The History of the American Restaurant, as Told by Chef Michael Kornick

Chef Michael Kornick would never use the word "empire" to describe his restaurant business, in Chicago and beyond, but I will.

From the upscale MK to the, yes, burger joint (DMK Burger) to the new, small-plates hotel-lounge-without-a-hotel Ada Street, Kornick is as adept a businessman as he is a chef.

And he's a great chef -- one who took his first job at 23, was one of the first to put Chicago's Randolph Street on the culinary map and seems to come up with a new restaurant idea every other week.

Here he talks about his past -- but quickly shifts gears to the recent history of the American restaurant in general.

The next Interview Show is this Friday (Aug. 3) at The Hideout. Guests include best-selling author Gillian Flynn.