Partners
Joe Decker is Vice President and Executive Chef of Wildfire. He
currently oversees all Wildfire culinary operations in Chicago, Oak
Brook, Glenview, Schaumburg, and Lincolnshire, IL, Minnesota, Atlanta,
and Virginia locations. Joe was part of the initial team which
developed the menu at the 1940’s-inspired dinner club. Signature dishes
at Wildfire include Filet Medallion Trio, Macadamia Nut Crusted
Halibut, Wildfire Chopped Salad, Horseradish Crusted Filet Mignon,
Roasted Prime Rib of Beef, and Cedar Planked Salmon. It prides itself
on being ranked in the top five “Most Popular” restaurants in Chicago’s
Zagat Guide for 2006/2007.
Decker, a Chicago native, got his start in the food business by
volunteering to work for free at Ann's Bakery in suburban Wilmette in
exchange for learning the secrets of great baking.
His next stop was the Oakton Bakery in Skokie, where he confirmed the
hunch that he loved the food business but hated bakery hours. Decker
continued his culinary education and added a few hours to his sleep by
enrolling in Washburne Trade School, graduating in 1981.
Decker pursued a career track that took him through some of the top
restaurants in the country. He apprenticed at Jimmy's Place in Chicago
and went on to become sous chef at Cafe Provencal in Evanston, where he
mastered French food preparation. "The roots of my cooking stem from
Cafe Provencal. The rustic French cuisine: olive oil, tomatoes, garlic
and peppers. The transition is easy to make. Both cuisines utilize the
finest ingredients, prepared simply."
The next stops were Mallory's, where he ran the kitchen, and Don Roth's
Restaurants. While with Roth's, Decker took a cooking sabbatical to New
Orleans, where he studied Cajun cooking at four famed restaurants --
K-Paul's, LeRuth's, Commander's Palace and Mr. B's. From there, he
embarked on the fate-determining trip to Europe.
After traveling throughout Italy, Decker came back to the U.S. with the
inspiration to re-create the rustic Italian cuisine with which he had
fallen in love. He headed out to California to hone his country Italian
cooking at Trattoria Primizia near San Jose. The restaurant was one of
the first to feature thin-crust "designer" pizzas.
Less than a year later, Decker auditioned before LEYE's Richard Melman.
It was the late Marvin Magid who extended the invitation to Decker,
stating, "You talk a big game, now I want to see if you can cook." The
twelve course Italian feast Joe created was such a success that he was
awarded the position of chef at Avanzare, LEYE's first Italian
restaurant. He became Scoozi!'s head chef when it opened in 1986,
creating its healthy country Italian cuisine.
In addition to Scoozi! and Avanzare, Decker has been
instrumental in opening several other of LEYE's successful restaurants
over the years including Twin City Grill in Minneapolis; Tucci Bennuch
in Minneapolis; Tucchetti in Arizona; foodlife in Chicago; and Ben Pao
in Chicago, the company's first and only Chinese restaurant. He helped
bring a version of the 87 year old Miami Florida's best kept secret,
Joe's Stone Crab to Chicago. Now he helps to oversee the culinary
specialties and maintain the consistency of Chicago's Joe's Seafood,
Prime Steak & Stone Crab.
Decker continues to play an integral role in the LEYE's corporate and
restaurant kitchens to develop the innovative food concepts that have
made the company one of the nation's leading independent restaurant
groups.