Our story, our work, our love.
Thank you, Andersonville!
Lindsey Anderson-Perez
Owner Sommelier
Lindsey began her journey in the hospitality industry at the age of 16 as a cake decorator followed by serving at restaurants by age 18. After graduating from Kendall College in 2006 with a degree in Hospitality Management she sought to expand her professional experience and returned in 2014 as a student of the Wine Professional Program, earning her Level III Sommelier Certification. Lindsey has been a Level I Wine Apprentice instructor at Kendall College since 2017.
Throughout her career, Lindsey has been a partner and investor with several different restaurant concepts in Chicago. She has consulted and assisted with opening several current and past restaurants in the city. With a passion and understanding of wine and wine connoisseurs alike, Lindsey opened Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar in June 2019. In November 2021, Uvae was expanded to include The Fromagerie & Tasting Room featuring retail wine & cheese, weekly wine classes and as a private event space.
Outside of the restaurant, Lindsey spends time traveling with her husband and family, currently checking off the National Parks, visiting tropical destinations in the depth of the Chicago winters, and of course, wine centered destinations. She also enjoys cooking, entertaining and gardening and giving back to the community by volunteering and supporting local non profit organizations. Uvae supports The Evolved Network, Care for Real & The Chicago French Bulldog Rescue as our dedicated charities, hosting events and supporting fundraisers throughout the year.
Whitney McMorris
Executive Chef
Chef Whitney developed her interest in elevating food at a young age. Inspired by her Uncle Mike Morris; who taught her to appreciate true farm to table and introduced her complex flavor profiles. Whitney’s passion started out as a child, impressing her friends by elevating simple store bought box cakes by thinking “outside of the box” and utilizing higher quality ingredients such as butter as a replacement for oil and quickly led her to culinary school and an exceptional professional career.
Not only does Chef Whitney have an incredible command of flavor and her own innovative style of food preparation, but also possesses unwavering leadership skills and genuine appreciation of her team- she strives for perfection and excellence in everything she does. Chef Whitney has trained and held positions at many of the top restaurants in Chicago; including Moto, Acanto and Terzo Piano. She is excited to lead the Uvae team and join the Andersonville community as she elevates the menu with her own unique cooking style.
Aaron Drost
Hospitality Manager Sommelier Wine Educator
Born and raised in New England, Aaron Drost relocated from Boston over 3 years ago. With hands-on experience with service and event coordination, hospitality has always been his driving force. A self-proclaimed ‘history nerd’, his passion for storytelling and ‘armchair travel’ is what makes him most excited about wine! He loves to analyze (and drink!) wine, but the story of the producers, the specialty of the land and the history of the region are just as important to him as the final product in your glass. Beyond that, Aaron is just as passionate about Cheese, as all cheese has a story too! As our Cheesemonger, Aaron is excited to continue to provide dynamic offerings on our cheese board. While he officially resides in Edgewater, he is proud to be part of the Andersonville community.
Paul Downs
Retail Manager Cheese Monger
Paul Downs is Chicago native through and through. He has worked in just about every capacity between service and retail settings, from Dishwasher to Chef and Deli Clerk to General Manager. The “1+1=3” food and beverage pairing concept learned when he worked in the coffee industry as an English major at Marquette University has fueled a non-stop 20+ year journey through food and wine. When he’s not crunching numbers or searching for the off-the-beaten-path things for our Wine & Cheese Club members to explore, you can find him soaking up the sun at many of Chicago’s summer festivals or the beach; in his kitchen whipping something up for his husband and friends; or on the road exploring the wine and food scene in cities all over, looking for the next cool idea to bring into the Fromagerie!