In the world of social media, if you’re looking for an uplifting post or a laugh, the feeds of chefs aren’t typically where you’d go first. A cool new plating technique or a drool-worthy dish, sure. But giggle-inducing images and mental health tips? Not so much.
Try telling that to chef Lamar Moore, who has been doing just that for 12 years. Look at his Instagram feed (@chef_ljm), and you’ll see reels and post after post of inspirational quotes and funny memes, including many with Baby Yoda (more on that below).
Of course, there are food posts too. He is the executive chef at Eleven Eleven in the West Loop, and previously was the opening head chef at the $10 million restaurant, Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel and Casino, his prize for winning Food Network’s “Vegas Chef Prizefight” in 2020. But even many of those posts can’t help but poke fun at today’s goofy food fads. (For the record, Moore wants nothing to do with chicken and waffles on his pizza, thank you very much.)
And his 224,000 followers are there for all of it, with likes often exceeding a thousand on a post.
For Moore, the inspiration for his unique social media perspective was personal. It started in 2009, when the South Side native and Cordon Bleu graduate returned to Chicago after spending seven years working in a steak and seafood restaurant in northern California.
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“I looked in the mirror one day and noticed I gained a lot of weight,” he said. “I realized I had used alcohol as an opportunity to bypass a lot of things I should have been doing to take care of myself.”
As a result, he challenged himself not to drink for a year. Moore quickly realized he needed something to fill the inevitable extra time he’d have. “When you take away something, you have to replace it with something, and hopefully it’s something that is fruitful for you,” he said. Reading, in particular inspirational-focused items, filled that void.
That’s when Moore started posting positive quotes on Facebook once or twice a week, eventually focusing on Instagram a few years later. “When you wake up in the morning, you will probably see something negative, so why not have some positivity?” he said. “It’s important for me, and in my posts I try to convey that. I’m posting because I feel someone else could feel the same way and use that love, encouragement and understanding, too.”
Moore frequently shares — with credit — Instagram posts from Kareem “Biggs” Burke (who cofounded Roc-A-Fella Records and the Rocawear clothing line with business partners Jay-Z and Damon Dash) as well as Humble the Poet, a Canadian YouTube artist. Both are known for their uplifting social media posts.
From a young age, Moore always knew he wanted to have a job that helped people. The day after he found out he passed the Bolingbrook police officer test, he received the job offer for that restaurant in Northern California, he said.
“I really was good to do either one,” he said. But growing up in a large family and feeling the love that came from meals eaten together at the kitchen table resonated deeply with Moore, who credits his Southern-born grandmother with instilling in him the importance of cooking from the soul.
For Moore, it’s the ongoing work to stay connected in a thoughtful way that drives his social media. “I’ll look for motivational posts and posts that glorify great relationships and success,” he said. “I’m continuously telling myself what I need and what I need to work on, and I feed that through my posts.”
What you won’t find on his feed, however, are gossip or negative news, and he rarely posts about his family. Posts of Baby Yoda, however, are front and center.
A “Star Wars” fan for more than 30 years, Moore has a deep connection to Baby Yoda and the humorous memes that have been created with him.
“What I like about Baby Yoda is he’s cute, quirky and funny,” he said. “He’s my doppelgänger and reminds me of myself. Sometimes we forget that even though we’re adults, we can still be kids at heart.”
Lisa Shames is a freelance writer.