Iron Chef

While there can be a downside to dating a chef, for instance, not ever seeing them, there are also perks. One perk, events. That’s right, there are events going on all over the city all the time. Magazine parties, premieres, private parties, art openings, and yes, restaurant events. Many of these events are by invitation only. So you may ask yourself how I might be privy to the occasional event. Clearly, I am not a socialite and as this blog has certainly not reached any sort of fame, yet, it’s a wonder how I may, on special occasions, find myself able to attend an amazing party…for free. Answer: date a chef.

Being slightly connected to some great people can’t just happen by dating any old cook in the kitchen. No, you need to find yourself one that matters, one that runs the show. They’re the ones who build a name. And if you have a name, then you get to meet all the other names out there. And when you date the chef, you’re on his arm when all the names get together.

Case in point, the Iron Chef event. If you’re a fan of the Food Network, you’re probably aware that Iron Chef America has a new Iron Chef, Jose Garces. The Garces Restaurant group may be based in Philadelphia, but Chicago is very lucky to have a restaurant right here in the city with Jose Garces as celebrity Executive Chef. That restaurant also happened to be voted one of the 15 best new restaurants last year in Esquire Magazine. That restaurant is Mercat a la Planxa.

Last Sunday I found myself walking up the steps of the Blackstone hotel in my Bitton pants, red satin heels, with a comp ticket in hand to the Iron Chef premiere party at Mercat a la Planxa. Free wine, free food, and a viewing of the first episode of the show with Garces as Iron Chef. The already beautiful dining room was stunningly transformed into a swanky lounge with bright orange uplighting, tall plants with branches gently cascading down towards the guests, and food stations strategically placed throughout the room, glowing blue, providing samples of the delectable dishes Garces prepared on the show.

There were a lot of amazing and very important people in attendance, people in which I probably should have mustered the courage to put myself out there and meet. But as this whole world is still a little new to me, the confidence has yet to come. Baby steps. While I didn’t make any new connections, I was able to run into a friend, who happened to be one of Jose’s Sous Chefs on the episode, to have a drink with him, catch up, and most importantly, to be standing next to him when the winner was announced. So who won, you ask? Jose of course, would you expect anything different? So being near a friend as he gets to witness the win one more time, to see the smile on his face, to understand what a proud moment that was for him was priceless.

And what about Jose himself? Jose is wonderful, you should meet him sometime. He knows my Chef and we have met before. He’s a talented Chef, a successful businessman, but most importantly, a down to earth, humble, and personable man.

How would I rate this party? Well, I ate some amazing food, talked to some great people, and woke up the next morning with a red wine headache like you wouldn’t believe. All in all, I’d say it was a huge success.

Dinner Party

It happens every time. A friend or a family member invites us over to eat. Something simple, a dinner party maybe, or just a casual get together with a few friends. And then it occurs to them, “Oh no, we’re making dinner for a Chef!” Immediately, the host panics, okay, maybe not a full on panic, but a fear sets in. “What is he going to think of my cooking? He’s going to think it’s horrible.” It doesn’t matter if you’re actually a good cook; you get self-conscious anyway. So maybe you scramble a little, scour your kitchen for extra spices, dig through old cookbooks, throw some parsley on the plate for a little garnish, try to fancy things up a little bit…

I recall a dinner party my friend threw years ago. A few of my friends and I would alternate houses and throw some kind of theme night. Tea parties, wine gatherings, cheese bingeing (I may have to go into more detail on the cheese binge night another time). But this particular night was hot dog night. And I don’t mean some Oscar Meyers and mustard. These were more than just hot dogs, they were HOT DOGS! Big, meaty, juice dripping down your chin when you bite into it kind of hot dogs. And the spread, oh, the spread of vegetables and condiments varying enough that even a Chicagoan would approve of the smorgasbord present that night.

When I very enthusiastically accepted the invitation to that night’s festivities I inquired about bringing along my new chef friend, who I had only known for a couple weeks at that time. My friends, of course, were very open to new guests. But then it sets in, the realization that someone who cooks at one of the best restaurants in the city is coming over, it’s the first time you’re meeting him…and you’re feeding him hot dogs. Then doubt sets in, maybe you should renege on the invitation; invite him on a night when you’ll prepare something a little fancier. But no, it’s too late, he’s accepted. What do you do now? The answer is that you don’t do anything. You sit back, you enjoy the evening because once everyone has arrived you nervously watch as the chef opens his mouth and throws more hot dogs down the hatch than you could ever imagine one person doing. Result: your evening as a host is a great success.

Here’s the secret. You invite people over for dinner, the chef included. The menu for the night is steaks on the grill, veggies dripping in delicious butter sauce, a home made chocolate cake for dessert, and you’re scared he’s going to think its awful. Let me tell you why it’s not. Aside from the fact that a good steak on the grill is pure ecstasy, the reason that he’ll love the meal is because HE DIDN’T COOK IT! He cooks for people all day and yes he enjoys it but you gave him the opportunity to put the knife down, sit back with a beer in one hand and a fork in the other and enjoy that rare occurrence of someone else cooking, which is probably the best night you could give him.

So, now you know; now you can relax. Go ahead, plan those dinner parties, take a deep breath, and stop worrying, because we’ll be there, alcohol in hand, ready to enjoy a home cooked meal.

So you want to date a Chef?

So you want to date a chef? What a thrilling relationship that must be! A man (or woman of course) who can cook, and I mean REALLY cook. Someone that can turn every day ingredients into delectable, irresistible dishes. In fact, your mouth is already watering just thinking about haute cuisine coming right from your very own kitchen. The smells, oh, the sweet, sweet aromas that will emerge from your oven. You’ll never have to cook again.

And let’s not forget the glamour. There is a movement of self-declared foodies popping out of the closet…err…out of the pantry, all around us. People all over are stepping up and taking notice of the world of food, exotic food, artistic food. Going to a restaurant, fine dining or not, was once just the preface to the night; it’s what you did before the movies or the theater; something to fill your stomach while you went out for the main event. But now the restaurant IS the main event. It’s the inspiration for leaving the house, the hub of your social life, it’s the reason you bought that little black dress. So, you think to yourself, “dating a chef will put me in the center of it all. I will be in the very nucleus of the food world as we know it!”

Anthony Bourdain says it perfectly in his book, Kitchen Confidential. “You really, really, really, want to be a chef? If you’ve been working in another line of business, have been accustomed to working eight-to nine-hour days, weekends and evenings off, holidays with the family, regular sex with your significant other…”

This is no joke. This is serious. So you want to date a chef? If you like seeing your significant other at night or on weekends, want to take them home for the holidays, and yes, if you enjoy sex on a regular basis (sorry mom), then maybe dating a chef isn’t for you. Oh, and that whole “he’ll cook me amazing dinners every night” thing? Sorry, but not a chance. It’s not that he doesn’t want to do it, he’s just a little preoccupied with the 300 people coming through his restaurant that night to even think about what just you, yourself is eating at home.

I’ve been with my chef for years now, and everything I just listed above is true. Now, I lucked out given the fact that my particular chef happens to be a pretty awesome person because if he had turned out to be an asshole, this whole dating a chef thing would never have been worth it. But since mine IS worth it, I can tell you from first hand experience that it is not always a walk in the park. I’ve never spent Christmas with my chef. We’ve never been on a real vacation together. The maternal side of my family loves him but only gets to see him about once a year, and my paternal side still has yet to meet him at all.

But don’t get discouraged; if you’re hell bent on dating a chef, it’s not all bad. There are, in fact, some perks. For instance, I have learned more about food in the past years then I ever thought I would. I hear about what’s happening at all the best restaurants, have access to some really great events, and on the rare occasion we have a night free to go out to eat, other restaurants take care of us.

So that’s what this blog is all about, the good, the bad, and the ugly of dating this industry. The disclosure of a lifestyle as I share stories, discover new places, and learn by experience everything this life has to offer. So stay tuned, it could get messy…