Mimosa restaurant of Highland Park: Mediterranean restaurants: featuring contemporary French-Italian cuisine in a bistro setting.

Situated in the heart of Highland Park near the historic Port Clinton center, chef-owned and operated Mimosa boasts an award-winning cuisine with strong southern French and Italian influences. Fresh and innovative creations are regularly showcased alongside favorite signature dishes. Moderately priced pastas, meats and seafood are complemented by a savvy and smartly priced winelist offering a number of selections by the glass. An informed and eager staff is on hand to usher you through your meal, whether for lunch or dinner or for two or thirty.

Chef Kevin Schrimmer, himself a native of Highland Park, personally supervises all aspects of Mimosa. Chef Schrimmer is not only a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York but also a chef with an admirable track record in the Chicago area including six years in Evanston as the Executive Chef of the nationally renown Café Provençal.

Kevin Schrimmer grew up in Highland Park, Illinois and graduated from Highland Park High School. He was accepted at the Culinary Institute of America where he received an Associates Degree in Food Sciences. Upon graduation he moved back to the Chicago area to take a position at The 95th, a restaurant on top of the Hancock Building. Under the tutelage of renowned Chef William Della Ventura, he spent three years expanding his knowledge in all phases of food preparation and kitchen management. This eventually lead to a top-level management position.

As a manager, Kevin traveled around the country overseeing functions for ARA Services – the parent company of The 95th. He was a member of the elite team entrusted with the responsibility of managing the 1986 NFL Superbowl Party thrown by the NFL Commissioner, Pete Roselle. After three years at The 95th Kevin moved to France for one year where he worked and studied under some of the finest world-class chefs. Upon his return to Chicago in 1987 he immediately hired by restaurateur Leslee Reis at Café Provençal. He became the Chef de Cuisine shortly thereafter. He received the highly coveted Top 25 Restaurants In Chicago award from Chicago Magazine every year he was at Café Provençal – including the three years after Leslee Reis’ death. He remained at Café Provençal until its shuttering in 1993 where he continued to receive many awards and accolades.

Kevin left Café Provençal to pursue a number of consulting opportunities. He realized that any knowledge gained in assisting fellow chefs in opening their own restaurants would prove to be invaluable when it came time for him to do the same for himself. He was right!

When he did open his first restaurant he utilized all of the skills he had absorbed through his consultancy. Menu development, hiring and training of new staff and running a start-up business were all roads well traveled by Kevin at this point. The result of many years of hard work and dedication is exemplified in Mimosa, a restaurant featuring contemporary French-Italian cuisine in a bistro setting. By opening his restaurant in Highland Park, this truly prodigal son has indeed returned to an audience he perhaps knows better than anyone else.

Easily accessed from the Edens Expressway, Green Bay Road, Sheridan Road or METRA, Mimosa regularly attracts guests from the heart of Chicago and beyond as well as the northern suburbs. Mimosa is convenient to the Ravinia Festival, the Apple Tree Theater and the Renaissance Center Fine Arts Cinema. Ample garage parking is offered directly across the street in the Renaissance Center.