Design, Food, and Drink Inspirations at Travelle Kitchen + Bar
Hello!
I spoke with the team at Travelle Kitchen + Bar, featured in this week’s episode about everything from the well-curated art collection in the dining room to where executive chef Tim Graham finds inspiration for new dishes. And since I like to enjoy Check, Please! with a cocktail in hand, I’ve included a recipe from Travelle beverage director Priscilla Young.
Q: I had a paella you made using farro instead of rice. You often do unique twists on classics. Where do you get your inspiration and what goes into conceptualizing your dishes?
Executive Chef Tim Graham: I find inspiration from a large number of places, but if I had to choose the largest source of inspiration, it would be from history, folk pathways, and the movement of food through the immigration of cultures. I love to tie a new dish of mine into something from the past. Travelle’s love of White Gazpacho, which is of Moorish descent, is a great example of this. The green farro in question is one of my favorite ingredients in the world. It is green because it is young. This makes the farro grain very hard to thresh from the husk. To accomplish the task, they fire thresh the grain, i.e., set the plant on fire. They go and pick the stalks and burn them in a fire barrel, spreading out the burnt grains until they cool, and they are then able to remove the husk to achieve an incredibly smoky flavor. So I then thought about paella, and how amazing it would be to swap the rice with green farro. We also currently do a “fried rice” preparation with green farro.
Q: Atmosphere is a huge part of a restaurant. Can you tell me about the art collection in the restaurant?
Kelly Chrischilles, Public Relations Manager: The interior design of Travelle, located on the second floor of The Langham Chicago hotel, is inspired by the romance of the digital age and the corporate IBM culture during the 1960s and 1970s. Rockwell Group and The Langham Chicago collaborated with the Art Production Fund (APF) to develop a collection of original art pieces by both established and emerging artists that is consistent with the design concept. The restaurant will feature 10 works by five artists: Yorgo Alexopoulos, Peter Halley, Chris Dorland, Miltos Manetas, and Julian Opie.
The bar at the Langham offers an extensive beverage program which serves as a nice way to begin or end your meal at Travelle. Here’s a recipe from Priscilla Young, Beverage Director:
Blutopia
Oxley, Cocchi Americano, Lavender-Cacao, Lemon, Sugar, and Pernod Absinthe
Ingredients
1 oz Oxley Gin
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
3/4 oz cocchi Americano
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz “blue” absinthe
Directions
Combine all ingredients except the absinthe in soda canister.
Siphon over ice.
Garnish: Pour absinthe over absinthe spoon and light on fire. Squeeze lemon oil. Then remove spoon and cube.
Final garnish: Add a single flower.
Stay tuned next week for three more great restaurants and some more inside dish right here on my blog!
Cheers,
Catherine
