Chef Joseph Ludwick, the head Chef of Palio Ann Arbor, was born and raised in Jackson, where his love for food and cooking started at a young age. He was inspired by his late mother’s talent in the kitchen. At the age of 17, Chef Joe worked at a hometown pizzaria, Slice of Spice. It was at this first restaurant job, when he realized he wanted to be a chef. A sense of pride was felt when he looked out into the main dining room and could see the guests enjoying the food that he had the honor of making. This feeling encouraged Chef Joe to pursue an education at The Art Institute in Michigan for culinary arts.
This December will mark his 10 year anniversary of working in this tough industry. He started at Main Street Ventures Restaurant Group in February of 2017 and has worked at several of their different concepts including The Chop House Ann Arbor and Palio Maryland, where he assisted in the Grand Opening.
Pollo Milanese
Among his favorite dishes at Palio, is the Pollo Milanese, which features a butterfly cut, parmesan encrusted chicken breast that is prepared pan fried and served over roasted seasonal vegetables and potatoes. The dish is completed with a lemon-beurre blanc, fresh arugula and heirloom tomatoes. This is my “Dish of Dreams!”. “It is a very delicate dish to prepare”, says Chef Ludwick. “If done incorrectly, the guest will not get the true mouth-watering effect!”
