About Me

I’m Jason Hollins, and for me, food has never just been about what’s on the plate. It’s about what surrounds it the memories, the people, the sense of place. That belief is what led me to open Osteria Rusticana. I didn’t set out to impress with flash or trend-chasing. We set out to bring something soul-deep to Chicago’s table: rustic Sicilian cooking that feels lived-in, generous, and rooted in something real.

When I started this journey back in 2019, I had no formal culinary fame. What I had was a deep respect for tradition and a desire to build something that felt like home. That’s how Osteria Rusticana came to life under the banner of 2114 W. Division Street, LLC. It’s a full-service Italian kitchen, but it’s also a reflection of the people who walk through our doors gritty, gracious, and full of history. Chicago gets it.

By 2025, something shifted for me. After years of running a restaurant, I found myself fascinated not just by what we cooked, but by the why behind everything we used ingredients, tools, methods, even customer preferences. That curiosity pushed me to explore beyond the kitchen. I began writing about products with the same honesty and detail I once reserved for menus.

Jason Hollins
Jason Hollins

Now, I write firsthand reviews and deep-dive analyses on the everyday items people often overlook cookware, gadgets, pantry staples, and beyond. I cover how they perform, what they’re really made of, and whether they stand up to real-life use. My goal is to cut through marketing fluff and get to the truth because people deserve better answers.

This isn’t a departure from food. It’s an extension of what I’ve always believed: that quality matters, that stories matter, and that whether you’re plating pasta or picking a peeler, the small choices are the ones that shape our everyday lives.

Welcome to my next chapter. Let’s keep it honest, useful, and rooted in experience.

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Jason Hollins
I’m Jason Hollins, and for me, food has never just been about what’s on the plate. It’s about what surrounds it the memories, the people, the sense of place. That belief is what led me to open Osteria Rusticana. We didn’t set out to impress with flash or trend-chasing. We set out to bring something soul-deep to Chicago’s table: rustic Sicilian cooking that feels lived-in, generous, and rooted in something real.

By 2025, something shifted for me. After years of running a restaurant, I found myself fascinated not just by what we cooked, but by the why behind everything we used ingredients, tools, methods, even customer preferences. That curiosity pushed me to explore beyond the kitchen. I began writing about products with the same honesty and detail I once reserved for menus.
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