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| Quora Contributor · July 23, 2014 |
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Blackbird in Chicago is honored to have two of their chefs acknowledged with James Beard Award Nominations. Chef de Cuisine David Posey is a finalist for the 2014 Rising Star Chef Award. Chef Dana Cree is a finalist for the 2014 Oustanding Pastry Chef award.
Blackbird 619 West Randolph, Chicago, IL 312.715.0708 www.blackbirdrestaurant.com
Blackbird Chef de Cuisine David Posey
Chef David Posey’s first attempt at cooking came at the age of ten, when he began experimenting under the guidance of his mother. “I was a little chubby kid, so I wanted to learn how to make my own snacks,” he says. Growing up, the California native was drawn to the creative aspects of cooking and music, spending time in and out of school pursuing both.
With his mother’s encouragement, Posey took a kitchen job at a local restaurant during his sophomore year in high school. Although pay was minimal, Posey enjoyed theresponsibility and pressure, eventually working his way into to a full-time position. The experience was pivotal, as it cemented his interest the in culinary field.
After high school, Posey attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. His introduction to Chicago came via an externship at Trio, where Posey worked under then-Executive Chef Grant Achatz, who he credits for instilling an attention to detail. Drawn to Achatz’ boundary-pushing cuisine, Posey returned to Chicago to work at Alinea, where he held positions in pastry and as Garde Manger.
In 2007, Posey left Alinea for Blackbird. Starting as a line cook, Posey worked his way through each kitchen position, becoming Chef de Cuisine in 2011. Nominated for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2013, Posey has come into his own as Blackbird’s Chef de Cuisine using simple farm-fresh ingredients and cutting-edge culinary technology to create a menu both highly creative and utterly approachable.
Pastry Chef Dana Cree
A Seattle native, Dana Cree began her culinary journey in 2000, studying at The Art Institute of Seattle. Cree first worked in the savory side of the kitchen for three years at Seattle’s Lampreia, before heeding her pastry calling. After a lengthy stage at The Fat Duck, in Bray, England, in early 2005, Cree returned to Seattle and assumed the role of Pastry Chef at Eva. There she honed her flavor-focused and detail oriented style.
Cree spent several highly influential weeks staging with Alex Stupak at WD-50, in New York. Upon returning to Seattle, she took the helm at Veil. It was there that she explored modernist technique in a fine dining setting, putting to use lessons learned at WD-50 and The Fat Duck.
When Veil closed in 2008, Cree joined the opening team at Poppy. There she continued to refine and focus her concepts, crafting exciting accessible plates, fit for the high-volume setting. Her work at Poppy earned her recognition from StarChefs, who presented her with a Rising Star award in 2009.
Cree left Seattle in 2010, and after a stage at Noma, in Copenhagen, she returned to the States to work at Alinea in Chicago. There she learned to push the boundaries of possibility. Later that year Cree found herself back in Denmark as the Pastry Chef at Kadeau restaurant, on the island of Bornholm. There she immersed herself in Baltic products, and a New Nordic minimalist style.
When Kadeau closed for the harsh Scandinavian winter, Cree returned to the States,positioning herself under the tutelage of Sherry Yard at Spago Beverly Hills. There she revisited classic techniques, and learned to foster strong relationships with area farmers.
Cree returned to Chicago in 2012, where she now draws on her broad range of experiences as the Pastry Chef at Blackbird and avec. Nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2014, her thoughtful, nuanced and resoundingly delicious desserts perfectly culminate the divergent dining experiences of both restaurants.
Content Courtesy of One Off Hospitality
Chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr.
Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr., a fourth-generation restaurateur, is nominated for the 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef Award. The James Beard Awards will be held in New York City on May 5th. You can also listen to our interview with the James Beard Foundation about the 2014 awards.
500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. was ‘born and raised’ in Chicago’s Heaven on Seven. Put to work bussing tables for his father at age five, Jimmy learned the trade first hand while spending days at the family-owned Louisiana-style restaurant. Once realizing he shared his father’s passion for food and the restaurant industry, he decided to attend the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. While there, he worked at the critically acclaimed Al Forno restaurant, located near the university, as well as completed an internship at Emeril’s in New Orleans.
Peas & Bacon Antipasti
Upon graduating in 2004, Jimmy returned to Chicago to assist Gabriel Viti open Miramar Bistro in Highwood, Illinois. and then assisted Scott Harris with opening one of his Mia Francesca locations. Although raised on gumbo, Jimmy let his passion and palate guide him to more Mediterranean styles of cuisine. He soon embarked on a six-month excursion to Italy where he immersed himself in the culture, foods and wines. When he returned to the U.S., he moved to New York City and spent three and a half years working under Mario Batali at his restaurants Del Posto, Esca, and Lupa Osteria Romana.
Salt-Roasted Beets, Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette
Bringing his love for Italian food, the restaurant business and his family, Jimmy returned to Chicago in 2009 to open The Purple Pig in December of that year. Located at 500 North Michigan Avenue, the restaurant offers cheese, swine and wine, among other standout dishes, showcasing the flavors of Italy, Greece and Spain.
Content provided courtesy of Baltz & Company, Inc.
The evolution of Spiaggia began in January of 2014 as construction started in the dining room that, when completed, will afford guests the opportunity to experience Spiaggia more than before.
Here’s what guests can expect when Spiaggia re-opens in late spring 2014:
Acclaimed designer Mark Knauer of Chicago-based Knauer, Inc., has been tapped to lead the design and construction process. Tony knew Mark was the perfect fit for the project as Mark was on the team that original designed Spiaggia when it opened in 1984. During the ReImagination, Cafe Spiaggia remains open for lunch and dinner daily and Spiaggia Private Events, which is one floor above Spiaggia, continues to host intimate corporate and social functions and larger cocktail receptions, weddings and celebrations.
Most often recognized as one of the Champions on season two of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Chef Tony Mantuano is also internationally regarded as an influential culinary force. He is the chef/partner at Spiaggia, one of the country’s leading restaurants and Chicago’s only four-star Italian restaurant, and has been awarded the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Midwest.
Mantuano’s love for creating exciting restaurant concepts has given way to other ventures. In addition to Spiaggia, his latest is chef/partner of Lorenzo, a casual elegant Italian restaurant in Miami adjacent to the Redbury South Beach Hotel that opened in November 2013. He is also Chef/Partner at Bar Toma, a long-time dream to create an Italian neighborhood pizzeria and bar; chef/partner at Terzo Piano, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that utilizes fresh, local, organic ingredients to create seasonal menus at The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; and he is the co-owner of his family’s Mangia Trattoria, a classic Italian restaurant in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Up next for Mantuano includes River Roast his first non-Italian restaurant in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Set to open early summer 2014, the restaurant will be a lively social house and gathering place featuring handcrafted, yet rustic, food with many plates designed for sharing. The menu features contemporary American tavern fare and will focus on dramatic presentations of whole roasted chicken, which is cold smoked and then roasted to perfection in a specially-designed oven; whole roasted de-boned fish prepared in a tandoor oven and slow-cooked roast beef; all carved tableside and served with signature French fries. 2014 also marks Spiaggia’s 30th anniversary and to celebrate the occasion the dining room is undergoing a complete redesign and to be unveiled in late spring.
Mantuano’s first cookbook The Spiaggia Cookbook: Eleganza Italiana in Cucina was lauded by Food & Wine magazine as one of the top 25 cookbooks of 2004. In 2008 Mantuano co-authored Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match with wine expert and wife Cathy Mantuano, which has been the inspiration for WINE BAR FOOD outposts at the 2008-2013 US Open Tennis Championships in New York.
In addition to his 2005 honor, Mantuano’s Spiaggia has also received James Beard Award nominations for Outstanding Restaurant in America in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013, and for Outstanding Service in 2008, 2009, 2012. In September 2012 he was named part of the American Chef Corps and a 2012 State Chef by the U.S. Department of State and its new Culinary Diplomatic Partnership program. However, his favorite award was presented in April 2009, when he and Cathy Mantuano were honored with the keys to San Martino in the Italian region of Molise for serving authentic Italian cuisine in America and in particular to President Barak Obama, a long-time Spiaggia guest who celebrated his presidential election victory at Spiaggia in 2008.
Originally from Philadelphia, Chris Marchino has called Chicago home since 2006. In addition to a B.A. in sociology from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, Marchino has an associate’s degree in culinary arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Le Cordon Bleu. He has also lived and travelled extensively in West and Southern Africa while working for CARE International on famine relief and social service projects. After helping open D’Allesandro’s in Charleston, South Carolina, Marchino made the career decision to become a chef. Since joining Spiaggia in 2008, he has worked his way up the ranks from line cook to his current position as executive chef, which he was named in January 2014. In the spring of 2012 while serving as executive sous chef he was named a Zagat Chicago 30 Under 30 recipient.
Despite cooking Italian for almost 10 years, Marchino made his very first trip to Italy in May 2012 where he learned all he could from chefs, producers and vintners in Tuscany. Marchino’s passion for Italian cuisine stems from his love of fresh and local ingredients, and his personal broad-spectrum enjoyment of foods, ranging from street food to fine dining. He returned to Italy in January 2014 for a three week trip around the country where he cooked in various kitchens in Rome, Florence, Venice and more. He plans to use what he learned towards the reImagined Spiaggia that will debut in late spring 2014.
Content provided courtesy of DJS Hospitality Consulting
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