Chefs’ Favorite Summer Ingredients
Enjoy them while they're still available
Summer is in full swing and Lettuce restaurants are taking advantage of all the season has to offer. To give you a taste, we asked some of our chefs what their favorite summer ingredients are and how they use them on their menus. From heirloom tomatoes and strawberries, to corn and watermelon, here’s where you can try them!
Updated August 2026
Jump to your summer favorites:
Basil | Cherries | Corn | Heirloom Tomatoes | Peaches | Peppers | Strawberries | Watermelon
Basil
“Fresh basil reminds me that summer is here! The freshness and tinge of herbiness makes this spicy dish also herbaceous. Every bite is flavorful and refreshing with the fresh basil. In Thai cuisine, a lot of dishes are made with fresh herbs, which complement well with the bright citrus flavors and peppers used in many of Big Bowl’s dishes. Give it a try in our Thai Hot Pepper Chicken and Pad Thai.” – Chef Partner Raul Gutierrez
Make a reservation at the Big Bowl location nearest you.
Cherries
“I spent many summers in Door County, Wisconsin, while growing up in the Midwest, so cherries are the ultimate symbol of the season for me. I love sourcing beautiful sweet and tart Midwestern cherries from local farms like Seedling, Mick Klug, and Nichols, and pairing them with creamy burrata for our Burrata & Cherries also honors the Italian philosophy of local, seasonal cooking. With compressed cherries, cherry purée, pickled fennel, and fennel fronds, it’s a truly serendipitous combination.” – Executive Chef Sam Dickstein
Make a reservation at il Porcellino
Corn
Summer House – Lincoln Park, Las Vegas, North Bethesda & Orlando
“I grew up in southern Illinois and roadside corn stands were a sure marker of summer. Believe it or not, modern horticulture has made sweet corn even better. When cooking with summer corn, I like to focus on simple preparations to showcase the corn’s texture and sweetness while not overpowering other elements of the dish. Enjoy it in the Wilshire Bvld. Cobb Salad at Summer House in Lincoln Park and North Bethesda, and the Buena Vista Cobb at Summer House in Vegas and Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs® West Side in Orlando.” – Executive Chef Ben Goodnick
Make a reservation at the Summer House location nearest you
“When it comes to seasonality, the Tortelli di Mais allows us to take an Italian approach, relying on the abundant corn grown in the Midwest. By bringing that corn into both the filling and the sauce, paired with butter and parm for umami notes, the dish stays simple and lets the corn shine through.” – Head Sfoglina Mary Ciancio
Make a reservation at Tre Dita
Have fresh corn at home? Try your hand at this recipe: Saranello’s Summer Tomato & Corn Risotto.
Heirloom Tomatoes
“At Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park, we purchase heirloom tomatoes from Nichol’s Family Farm and Orchard in Marengo, IL, just a short drive north of the city. I have personally been there and have seen the love they put into their tomatoes, both in the greenhouse, which allows them to start selling tomatoes as early as June, and out in the fields where they are picked by a dedicated team. Enjoy them during peak season in our Tomato Salad. The sweet acidity of the tomatoes contrasts nicely against the saltiness of the Corsican feta.” – Senior Executive Chef David Koehn
Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi – Lincoln Park | Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi – Bethesda | Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi – Las Vegas
“When local heirloom tomatoes go straight from the farm to the kitchen with zero refrigeration, you get flavor at its absolute peak. It all comes down to the ingredients — when they’re harvested fresh and brought directly to your plate, they truly speak for themselves.” – Executive Chef Partner David DiGregorio
Make a reservation at Osteria Via Stato
Peaches
“Our special pies of the month feature fruits harvested during their peak months of the year. Our produce supplier checks in with me weekly on the best quality of fruit available. This month, I let the fruit speak for itself in the simple preparation of our Pure Peach Pie.” – Executive Chef & Partner Joe Decker
Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you
Peppers
“When I think of summer, I think of crisp, fresh produce, so we chose bell peppers and chilies as the foundation for this summer offering, Salmon Criolla. When I first entered the industry, I was exposed to South American food and instantly fell in love. Salsa criolla is a South American bell pepper salad with chilies, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. In our dish, we wanted to highlight the bell pepper’s texture with this raw salad and pair it with romesco, using peaches as another main ingredient. The sweetness of the peaches balances the chilies’ spice. Served alongside a seared salmon fillet, this combination is a perfectly light and refreshing summer dish.” – Alexa Faia, Executive Sous Chef of The Ivy Room at Tree Studios and Gem Catering
Inquire about The Ivy Room for your next event
Strawberries
“My favorite summertime fruit is the strawberry. Even though you can get strawberries at the grocery store year round, they’re never as sweet, vibrant and delicious as they are in the summer. I love combining slowly-cooked strawberries with a bit of lemon juice to make a compote, and then adding in fresh strawberries pieces at the end for texture. And new for this summer, don’t miss our new Strawberries & Cream Cake from Beatrix Executive Pastry Chef & Partner Yasmin Gutierrez. It’s out of this world!” – Partner and Corporate Chef Andrew Ashmore
Make a reservation at the Beatrix location nearest you
Watermelon
Aba – Chicago, Austin & Nashville & Ema – Chicago, Glenview & Austin
“One of my favorite dishes right now, available at both Aba and Ema, is the Tuna & Watermelon. The key ingredient is nigella, which is a seed that tastes of cumin, sesame, onion, oregano and sometimes black pepper. It’s a perfect complement to the black pepper in the Yuzu Nigella Vinaigrette that we serve on the tuna, and we also garnish the refreshing salad with nigella seeds. The nigella, black pepper and Yuzu really make the dish pop!” – Chef Partner CJ Jacobson
Make a reservation at the Aba location nearest you | Make a reservation at the Ema location nearest you
Have a bounty of a summer harvest? We’ve got some pickling tips and recipes to share so you can enjoy summer anytime!
Saranello’s Giardiniera recipe
Summer House’s Pickled Peaches recipe
