Born and raised in Lockport, Illinois, home of Tallgrass restaurant, Bob has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Print Making and a Masters Of Fine Arts in painting. After a successful teaching career in Fine Arts, Bob and partner Tom Alves opened Tallgrass in 1981 in an 1895 building which they restored. Bob has recently retired as Head Organist at 1st Presbyterian Church in Joliet after a twenty-five year residency. Bob’s interests in the Arts are varied, including classical organ music, classical and jazz piano, print making, pottery, painting, gardening and of course, classical and modern cuisines. When not creating porcelain vessels for use at Tallgrass, Bob can be found teaching pottery or traveling. In 1995 Bob and partner Tom Alves received the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois' highest award for their many preservation projects in Lockport. During the twenty-two years since opening Tallgrass,Chef Bob has long been considered one of the top chefs in the Chicago area by critics and the public alike. If Tallgrass is open, you can rest assured Chef Bob is at his stove as he has been since the day Tallgrass opened.