As a teenager, John Bilyard helped his father build the family's A-Pine restaurant on Hwy 371 at the gateway to the Whitefish Lake chain. Learning from his parents, John "cooked" his way through high school and college.

Once he graduated, the excitement of Chicago drew him to his uncle's famous southside restaurant, Dominic's Steakhouse. "A Chicago steakhouse teaches you more about meat in one month than you'll learn in five years anywhere else."

Then John strayed. The graphic arts industry lured him away. And though he's always appreciated the years he spent there (especially since that's where he met his wife), cooking finally drew him back.

Today, once again he's Chef John – a fully-insured member of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) and certified by the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals for safe food handling – and proud to be (literally) the "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer" of Let's Eat In!

In The News