March 19, 2005 - The Minneapolis Club,
Induction and Awards Dinner
Photos courtesy of Hilary N. Bullock Photography
By Margaret Leto, Vice Chargée de Presse
Awards, inductions & a stellar evening of camaraderie with professional photographers was the start to a festive event at the Minneapolis Club. It’s charm & attractive atmosphere engulfed us for the program, reception & dinner.
Guests arrived to butler passed Taittinger Cuvee Prestige Rose, Brut, and butler passed hors d’oeuvres in the main lounge, a formal living room setting with large fireplaces and an atmosphere quite like home.
After a brief time, we were seated & were presented the panel of judges & competitors for the young chef’s competition, and Matt Weber, from the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, PA, was awarded the winner! A young fellow that composed a sautéed red snapper first course, lamb chop and grilled flank steak with mushroom cognac cream for an entrée, and cinnamon bavarian with berry coulis for dessert, magnificent creations! Congratulations to Matt and to all the contestants who worked so hard in the event!
Many inductions followed, and our Regional Bailli Jill Kummer conducted the ceremony. To our surprise, a well-deserved Silver Star of Excellence was presented to our past Chapter Bailli Dr. Richard Ya Deau. The Silver Star is second only to the gold and it hangs from a red ribbon indicating that the national office awards it. Gold and Silver Metals of Excellence are presented only by the Bailli Delegue (or his representative, Peter Hanowich, in our case) to members in recognition of their outstanding service to the Chaine. It has been an honor having Dr. Ya Deau as our Bailli for 25 years. Thank you Dr. Ya Deau for the many years with the MN Chaine Chapter!
Robert Cornelius, our new Bailli, is sure to have some amazing events for our forthcoming Chapter dinners. With his love for food & wine, we are happy to have him lead us in the future!
Last, but not least, in support of new young Chefs, Chef Rôtisseur William Niemer, from Le Cordon Bleu, received a donation of $5,000 from the Chaine Foundation.
With the start of a whirlwind day, we ended up in the hands of Nathan Wakefield, the Executive Chef at the Minneapolis Club. Our co-hosts, Torsten Arnold, the food & beverage director, and myself, Margaret Leto, the catering manager of the Minneapolis Club lead the way into an amazing dinner. Amidst the array of dark burgundy table clothes & stark white tulips, a staff of white tailed tuxes awaited our presence in the formal main dining room.
The exquisite wine & food paring that evening could not have been a better match. A Sancerre, Pascal Jolivet, 2003, accompanied our foie gras terrine & French served pheasant consommé. The following course, a monkfish “osso buco”, was a unique course to taste, as the loin cut is so rarely seen. Our wine with this course was a Solane Santi, 2002. To cleanse our palette, the Chef combined flavors of cranberry thyme & ginger sorbet, with a pink peppercorn crisp as the garnish.
One of our favorite courses was the tasting of American lamb. It was a unique dish that offered the guests a taste of what our creative Chef Wakefield can do. The braised lamb shank in Stravecchio parmesan tuile was a nice tie of flavors together. A petit garlic roasted lamb loin accompanied it with a lovely brioche bread pudding, in which the Chef created with a flavorful buttermilk bleu cheese from Monroe, Wisconsin. The Le Mistral, Joseph Phelps, 2002 was a highlight, and harmonized with the main course splendidly.
The dessert flavors of grilled spring fruits, and champagne mascarpone sabayon was a perfect ending to a delightful meal. And, of course, we couldn’t end the evening without a slightly effervescent Nivole, Michele Chiarlo, 2003. After an offering of cordials & cigars, a Minneapolis Club tradition, we were lead into the introduction of the talented wait staff & kitchen staff. A brilliant evening had by all!