Combining their passion for cooking and the Bears, these Chicago chefs take tailgating to a new level

“Are you guys chefs or something?” It’s a question Oliver Poilevey, Marcos Ascencio and Alex Martinez get asked a lot when they tailgate at Bears home games. They hear it while setting up their butane burners and putting the blue-and-white tablecloths on their folding tables. They hear it when doing prep work.

And they definitely hear it once the various dishes — seafood paella, truffle-topped soft scrambled eggs and brioche French toast with foie gras, for example — are ready and shared with those fortunate to be nearby. No surprise then that the answer is a resounding yes. Poilevey is chef/partner at Le Bouchon, Obelix, Mariscos San Pedro and Taqueria Chingon; Ascencio is chef/partner at Mariscos and Chingon; and Martinez is chef/partner at Mariscos.



( Taqueria Chingon ‘s last day in Wicker Park is Nov. 26, but the search for a new location is underway.) Season ticket holders for the last three years, the trio regularly bring their A-game to their tailgating at the 31st Street parking lot near Soldier Field — even if the Bears don’t bring theirs.

Of the three, Poilevey is the biggest Bears fan and gets the most heartbroken over the team’s losses, while Ascencio and Martinez have learned to roll with the inevitable punches. Whether they’re doing a crawfish boil, steakhouse-style fare, or whatever the three conjure up, the menu planning often begins at the previous tailgate. “We’re constantly like, ‘Hey, what should we do next week?’” says Ascencio of the informal planning, which is sometimes influenced by the team the Bears are playing, or more often by what they have on hand at the restaurants.

Poilevey admits having top-notch ingredients at their fingertips is a major advantage. For a recent tailgate, the plan was to do dishes that represented all their restaurants. At the end of one Saturday night’s service, the chefs gathered last-minute ingredients for the next day’s tailgate.

A large plastic bin was stocked with steaks, duck breasts, caviar, cheese, butter and chorizo. Containers of various sauces, their names and dates clearly marked on blue masking tape, went into the bin too. “You don’t want to save too much of that stuff for the day of, especially if it’s a noon game,” Poilevey says.

“You’re waking up at 7 a.m. after working the night before and you will forget something.

” Alex Martinez says hello to an octopus while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the following day. Martinez and fellow chefs Oliver Poilevey and Marcos Asencio, who are Bears season ticket holders, tailgate at many of the team’s home games.

Crispy octopus glazed with tare was on the menu at the game. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Chef Marcos Asencio works with chorizo to be used in a paella while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the following day.

Asencio and fellow chefs Oliver Poilevey (cq) and Alex Martinez (cq), who are Bears season ticket holders, tailgate at many of the team’s home games. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Chef Marcos Asencio cuts up chorizo to be used in a paella while prepping in the kitchen, Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Chef Marcos Asencio organizes items to be used in a paella, Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the next day. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Chef Marcos Asencio scans a cooler while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro ahead of his Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the next day.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Alex Martinez breaks eggs for a French scramble dish while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro on Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Alex Martinez uses an immersion blender to mix eggs and cream for a French scramble eggs dish while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Nov.

9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the following day. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Alex Martinez says hello to an octopus while prepping in the kitchen at Mariscos San Pedro in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Nov. 9, 2024, ahead of a Chicago Bears tailgating adventure the following day.

Martinez and fellow chefs Oliver Poilevey and Marcos Asencio, who are Bears season ticket holders, tailgate at many of the team’s home games. Crispy octopus glazed with tare was on the menu at the game. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Aiding in the preparation process is a ready-to-go kit that includes the basics — dubbed “the Bear essentials” — such as towels, knives, seasonings, wipes, cutting boards and utensils.

Post-game, the kit goes back to one of the restaurants where items are cleaned and replaced as needed. An avid camper, Ascencio takes charge of the kit. Ideally, everything goes back in the box, except for that time when the salt didn’t (don’t ask).

On game day, Ascencio typically arrives first as his SUV is packed with the equipment, kit and coolers. The unpacking of it resembles those circus clown cars with item after item endlessly coming out. Setup, on the other hand, looks like a race car pit change with each chef quickly organizing their respective stations.

Conversation isn’t needed as they know exactly what to do. Ascencio lights the charcoal for the small Japanese grill and sets up the paella propane cooker, while Poilevey readies the snacks, such as freshly shucked oysters, pate en croute and raw tuna topped with salsa negra. “We like to have something to eat as we work,” says Poilevey, who’s also in charge of caviar bumps.

“This man never leaves the house without caviar,” quips his girlfriend, Sonia Balzak. Freshly baked croissants and doughnuts grabbed from Obelix that morning are unboxed. Chef Oliver Poilevey places caviar on the wrist of Jose Garcia-Chow while tailgating on Nov.

10, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Jose Garcia-Chow, right, takes a photo as chef Alex Martinez works a Japanese grill while tailgating in the 31st Street parking lot before a game between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2024.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Meanwhile, Martinez is warming up duck consommé, which will be paired with maitake mushrooms that Poilevey has thinly sliced and placed into cups for easy serving. Chicken stock for paella is warmed up on a second butane burner. Once it’s done, Martinez will get started on the soft scrambled eggs prepared in a bain-marie.

Their handiwork hasn’t gone unnoticed. “You guys are fun to watch,” says Clarence Boot of Naperville, who, along with two friends, has been eyeing the chefs from their neighboring spot. “You guys are doing it right,” adds Dick Patton, also from Naperville.

After the duck consommé is served — a paper cup is MacGyvered as a ladle as they forgot to bring one — Martinez gets to work on the torre de mariscos, think a multi-layered cake but with tuna, octopus, shrimp and scallops. The fish tower rests on a bed of red and green salsas and is topped with sliced avocado. Poilevey steps away from his station to help man the grill and lightly sears Wagyu steak, octopus and duck breasts.

Those are topped simply with salt and sliced, making for tasty finger food. “Typically, we’re not trying to put together really complex dishes with a bunch of ingredients,” Poilevey says. “It’s more about really great product, cooked well and seasoned right.

” Little by little friends and co-workers arrive, as do the Champagne splits, bottles of wine and beer. The tequila comes out later. “They all know we tailgate for home games and are invited,” Martinez says.

Chef Marcos Asencio checks on his squid, shrimp, and chorizo paella while tailgating before a Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) The squid, shrimp, and chorizo paella being cooked by chef Marcos Asencio on Nov.

10, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Ascencio is now in full paella mode, methodically adding each ingredient to the large pan. There’s chorizo, mussels, shrimp, calamari and squid in addition to the rice.

Chicken stock is added in waves. At 10:30 a.m.

, the finished product is topped with peas and drizzled with a spicy crema before being handed out to anyone who asks, including some who have gotten to know the trio from previous tailgates and search them out. “If you’re making something nice, bring enough to share,” Ascensio says. “Spreading love is what food and hospitality is about.

” “Oh, paella, holy s−−−,” shouts a guy walking by. “That’s a work of art.” At the parking spot next door, Robert McClendon of Crown Point, Indiana, has been watching closely, sampling dishes here and there.

Initially, he wasn’t so sure about the paella, but after trying it, he comes back for a heaping plate to bring home to his wife. “I’m glad we got parked next to them,” he says. Sharing their culinary knowledge is a big part of the chefs’ tailgating experience.

“It’s not only about cooking and enjoying that but also educating too,” Martinez says. “We like to show people what we do and introduce them to new stuff.” An added bonus: Some of those folks end up visiting the restaurants.

Chef Alex Martinez finishes the squid, shrimp, and chorizo paella off with a squeeze of fresh charred lemon for Robert McClendon while tailgating before a game between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Alex Martinez hands an oyster to Marcos Asencio, center, as Oliver Poilevey cleans up as the three chefs tailgate with friends and acquaintances before a game between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Nov.

10, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) By 11 a.m.

attention turns to cleanup. There is, after all, a Bears game to go to in case you forgot. Like other aspects of their tailgating, that has a system too.

Early on, Ascencio sourced out where still-warm coals and garbage can be discarded, a process that’s been ongoing. Another tip? “I always tell people when they tailgate to clean as you go,” he says. Similar to setup, the breakdown is equally disciplined, although now those co-workers and friends help.

Soon the only evidence of their tailgating is a small piece of octopus on the ground. Then they start their 30-minute trek to Soldier Field. So why would these chefs want to spend their day off once again cooking for others? “We don’t turn this off.

It’s in our blood,” Poilevey says. “We’re chefs for a living because we love to cook first and that carries over to all other aspects of our lives.” Lisa Shames is a freelance writer.

.