Coach K Says ‘The Bear’ Shows How Sports and Restaurants Make Every Second Count

Mike Krzyzewski still has memories of Chicago’s Polish Broadway, the stretch of Milwaukee Avenue near Wicker Park that was once a hub for Polish restaurants and businesses. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach grew up in the area and despite his long career at Duke University, the memories of Chicago cling to him.

“You know, every once in a while, some friends or my family will send me a care package of Polish sausage, one of the sandwich meats — I don’t know if they still make a Krakowska — and I just put it on white bread and eat it,” the 77-year-old hoops legend says. “My family would say, ‘You’ve got to put something on it, tomatoes, lettuce?’ I said, ‘No, no, no — it’s a good sandwich with good meat and good bread.’ Chicago food’s terrific.”

Krzyzewski will be in town later this month for a charity event through the V Foundation, raising money for cancer research. The event, called Chicago Epicurean, leverages the city’s prominence as one of the best places to eat in the country. The foundation is named after one of Krzyzewski’s friends and rivals, Jim Valvano, the former head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University. Valvano died in 1993 from metastatic adenocarcinoma. Krzyzewski says Valvano recruited him to be part of the foundation more than three decades ago and that’s why he sits on the V Foundation’s board.

Chicago Epicurean kicks off on Thursday, September 19, at the Aviary with an invite-only event hosted by chef Grant Achatz of three-Michelin-starred Alinea. Krzyzewski says he looks forward to meeting Achatz, as he’s been reading more about the chef’s recovery from Stage 4 cancer, a disease that forced surgeons to remove a part of the chef’s tongue. Achatz says it’s important to increase early cancer detection and to raise awareness among patients, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies while empowering people to be their best advocates in a comfortable and confident environment.

“As a survivor of a lesser prevalent cancer type that is on the rise — especially in people under 30 — I feel it is my responsibility to raise awareness,” Achatz texts, adding: “I am happy to support the V Foundation in its efforts to combat this disease and bring a better quality of life to millions of people each year.”

The public-facing events include a cooking demonstration and lunch with Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani and the auction and gala on Friday, September 20, hosted by Coach K at City Hall in Fulton Market.

For the last 26 years, the foundation has held a similar event in Napa Valley, California. They’ve raised $165 million for cancer research. In the Chicago area, the foundation has raised more than $13 million for the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the University of Illinois Cancer Center.

There are parallels between the intensity of restaurants and sports, the sometimes fiery Krzyzewski says. That was also noticed in The Bear, a TV series filmed in Chicago that cast Coach K unknowingly into a role the past two seasons. Coincidentally his middle daughter, Lindy, is nicknamed “Bear.” While Krzyzewski didn’t appear in the show, his book, Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life becomes a source of inspiration and support for Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney Adamu. Krzyzewski and Edebiri share the same talent agency, CAA, and the coach has sent an autographed book to the actress.

“The passion and the intensity that’s shown up in that show is remarkable and that’s why they’ve won so many awards,” Krzyzewski says. “They’re seeking excellence, and they know in order to seek excellence you need everybody on the team seeking it and working as one. There’s a lot of pressure in those kitchens.”

He adds that the culinary world is “very innovative too. You’re not just making a hamburger or hot dog — they’re producing a hell of a lot more than that,” Krzyzewski says. “Although the Chicago hot dogs and hamburgers are pretty good, too.” (Krzyzewski confesses he loves pizza, but isn’t enamored with Chicago deep-dish.)

Krzyzewski says they didn’t dine out much at restaurants growing up, but enjoyed homemade pierogi and sauerkraut. The family was fond of the White Eagle, the event venue that’s famous among the city’s Polish community on the Northwest Side in Niles. Though Krzyzewski’s father, William, was an elevator operator, he would eventually dive into the world of hospitality. He ran a spot that mostly served quick breakfasts and lunches to factory workers near California and Cermak in Little Village: “He wasn’t doing through anything innovative,” Krzyzewski says. “It was really a hard business.”

His father would go on to run a tavern called Cross’ Tap near Damen and 21st Place on the Lower West Side. William Krzyzewski went by the name of “Cross” — his son says during the time of World War II, his family was impacted by ethnic discrimination.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Krzyzewski says he learned to enjoy different types of foods while depending on Army rations for sustenance. That comes in handy being away from Chicago in the realm of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“My experience of being an Army officer and then traveling all over the United States and coaching is that you get spoiled by different foods from different cultures,” Krzyzewski says. “I’m also a big Las Vegas guy, and they have some of the amazing restaurants in the world, so I’ve adapted really well.”

While Krzyzewski says he isn’t interested in owning a restaurant, he says he does enjoy seeing friends, family, and former players post photos of their meals on social media.

“I like when people do that, and it also shows that you’re having a good time with friends, and so you would want friends to have a good time with family and friends, so they’re sharing that experience with them,” Krzyzewski says.

Chicago Epicurean on Thursday, September 19, and Friday, September 14. Tickets are available online.