This Week’s Episode: Au Cheval, Tapas Valencia, and Autre Monde
Hello there!
The past week has been quite a whirlwind! I officially started in my new capacity as the executive director of the Kendall College Trust, which is a not-for-profit that provides need-based scholarships to culinary and hospitality students. It’s a mission dear to me since I attended the Kendall College culinary program. I was an unfulfilled attorney who made a huge career change into the culinary world well over a decade ago, and Kendall provided a strong foundation upon which I have built my new career. Now being in a position to help others pursue their dreams is very exciting. I’ve been busy planning out the 2015 calendar and thinking of some educational and fun programming that can help the cause. The possibilities seem endless, and I’m looking forward to reporting back on some of the great events we will be putting together.
As you may know, in foodie news, the Michelin Guide ratings came out this week. It’s exciting that Grace received a third star and that newcomer 42 grams received two stars its first year open! Lots of other wonderful restaurants that have been featured on Check, Please! also made the list, so thank you all for submitting these wonderful restaurant recommendations to us year after year.
This past week was exciting for another reason. I interviewed Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre in front of almost 4,000 attendees! Ina and I walked out onto the stage for a sound check and looked at one another with nervous anticipation…you don’t really realize how big of an audience that is until you are looking out into it. Once we got to chatting, all nerves dissipated. Ina has always been a role model for me since she was someone who made a drastic career switch (she was a nuclear policy analyst in the White House). So when her agent called me with the opportunity to interview her, I was thrilled. Once I started preparing for the interview, it was apparent that Ina is even more interesting than one can imagine. For instance, when she decided to buy the specialty food store, The Barefoot Contessa, in the Hamptons, she had no experience in retail or food and had never even been to the Hamptons before! Yet it became a runaway success. We all know Jeffrey, her husband, from her television show, but did you know they met when she was 15 and have been married for 45 years? She said he is incredibly supportive of everything she does…especially her cooking. She told a story about how she made him a cup of tea and he said, “This is the best tea.” And she responded, “Give me a break, it’s hot water and a tea bag!” Ina was full of other surprises. She actually has her pilot’s license! The reason her recipes work so well is because she will test them sometimes as many as 25 times to be sure the result is consistent no matter who is making it. Accomplishments aside though, Ina is an incredibly warm, gracious person, and I am looking forward to her next visit to Chicago.
Now, let’s talk about Check, Please! This week is a fun one! Tune in tonight as we visit Au Cheval, a hot favorite for burgers right now – you can learn whether you think the 2 hour wait is worth it! Autre Monde and Tapas Valencia are also featured in this week’s episode. I’m eager to hear what you think about all three choices. Share your thoughts below in the comments!
It looks like the chilly weather is settling in for a bit so it’s the perfect night to stay in and watch Check, Please! I’ll see you then!
Cheers,
Catherine
