Andrew Asken

Originally from the Chicagoland area, Andrew Asken relocated to North Carolina to attend Pfeiffer University on a baseball scholarship. After sustaining an injury which ended his baseball career, he found solace in his new-found passion for cooking. In 2014, Asken met Chef Joe Kindred (four-time James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southwest), who brought him on to open Kindred , a contemporary Southern-style restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina. Under the wing of Chef Kindred, he expanded his culinary knowledge, learning advanced skills like charcuterie and making pasta by hand while helping the restaurant make Bon Appétit’s 2015 Best New Restaurants list.

Seeking to further his professional culinary career, Asken returned to Chicago to stage at three Michelin-starred restaurant Alinea where he was quickly asked to join the team and ultimately landed a spot on the brigade as chef de partie. In 2016, he joined fellow Alinea alum Chef Kevin Cuddihee at West Town neighborhood restaurant TWO where he returned to cooking rustic dishes using Midwest ingredients with added finesse. From there, Asken’s curiosity led him to work in the kitchens of Momotaro and Band of Bohemia before coming aboard the Dusek’s Board & Beer team in 2018. After rising in the ranks to sous chef, Asken was officially named executive chef of the beer-centric Pilsen restaurant in 2020. In his current role, he leads the culinary direction of not only Dusek’s but also the Punch House and Tack Room concepts within historic Thalia Hall, delighting guests with his interesting yet approachable fare at the multi-faceted venue.