Foie Gras, Abalone & Sexy Amenities

To better understand what HOTELS readers do on a daily basis, as well as the challenges hoteliers are faced with, and how you all stay on top of the industry happenings and trends, the HOTELS editors each recently spent a ‘day in the life’ of various hoteliers around Chicago.

The F&B team at The Peninsula Chicago was kind enough to host me for a day, and what a day it was.

I was greeted by a sous chef who quickly delivered me to the executive chef’s office so that he could get back to his duties on the cooking line. As I waited for the executive chef, I watched and listened to the fast-paced action. Even between breakfast and lunch, The Lobby restaurant’s kitchen was abuzz.

Before long, the hotel’s executive sous chef, Nu, came into the office with a tray of bottled waters (both sparkling and still) for me. I was surprised and delighted by this gesture of simple hospitality, and thankful for something to quench my thirst.

Upon finishing one of many meetings, in came Executive Chef Terry Crandall, and after talking briefly, we started a tour of the hotel’s kitchens. Along the way, I met a good portion of the F&B team, including banquets Sous Chef Anthony Coriell, who was preparing for a surprise tasting session, and Executive Pastry Chef Jimmy MacMillan, who was practicing for an upcoming pastry/baking competition. I also was able to get a glimpse at some recently renovated kitchen spaces and brand new equipment.

After the tour, Chef Terry and I had lunch in The Lobby restaurant. Ordering from the menu, I opted for creamless tomato soup to start (served with a crisp crouton and warm buffalo mozzarella), followed by a main course of steamed perch and Alaskan king crab (with braised fennel, yellow potato, baby heirloom tomatoes and a spicy tomato and saffron broth). In between, The Lobby’s sous chef, Jonathan Kinsella, sent out a delicious foie gras course for us. Lunch was definitely a treat for a journalist who usually grabs a simple bowl of soup or grilled sandwich in his office’s basement cafeteria.

Following lunch, it was off to the weekly ‘Food Forum’ in The Lobby’s kitchen, this one focusing on abalone, a salty sea snail. Chef Ping, chef de cuisine for the hotel’s Shanghai Terrace restaurant, gave a brief presentation to educate other staffers from all parts of the hotel’s F&B operations on this particular food. We learned that the best abalone comes from China and Japan, is harvested from the ocean by divers, and can cost upwards of US$150 for a very small portion. We also had a chance to taste a small slice of braised abalone, which retained a very robust and full flavor of the sea thanks to Chef Ping’s preparation.

When the food forum broke, F&B Director Pradeep Raman took me up to the hotel’s executive offices, where we took part in a weekly food and beverage meeting. Raman and Chef Terry updated the various F&B department heads and managers on what was happening and what key events were upcoming, and also relayed information on department challenges and VIP arrivals.

Finally, to finish the day, I went room to room with Raman, checking freshly delivered VIP amenities and doing a once-over on a few minibars. Raman explained the difference between a regular amenity and a "sexy" amenity or chef’s special, along with how the hotel personalizes amenities for its guests.

The day was a great learning experience, as I haven’t worked in hotel operations or really thoroughly walked through the back of the house at a hotel in a good 10 years. Spending the day at The Peninsula Chicago, I got an excellent feel for who our readers are and what they do on a daily basis. Now my one remaining curiosity is how we at HOTELS can best keep you hoteliers informed and help you do your jobs better.

I look forward to hearing from you about that!