ISSUE NO. 4
AUGUST 2001
CHAINE
CHICAGO
Chicago Chefs
And a Season of Chaîne Dinners
We are endowed with many very talented chefs in this city without whom it would have been impossible to present a season's culinary program. This rich resource is without fail the vehicle for our Chapter's consistently high standards. This professional body continues to give us its support, which enables us to perpetuate the vital interests we all have in the culinary arts and oenology.
Pierre Pollin
Le Titi de Paris
Khelil Abderezak
Deerpath Inn
Charlie
Charlie Trotter's
Wieland Ludwig
Chicago Hilton
Mark Baker
Four Seasons
Norbert Bomm
The Fairmont
Sandro Gamba
Park Hyatt
Helmut Sussenbach
Inter-Conntinental
We are most fortunate to have this support in such a competitive culinary environment as Chicago. We look forward to some additional new professional members from the newly opened hotels and restuarants.
Table Settings
Bravo - to F&B Director Emmanuel Nony and the team at Park Hyatt and Executive Chef Mark Baker and the Four Seasons team for their creative and artistic table settings at our January and April 2001 dinners.
WEBSITE - www.chaine-chicago.org
We continue to keep our Website updated where you can find a synopsis of the year's dinners as they take place. This has been largely due to Chevalier Mike Kessler's diligence and discipline as the Chapter's Webmaster. Mike and Linda, however, have returned home to New York to live. They were stalwart members of our Chapter and we shall miss their contribution and seeing them at our events. We need a volunteer to be our Chaine Webmaster to coordinate the information to be submitted monthly to the site - if you are interested in this - we need you!
Please contact Jane Tracy on 312.266.6615
Le Mot du Bailli per Roger Tracy
Another season has passed and as the new one arrives we note a few changes in our City. The hotel business is in a down period: occupancy is down, rates are down – charity events are having fewer participants – business travel is down. Yes – Chicagoans are still getting married but only at weekends. That is not the best context to be organizing fine culinary dinners and we thank the hotels that have stepped up to our new season calendar for 2001/2002 – there have been no defections. The hotel scene is evolving and in a manner which is most exciting for our Chapter. Those of you who joined us at the Park Hyatt were able to appreciate what an enormous new asset we have – Chef Gamba and his team excelled.

To join the ranks of the luxury hotels we now also have the Peninsula – the new Le Méridien is open next to Nordstrom and the striking new Sofitel building is planned to come on-stream in 2002.

We have been experiencing some turbulence with the passage from one Grand Chancelier in Paris to another and an interminable debate. This has sparked some aggressive internal debate within the USA organization. The debate has been precipitated by the upcoming election next March and who will replace incumbent Burt Hobson as Bailli Délégué of the USA who has come to the end of his two three-year terms. Candidates to replace Burt are Joel Spiro Bailli Provincial, Northeast, Mel Sturman, Conseiller Gastronomique des Etats-Unis and David Wilson who is the Chancelier Délégué, Académie Brillat-Savarin.

Bailli Honoraire Howard Gardner and I have recently held a private meeting in Chicago with Yam Atallah who is a member of the Conseil Magistral in Paris to try to clearly understand the various disagreements, court litigations concerning US international dues and voting rights, and the likely outcome of the dispute. It is our considered opinion to support the current Bailli Délégué Burt Hobson in the positions he has taken with regard to the international situation.
In Memoriam
We were saddened in to learn in April that our dear fellow member Professionnel de la Table Eugene Dee passed on. Gene joined the Chaîne in 1985 as Chevalier and during these past sixteen years it had always been a happy event to welcome him to the dinners. With new rankings developed by the Chaînes national office in New York, Gene was elevated to the level of Professionnel de la Table. We shall miss his steadiness and dry wit.
Professional News ...
Restaurant Openings - Maître Rôtisseur Gabino Sotelino has opened his third Mon Ami Gaby in Oakbrook - he tells us he is now working on a project for Washington DC. Maître Rôtisseur Michael Lachowicz of Les Deux Gros in Glen Ellyn has opened a second restaurant (bistro) close by in Wheaton called Cochon Sauvage or Wild Pig (630-784-8015).

Hotel Upgrades – Our friends at the Hotel InterContinental are coming to the end of their $80 Million upgrade and refurbishment. Maître de Table Hôtelier Steve Thompson is keen to show us the finished result.

New Arrivals – Maître Hôtelier Peter Finamore has transferred to Chicago from the Beijing Palace to open the new Peninsula in Chicago (Chaine event on March 11 2002). Maître Hôtelier Peter Simoncelli, Assistant GM of the Four Seasons has left the hotel and will be replaced by Bill Taylor, the Assistant GM of Four Seasons Atlanta.

Maître de Table Joe Diver has returned to the Chicago area and the Hollywood Casino in Aurora as F&B Director. Maître de Table. Christ Nogulich is now GM of the Quadrangle Club at the University of Chicago.

Two new hotel general managers are joining our Chapter – Barry Cregan at the Westin Michigan Avenue and Joseph Violi at the Swissötel.
Ordre Mondial
For those members specially interested in extending their knowledge of wines - you should look at what is happening with our Ordre Mondial group. Vice Echanson Manfred Raiser has organized some stunning tastings in the past season – read about them in our Ordre Mondial newsletter L'Ordre Chicago. If you would like to join this specialist group you should contact Vice Chargé de Missions, Membership, Simeon Roldan who will supply you with all the details. (630-512-0688)
Dame de la Chaine Beverly Blettner, Chevalier Jim Kinney and Dame de la Chaine Mary Ann Rose enjoying the evening at the Park Hyatt

EDITORIAL
Jane Tracy

"The destiny off nations depends on the manner in which they eat" Brillat-Savarin
There is plenty written about good food. This is a tongue-in-cheek statement about bad food. Food badly prepared, cooked and served. Bad meaning uninspired, tastless, inferior, uneatable, unhealthy. To have been born on an island which is internationally famous for its bad food has been a bane, and even though there has been a revolution with the advent of a few culinary savants, and an increasingly sophisticated consumer in the U.K., there exists still a seamier side of eating out. This seems to also be assoiciated with an overtone of moral degeneration and that eating is part of life's unwelcome routine.

Not minding about food has become part of the reason there is so much abuse in English kitchens and the corruption that takes place on the part of restaurateurs (mostly outside of London) is due to the willingness of diners to accept everything uncomplainingly! The built-in fear of making a scene is still alive and well over there. Raised Voices In Public is an unthinkable act and one that vies with the embedded sense of fair play.

There are two kinds of bad food: bad cheap food and bad expensive food. The cup of tea and pork pie world of bad cheap food could send you into a mild state of shock along with thick, yellow custard, rice pudding, synthetic cream and limp "chips". Bad expensive food flourishes where ostentation and snobbery abound, where the English gratify each other with a panorama of choices including whitebait, Aylesbury duckling a l'orange made with Cooper's marmalade and mandarin segments, the ubiquitous steak, scampi (of course), grilled ham steak (followed by a raging thirst), veal marsala and quivering ice-cream sundaes. The taste is always the same, only the price varies. Cigars everyone?

Only on safari in the countryside of this green and pleasant land can one witness the great amount of eating done by families on the verges of busy main roads. Thousands of people perch on canvas chairs while the kettle boils merrily away beside them and a table houses a teapot, evaporated milk (affectionately known as Evap), and a washing up bowl. The English picnic is one of the most unlovely forms of eating devised.

There is a deep prejudice against 'mucked-about' food, whereas from the French perspective it would be interpreted to mean 'elaborately prepared.' Although there are pockets of enlightenment, the general picture is still gloomy. An off duty French Diplomat once commented "I find it very English that not only do you have this food, but the you have also a sort of triumph about it - you know, people really do like it being so awful."

Well, what's your poison, then?
ELEVATIONS
During our April dinner at The Four Seasons Hotel, we were delighted to be able to elevate two members to a senior rank. They each, over the years, have dedicated much time and energy to the success of our Chapter. Our thanks to both of them. Bailli Provincial Peter Hanowich bestowed these honors upon:

Officier Stephen A. Kaplan

Officier Chef Rôtisseur/Commandeur Leo Waldmeier.
Chevalier Simeon 'Mon' Roldan has accepted the responsibilities of membership chairman. Mon will be officially elevated to the rank of Vice-Chargé de Missions at The Drake in January 2002 along with our Intronisés and transfers.
Bailli Provincial Pete Hanowich together with Bailli Roger Tracy congratulate the new Officiers at the Four Seasons.
Who's Who & What's What
Continuing our background check into our interesting and knowledgeable membership body - our quiz continues:

1. Which Dame de la Chaîne is a graduate gemologist?

2. Which Chevalier worked as a cooper in a meat-packing plant?

3. Which Chevalier was a professional racecar driver?

4. Which Chicago Chapter Officer did research on parasitic diseases, particularly schistosomiasis?

5. Which Professional du Vin has a current pharmacist's license?
Answers on Page 2 of Ordre Mondial Newsletter
CHAÎNE "Grand Chapître" in Las Vegas / June 2002
During the Grand Chapître/National Council Meeting in Washington D.C. recently, a great deal of time was spent during the Saturday morning, outlining next year's location and activities for 2002. As was apparent during the Convention here in Chicago in 1997, there are Chaîne members who travel from all parts of the country and globe to attend this annual event each year in the United States. Rather than dwell on the Washington Convention, I thought it might be informative to give you an overview of the ideas and plans that are being lined up for next year so that you might have ample chance to think and plan whether or not it is appealing to you - not only to share the gastronomic table - but to meet and expand acquaintances within other national and international Chaîne Chapters.

The Convention at Bellagio starts on Tuesday June 4th 2002 and ends on Sunday 9th June 2002. It is not necessary to be there for all the days – the culmination of which will be on Saturday June 8 with the National Council meeting and the final gala dinner. A "Dine-Around" program is being put together by the organizers to enable Chaîne members to make reservations at the leading, strongly recommended restaurants in Las Vegas and to explore them - quite independently from the formal side of things. Many of the leading chefs in the United States already there include Jean George Vongerichten, Charlie Palmer, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck – and of course our own Maîtres Rôtisseurs Jean Joho and Gabino Sotelino (Paris Hotel).

There will be many "Things To Do" that will include assorted culinary demonstrations from establishments such as LeNôtre (chocolate), pasta cooking at Bellagio, and fish cookery with Michael Mina. Wine tastings with wines from around the world and special cuisine prepared by Charlie Palmer seems to be a hot item. These are just a few of the activities being planned.

There will of course be the formal dinners too which will be held at the Paris, Venetian and Bellagio hotels. The final gala dinner at Bellagio promises to be exciting with all the chefs at the Bellagio Hotel participating.