Many people reasonably assume the name, Tale of Two Chefs, was inspired by Charles Dicken's novel, A Tale of Two Cities. It was not. The truth is I named the company A Tale of Two Chefs because like any good performance artist, chefs are known to have huge egosor alter egos that take up a lot of space. I'm not saying I have either.  I am actually saying I have both.

So, when thinking of the name for the company, I thought it would be cool to create a name that captured all of my kitchen "personalities" while honoring my unwavering love of both French and New Orleans cuisines. Chef Julius is rooted in French techniques and influences. Chef Tiki is birthed from my Chicago family's kitchens and the flavors of New Orleans.

Hello. My name is Julius Russell. I am Chef Julius. I am also Chef Tiki. Welcome to A Tale of Two Chefs.

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Education & Training

• Cooking and eating in my mother's kitchen
• Eating and observing at both of my grandmothers' tables
• New Orleans School of Cooking
  
• Patrick Terrien at Le Cordon Bleu Academie d’Art Culinaire de Paris
• Princess Marie Blanche de Broglie at La Cuisine Marie Blanche-Paris

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Honors & Recognition

• Mom Stamp of Approval - Tiki's Fried Chicken is the BEST!
  
• Feature articles in various publications including Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune and N'Digo Magazine
• Television appearances on The View, BET, Big Ten Network, Food Network, ABC, NBC, FOX and WGN
• Best Caterer in Chicago, Uptown Magazine (2012)
• Taste of Chicago, Main Stage (2013 - 2018)
• Culinary Ambassador to Chile (2013 - 2019)
• Bon Appetite & Chicago Gourmet Festival (2019)