Publican Quality Meats Lands Superstar Chicago Butcher

Chicago superstar butcher Rob Levitt has left Butcher & Larder where he specialized in providing customers with a large selection of quality beef, pork, and chicken. He’s headed to Fulton Market where he’ll take over the kitchen at Publican Quality Meats, the butcher and sandwich shop started by chef Paul Kahan and company. Levitt is now head butcher at PQM, according to a news release.

The company also announced Sieger Bayer, an Eater Young Gun semifinalist from 2014, is now the chef de cuisine at the original Publican. Bayer also worked at Leghorn Chicken, Nellcôte in West Loop, and the Heritage in suburban Forest Park.

Butcher & Larder is a shop that Levitt co-founded in 2011 in Noble Square. They moved operations in 2015 to Local Foods, the market along Elston Avenue near the gigantic proposed Lincoln Yards development. Levitt has restaurant experience, working at places including North Pond in Lincoln Park. Butcher & Larder, which is also known for its natural-cased hot dogs, opened a food stall in 2017 inside the Forum 55 food hall.

PQM opened in 2012, way before the city put up that street sign at Fulton Market west of Halsted. It’s across the street from neighborhood pioneer Publican. Levitt’s departure from Butcher & Larder meant leaving the company he cofounded. But he said he’s confident in the team he is leaving behind.