Melissa Graham

Melissa Graham inherited her love of cooking and hospitality from her parents, a couple who loved to entertain with entertaining friends. Through them, Melissa was exposed to good food, both in fine restaurants and in clam shacks. Growing up near the bounty of the Atlantic on Long Island instilled in Melissa a respect for local and sustainable products. One of her mother’s specialties was chowder made with clams harvested from the Great South Bay only hours before.

Melissa’s cooking education began at four when her parents charged her with preparing dinner one night each week. Although some of the earlier dinners were quite minimalist, such as PB&J on Ritz Crackers, her expertise grew. Over the years, cooking moved from chore to passion and then obsession, driving her finally to leave behind her first career as a partner at McDermott Will & Emery to co-found Monogramme Events & Catering.

Melissa is also President of Purple Asparagus, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to bringing families back to the table by promoting and enjoying all the things associated with good eating. She previously was a member of the Advisory Board of Slow Food Chicago and was a contributing editor of the Slow Food Guide to Chicago’s Bars, Restaurants and Markets. Melissa is currently a member of Chicago’s Green City Market marketing board and of the LTHForum round table. She is also the author of Having-Company, an online resource on sustainability. Melissa frequently speaks on sustainability and teaches cooking classes, including regular demonstrations for children at the Green City Market.

Melissa lives in a Roscoe Village rowhouse built in1896 with her husband, Michael, her son, Thor, and dog, Sam.