Meeting News - January 28, 2008 - (Page 8)

Chef Talk A top chef reﬂects on planners and his brush with fame Louisville has all of the hospitality and southern At the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY, Executive charm associated with Kentucky, but it has midwestChef Todd Richards has his hands full overseeing ern characteristics, too. The residents are people you banquet operations and the Oakroom, one of the can relate to, unlike people you sometimes ﬁnd in big nation’s few ﬁve-diamond restaurants run by a team cities, and they’re hospitable. of African-American chefs. Did your appearance on Richards recently competed on the show change the the Food Network’s Iron Chef experience of meeting planAmerica program. Pitted against ners who work with you? Iron Chef Cat Cora, Richards had less than one hour to cook up a Since the battle, more five-course dinner, and each planners say, “You’re the course had to include a secret expert, we trust you. Make ingredient (carrots, in the episode) something my group would that was revealed to the combatlike.” That approach works ants only 30 minutes before the well. cook-off. Richards lost, but he put up a In January 2006, you good ﬁght and brought treats back Todd Richards cooked at the famed to Seelbach from the experience. Executive Chef James Beard House (a culiHe put down his knives to chew Seelbach Hilton nary institution in New York the fat with MeetingNews. that showcases chefs), and Considering the surprise of your menu was called “Modern the secret ingredient, and that it was your Interpretations of Classic American Comfort Food ﬁrst time cooking in Kitchen Stadium [where the and Cocktails.” Do you try to be similarly creative show is taped], how did you prepare? for meetings and banquets? By Rayna Katz planning. They’re my only lifeline to what the client wants, and the more information a customer gives me, the more I can give back. How involved they are really depends on the personality of the meeting planner. Q A Q Q A I always suggest that they ask what is in season, because if we’re buying out-of-season products—which is often what planners ask for—the cost is exorbitant. For example, if a group wants chocolate-dipped strawberries in January, they will cost much more than winterberries. Also, if I were a meeting planner, I would ask if there are other functions in the hotel that my group’s meetings can be tied to [in other words, maybe one entrée can serve both groups instead of having the hotel make two separate dishes]. And, the planner should do some research on product costs and what’s available before just accepting a bill. If someone asked for lobster right now, it’s overﬁshed, so it’s $150 a plate. Q A What are some good questions for meeting planners to ask of their banquet chefs? We practiced. We had some of the staff come up with some secret ingredients, and then we simulated battles. Plus, some of our mentors had been there, so we got information from them, such as the running distance between stations. Q A Prior to the show, you expressed excitement over the fact that Louisville would gain some exposure. What would you like meeting planners to know about the destination? Yes, all the time. For a recent group, we did a When I’m traveling, I eat exotically. I travel to comfort food theme, so our snack menu Vegas a lot for research; when I go there, I eat included items people would remember eating as at the top-tier restaurants to see how we compare. kids but with an adult twist, like trufﬂe potato chips At home, I eat oatmeal every day. I like simple and horseradish kettle corn. food. r Contact Rayna Katz at rayna.katz@nielsen.com Another group coming in is having a Las Vegas theme, so they have requested For Seelbach Hilton, Chef Todd Richards whipped up this lobster dish. old-style Vegas foods; we’ll serve big steaks and charcuterie plates. We can tailor our banquets to what guests want. A Q A What’s your favorite food? No one speaks of Louisville as a culinary destination, but we offer a lot, including diversity. There are several great ethnic restaurants: Chef Anthony Lamas, who owns Jicama, just opened another restaurant, Ceviche, which has some of the best Latin cuisine I’ve ever had, and I travel all over. There’s also Vietnam Kitchen. Louisville is a great melting pot. Also, several celebrity chefs are looking at Louisville. Wolfgang Puck is coming here. 8 MeetingNews January 28, 2008 Q A How active are planners in menu planning, and how active would you like them to be? Not having enough information is a frequent problem, so I love it when meeting planners get involved in menu www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - January 28, 2008

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