Rick Gresh, Executive Chef, The James Hotel, Chicago

-- Hotels, 8/1/2007

Rick Gresh, Executive Chef, The James Hotel, Chicago

Were you in your family's kitchen a lot?
Yes, I helped with dinner all the time. Both my mom and dad cooked.

How did you get your start?
I went to Polaris Vocational High School for my junior and senior year to study cooking and front-of-house management. My first job was as a busboy at a local restaurant. About two months later I was in the kitchen. I moved to a more upscale restaurant and worked there until I left to get my associate’s degree (AOS) at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park New York. At CIA, I spent just about every weekend in a kitchen in New York City just working and watching. I did my extern at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel.

How competitive was CIA?
I didn’t think it was that competitive, at least not among my group of friends. Some people seemed more competitive, but, at that point, what were they competing for—a grade? The business is far more competitive. CIA made transition into the “real world” very easy.

What was the biggest disconnect between what you learned at CIA and what you actually had to do on the job?
Time, in school here was always so much time. In the real world it seems you’re always running out of time.

Who were your mentors?
Every chef I've worked for; even the cooks that were better then me. From some I learned tradition, from others I learned a way of expression. I've learned how to manage. I’ve even learned how I didn’t want to do things.

What was your biggest success?
Being able to make a living doing something I love. I've cooked for many great people, cooked at the (James) Beard House and competed in the Bocuse d'Or.

What was the hardest aspect of cooking or managing to master?
Consistency, both in cooking and in management.

What are the hardest aspects of transitioning to a job in a new hotel?
Learning the systems and lingo. Each place has its own dialogue. I worked at the Saddle and Cycle Club, Chicago, the Wyndham Hotel Chicago and Green Dolphin Street, Chicago, before coming to The James this summer.

What are the most exciting challenges in taking over The James’ food and beverage operations?
I have a very busy hotel, a new staff and a great reputation to uphold or make even better. We have an amazing dry aging room and we make everything in house. It’s nice to see a company committed to excellence.

What are your responsibilities?
I oversee David Burke’s Primehouse, in room dining, Jbar and banquets. My staff totals about 60 people.

Where do hotel restaurants miss out on sales opportunities or upselling?
Most older hotels have that “hotel feeling” in the restaurant. They try to be everything to everyone. I see the newer hotels who achieve that within a theme and a directed restaurant.

What are your favorite things to cook?
I love to cook fish and vegetables.

What are some of your signature dishes?
I don’t really have any. I cook with the seasons.

How has the Vita-Mix helped you to be more innovative?
It really helps you puree things you never really could before. I can get more flavor in certain dishes because it purees finer. I don’t have to strain so much out of it. It’s very versatile so we can make simple, elegant dishes seem very rich just by pureeing.

What are the next hot ingredients?
I don’t think it is ingredients so much anymore—it is techniques. In today’s world we can get anything we want from any corner of the world. But cooking has become so technical.

What are the coming trends in hotel dining?
The trends in hotel dining are already happening. Give great chefs the ability to do what they do.

How much of that is driven by customers and how much by chefs?
Costomers are demanding better quality every day. Home replacement meals have really come up a notch, so why is typical hotel food created by trained professionals so bad? On the flip side, chefs don’t really want to cook bad food, so having the customer demand more gives us the opportunity to be better.

What things would you serve if you were given carte blanche?
What I'm serving. I am in a great place.

How much do food costs and consumer preferences limit creativity?
I don't always think it is food costs. I think it is more labor cost and the ability to produce the food in a timely manner.

Is the customer always right and, if he/she isn't, what is the best solution?
No, of course not, but we are there to make people happy. Mostly it is just understanding what the customer wants, letting them know what it is going to take on our end and delivering it to them. If a guest asks for something not on the menu, I may have the server tell them it is going to take 20 minutes, but it better be to the table in 20 minutes.

How is your cuisine evolving and changing?
It is really focused on the flavors and textures. Carrots should taste like carrots, etc...

How often do you change your menu?
When ever I need to. There are seasons within the seasons.

Are organics the next must-have and, if so, will consumers pay the extra to get them?
Great quality sustainable products are the way to go. Organics don't mean it is great quality. I like to look beyond the organics movement. Like anything the government gets involved with, there are loopholes in the organic field of things.

What dates a menu?
Just the menu mix and the choices presented, and the wording on the menu.

With all the food shows and all the celebrity chefs, are customers going back to a time when food is fun rather than food being their dietary enemy?
The chefs have shown food can be fun, healthy and interesting. I also think people have realized they are not going to die from eating something like spicy peppers and strawberries with chicken.

How does that influence the pacing of your menu and the willingness of guests to order appetizers and desserts?
I try to give guests a good variety of things to order.

What's on your wish list in terms of equipment and ingredients?
I'm designing and making my own silicon molds.

If you had an extra hour, how would you spend it?
Playing in the kitchen with food or doing research for new dishes.

What are you inspirations?
The food, different cultures, but also objects. Sometimes looking at a vase or an object can influence the shape of something I am working on.

What do you cook for yourself at home?
Simple things—most I grill a lot in the summer. In winter I make a lot of roasts.

Are your family members intimidated when cooking for you?
They used to be, but they got over it pretty quick. My girlfriend was at first. I don’t judge them for their cooking—that is not fair and we are not competing. They don't work for me and I don’t spend my money in their restaurant.

What two or three food items couldn't you do without?
Strawberries, cheeses and wine.

What are the next trends in bar food?
Better, more refined bar food. Make more foods in house instead of the usual frozen suspects.

What are your best practices for delivering a consistently interesting dining experience and for motivating staff to do the same?
I listen to my staff, and deliver what guests ask for. Good communication is the key. I also have to care about everything. If the staff knows you care then they know they can count on you to deliver.

To what would you compare the Vita-Mix?
There is nothing to compare it to. One setting is gentle and flip the switch and one mean machine appears.

What are three or four tips for using it?
Faster isn’t always better. Use the plunger—it really helps getting things moving. Don’t fill the machine all the way. If you have bigger batches, puree it in smaller amounts for a even silkier texture.

What was the biggest surprise in terms of what it can do?
The biggest surprise was when I was competing in the Bocuse last year and I put the lobster shells in the blender with the sauce I was making. The president of Vita-Mix was in front of the window in shock because I was going to puree shells. The machine worked like a charm. I strained the sauce and had a great extraction of flavor from grinding up those shells. The surprise was on Vita-Mix—they never knew us chefs do things like that.

What are your goals for the next three to five years?
I'm going to see The James Hotel Group expand its operations and help in the new foodservice programs.