Chef Debbie Gold is a James Beard Award–winning chef and Executive Chef of VU Rooftop, a rooftop restaurant in Chicago’s South Loop near McCormick Place.

With a career spanning Michelin-starred kitchens and acclaimed restaurants across Chicago and the Midwest, Chef Gold brings a refined yet approachable style to the VU Rooftop menu. She trained in France at Michael Chabran, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, and later worked under Charlie Trotter in Chicago, followed by a role as pastry chef at Everest.

In Kansas City, she served as Executive Chef at The American Restaurant before opening her own concept, 40 Sardines, where she earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest.

At VU Rooftop, Chef Gold leads a culinary program built around seasonal ingredients, bold flavors, and a rooftop dining experience designed for everything from casual meetups to private events. Her menus reflect both technical precision and a modern Chicago perspective.