef/Partner, Chicago q

The Stats: Born in Miami Beach Fl, in Chicago one year.

Why She Loves Chicago: How quickly it’s becoming THE barbecue city of the Midwest!

Chef Lee Ann Whippen is Chef/Partner of urban BBQ restaurant Chicago q. Lee Ann Whippen is also President and Owner of Wood Chick’s BBQ Restaurants & Catering Company, Lead Pitmaster for Wood Chick’s BBQ Competition Cooking Team, Member Kansas City Barbecue Society, KCBS Certified BBQ Judge, former Newspaper Food Columnist, 15 years in Hotel Catering Management and more than 14 years cooking competitive BBQ.

Winner of The Virginian Pilots’ “Best of Chesapeake” 6 years in a row for Best BBQ and Ribs since 2004, she has appeared in numerous TV, radio and print stories revolving around BBQ including most recently TLC’s “BBQ Pitmasters” where she was 1 of 7 Pitmasters featured on the high-stakes world of competitive BBQ. Other appearances include Winner of Food Network’s “Bobby Flay Throwdown,” Today Show, The 700 Club, People Magazine, WAVY TV, Joel Rubin Show and the Virginia Pilot. In July 2005 and 2007, Whippen served BBQ to the Senators and Congressmen in the Capitol. Her Beef Brisket recipe appears in the “2006 James Beard Award Winning” cookbook “The New American Cooking” by Joan Nathan. In 2009, she was given a Shining Star Award by the Chesapeake Travel and Tourism Board for positively influencing the public perception of Chesapeake as a travel destination.

Check out Lee Ann Whippen’ favorite haute spots in Chicago at Haute Secrets.