Chefs are a talented lot and – especially when they own the restaurant – their influence often extends way beyond the kitchen. For instance, Chicago chef Graham Elliot Bowles, of the eponymous River North newcomer graham elliot, is behind the atmospheric music on the restaurant’s speakers as well as the New American food on its plates. Bowles, who has been playing for over 14 years, recorded some of his own guitar sessions to serve as sonic background. "The restaurant is an extension of those who devote their life to it," says Bowles, "so I wanted to contribute any and all I could to the guest experience."
If you can't make it to Chicago but would like to hear a few of Bowles' tunes, you can download four short MP3s from ZAGAT.com here, here, here and here.