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The Team
Robert et Fils, which is pronounced “Robair Ay Feese” and translates to “Robert and son,” is named for Owner and Executive Chef Shaner’s late father, whose job took the family from the Midwest to France. Shaner dreamed for years about opening a restaurant that captures the unique experience of a bygone era of dining in France. Robert Et Fils is designed by Siren Betty (Giant, Good Measure, Celeste).
“This is a very personal restaurant for me, and I want guests to feel like they're going into a wormhole when they enter Robert Et Fils. It should feel like a warm and welcoming escape into another time and place. Much of the food will be influenced by my travels with my father in France as well as old French menu archives.”
Chef Rob Shaner
Owner & Executive Chef
Rob Shaner was a 1980s kid from Missouri with a processed-food palate. And then his family moved to Paris for his dad’s work—father and son, known as Bob and Rob, both went by “Robert” in their new home—and the teenager discovered French cuisine and culture, and he fell in love. This inspired Rob to pursue a culinary career rather than the academic one he had planned on when he enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Chicago. He cooked at The Bristol, Branch 27, Little Market Brasserie and Blue 13 before becoming executive chef at Homestead on the Roof in West Town. Along the way, he also got sober, a journey sparked by a sit-down with his dad, who died in 2008. Rob was most recently the opening executive chef at The Royal Grocer & Co. and The Kennison in Lincoln Park. Robert et Fils is a tribute to his father; his mother, an educator and steadfast presence in his life; and their Paris years.
Laura Sundh
Beverage Manager
It all began in 2010, when Laura moved to NYC and was introduced to the restaurant scene at a tiny natural wine bar on the upper west side.
In 2015, she had the opportunity to work with former MS Laura Maniec Fiorvanti at Corkbuzz. Her family moved back to Chicago in 2016 when she became pregnant with her second child, shortly thereafter curating wines for In Fine Spirits in Andersonville. 2 years later, she was hired to build a natural wine program for Lost Larson, a Swedish-inspired natural bakery in Andersonville where her list was mentioned in Chicago Magazine. In 2019, she passed her Court of Master Sommeliers certification exam. In addition to curating a list of French, natural wines to bring on at this beautiful slice of Paris in North Center, Laura is also the owner of SNOB Wines.
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