A native Chicagoan, James Bingham joined the opening culinary team at Moody Tongue in 2019 and was most recently the Executive Sous Chef of The Dining Room. With training in classic and contemporary French culinary techniques, Chef James enjoys taking inspiration from global cuisines and exploring pairing dishes and ingredients with Moody Tongue Brewmaster Jared Rouben’s specialty beers. After cutting his teeth on the kitchen brigade at Sixteen (when the restaurant received its first MICHELIN star), Chef James served as Chef de Cuisine at the World of Whirlpool overseeing all private functions and thereafter as the Chef de Cuisine at Steadfast in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. Chef James currently develops and oversees the creation of inventive dishes for both The Dining Room, Moody Tongue’s fine dining tasting menu concept, and The Bar, Moody Tongue’s lively, a la carte concept. Alongside Rouben, the two masterfully intersect food with Moody Tongue beers in thoughtful ways, showing guests that beer can be much more than meets the eye.