D’Andre Carter

Sous Chef

Moto Restaurant

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Chef D’Andre Carter, began cooking alongside his grandmother where he first discovered how a dish can truly come together with the right components and affection. At the age of 16 Chef Carter worked his first line job in a professional kitchen, and it was from that moment forward he was determined to become a full-fledged chef.

Chef Carter worked at numerous restaurants around the Chicago land area, and for a few catering companies before attending Le Cordon Bleu’s College of Culinary Arts in Chicago.

Chef Carter began his journey at Moto working as Chef Ben Roche’s
Pastry Assistant. It was during this time Chef Carter learned new techniques and approaches to flavor that he had never before experienced, which have since crafted him to be the chef he is today.

Chef Carter went on to work every station in the kitchen, as well as positions in the front of the house before being named Lead Line Cook. Eventually, Chef Carter was honored with the title of Sous Chef at Moto Restaurant. Chef Carter explains, “Moto groomed me to be a true chef, and has taught me the importance of teamwork in the kitchen. It is my devotion to Moto, along with my determination to be the best, that has allowed me to build the foundation necessary to prove myself as the next big chef in Chicago.”

Celebrate eight fantastic years with moto!  Tuesday, February 9th and Thursday, February 11th experience our 15 course tasting menu with beverage pairings for $150 (2012 value of $255).  Seats are available but limited: Call (312) 491-0058 to reserve!

Warm regards,

Chef Homaro Cantu

Chef’s Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche have been rethinking the food and dining experience for years at Moto, and are pushing that envelope further at iNG.   Now the duo asks the question of how can the food innovations pioneered at their Chicago restaurants be used for good? Cantu and Roche experiment with edible packaging that’s as delicious as it is environmentally friendly.  The Chefs take the cow out of the equation, creating a juicy hamburger patty from the major components of a cow’s diet: Barley, corn, and beets.  Flavor-changing miracle berries are not simply a fun novelty but have profound potential in helping the world’s food crisis and treating cancer.  These ideas just scratch the surface.   Watch Chef Omar and Chef Roche’s speech and witness the future of food here.

Richard Farina

Chef de Cuisine

Moto Restaurant

Richard “Richie” Farina began his career as a pizza maker. During this two year span, Richie also honed his skills by catering with a family friend. Seeking a bigger challenge, Chef Farina decided to enroll at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island to obtain a Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts. With Chef Farina’s help, the school won the National College Ice Carving Championship 3 years in a row.

After working in several top restaurants in Boston, Chef Farina sought out a new home, and a bigger challenge. Off to Chicago he went and landed a job with Moto Restaurant in April 2008. In just two short years, Chef Farina worked all possible stations at Moto Restaurant including every front of house position available. In time, he was groomed as the restaurant’s sous chef.

In 2009, Chef Farina was one of four characters on a nationally syndicated television show for Discovery Networks, entitled Future Food, which highlighted the whimsical creations and personalities of Moto Restaurant. As one of four lead characters on Future Food, Chef Farina gained national recognition as one of the most creative talents in the restaurant world. Chef Farina’s work has reached hundreds of national television and print outlets including The Travel Channel’s No Reservations, The Today Show, CNN’s Next List, The New York Times and many others.

Recently, Chef Farina’s hard work was rewarded with the title of Chef de Cuisine at Moto Restaurant. He was also a featured contestant on the 9th season of the hit Bravo television program Top Chef. Richie describes his experience at Moto as, “By far the craziest and most fun place I have ever worked. I am happy to call this place my home.”

Chris Jones

Director of Culinary Innovation

Moto Restaurant & iNG Restaurant

Cooking started for Chef Chris Jones in his grandmother’s kitchen, where imagination and inspiration were his driving forces. What started as playing with his food soon became a career path.  In high school Chris Jones enrolled in a few Home Economics classes without putting much thought into it, and now Chef Jones is considered one of Chicago’s most talented chefs.

Chef Chris Jones was taught early on to believe that if you want success you have to go out and make it for yourself; no one will hand it to you.  This mindset blazed the way for his culinary path as Chef Jones worked his way up through various restaurants.   One thing that gave him and edge against his competition was his willingness to step up and “throw down” in a kitchen.  Described as having true stamina, Chef Jones motivates his kitchen to put their best foot forward.

Chef Chris Jones had his first big break in fine dining at Le Francais, a French restaurant in Wheeling, Illinois.  There he executed his determination to excel in the culinary field by immersing himself in the experience with relentless integrity. Chef Jones found that his best method of education was to fully engage himself hands on in a high intensity kitchen, and thus his next big career path was set forth naturally.

At Moto, Chef Jones has creative freedom and implements ingenious plates, never forgetting about presentation, and, most importantly, taste. Chef Jones’s ability to constantly manifest innovative and mouth watering dishes landed him the title of Director of Culinary Innovation at not only Moto Restaurant, but their sister establishment iNG (Imagining New Gastronomy.) At both restaurants he oversees the creation of new menus which change on a monthly basis. This kind of turn over means that Chef Jones is constantly whipping up new mesmerizing creations, which serve as true inspirations for both restaurant teams. Along with Chef Farina, Chef Jones was also a featured contestant on the 9th season of the hit Bravo television program Top Chef.