Lisabet Summa joined Big Time Restaurant Group in 1997 as the restaurant group executive chef and partner. Since then she has opened over a dozen restaurants.

Growing up in Lake Forest, Illinois her inspiration for pursuing a career in the culinary arts began. Summa largely views herself as a cook, an armchair traveler, and an artisan. She is continually inspired by learning about all of what is around her, as it relates to her field. 

For the first 10 years of her career, Summa worked largely in the Chicago area. During this phase she worked at Maxims Restaurant, Charlie Trotters and Gordon Sinclair’s all located in Chicago. Summa then moved onto phase two of her career, which took her to Florida. She began working at a 5 star mobile-rated restaurant called St. Honore and also studied pastry and chocolate making in Montreal at the renowned Patisserie De Gascoigne. Later Summa become the Chef at Café L’Europe, one of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in Palm Beach, and Pastry Chef at La Vielle Maison in Boca Raton. 

The cooking knowledge that Summa employs on a daily basis comes from her experience in various positions in the kitchen. Summa spends a lot of time simplifying what she intends for a menu, and getting back to the elements that truly make a dish a success. Summa’s motto is flavor, seasoning, product quality and technique.