Deb Zalesiak

Owner

Deb brings over 20 years of restaurant experience to D4. She grew up in the Western Suburbs of Chicago and started her culinary career in high school as a line cook at Bakers Square. While earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she  worked in restaurants during the summers as a server and bartender at the Hinsdale Golf Club and Sharko's in Villa Park. 

Post college, she had a career in specialty advertising for 6 years and set her sights on attending pharmacy school when she crossed paths with Brendan McNeill in 1990 while working part time at Lizzie McNeill's. Needless to say, she never made it to pharmacy school as she found her true calling in the culinary arts as she proceeded to convert the existing Lizzie's office into a full service kitchen and started her own catering business. She ultimately became the General Manager at Lizzie McNeill's Irish Pub and partnered with Brendan McNeill on their next venture, Bridget McNeill's in Lakeview and then eventually D4. Deb's passion for food, wine and travel can be seen at D4 where she constantly strives to bring creativity and new ideas to the restaurant in efforts to deliver the ultimate guest experience.