Aaron Bickham

Chef Aaron Bickham serves as Corporate Executive Chef for The Bartolotta Restaurants, the premier restaurant and catering group in the Greater Milwaukee region. A classically trained chef with a diverse knowledge of cultures and cuisine, Chef Bickham oversees menu development, culinary leadership, operations, and guest experience that have come to define The Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio as well as coaching, mentoring, developing, and recruiting culinary talent. He has been an integral part of the culinary team on and off since 2001, and Chef Bickham’s understanding of banquet operations, catering, menu development, and restaurant management have been vital to the company’s ongoing success. 

Previously, Chef Bickham served as Corporate Executive Sous Chef, playing a large role in the opening of several Bartolotta Restaurants venues, as well as the reopening of the company’s restaurant portfolio following the 2020 pandemic shutdown. As a chef, he abides by a simple philosophy: become inspired by a single ingredient and use it to shape a fresh approach to any dish. As a member of The Bartolotta Restaurants family, Chef Bickham has studied alongside company Co-Founder and Owner Chef Paul Bartolotta, as well as Chefs Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller – the latter during the prestigious Bocuse d’Or world chef competition, where Chef Bickham assisted the American team.

Chef Bickham joined The Bartolotta Restaurants following a successful tenure as Executive Sous Chef at Chef Bill Kim’s BellyQ – and its casual restaurant-within-a-restaurant Urbanbelly – in Chicago. He served in a similar role at Maison Brasserie and also served as Sous Chef for Public Hotels under Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Prior to Chicago, Chef Bickham served as Executive Chef of Umami Moto in Milwaukee and early in his career he spent two years as Sous Chef at Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant; and also as a Line Cook at Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro.

Chef Bickham received his training at International Culinary Center (founded as the French Culinary Institute) in New York City and studied Hospitality Administration and Management at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York.