Like with any good meal, we saved the best for last. And we’re talking about the revamped legendaryPump Room restaurant from Jean-Georges Vongerichten inside Ian Schrager’s new hotel, Public Chicago.

Ok, now that we’ve got that loaded introduction (Pump Room! Vongerichten! Schrager!) out of the way, onto the good stuff. Oh but first, to be fair, while JGV designed the menu concept, the chef hard at work in the restaurant is chef Bradford Phillips, an Indiana native whose resume includes NoMI at The Park Hyatt Chicago. Now, onto the food!

So we actually took a seat in the hotel’s Library Bar on the other side of the lobby hoping to sip a drink and eat some food away from the Pump Room scene. (It was opening night so there was lots of backslapping going on and PYTs clogging up the bar.) But a hostess told us that while they would usually serve food in the bar area, that was not happening tonight. There were, however, some cancellations for dinner and she could seat us in the Pump Room instead.

Eeeee, we hesitated because we were dining by our lonesome. But faced with the possibility of not having tasted the Pump Room before checking out, we said, F it and followed the hostess to a table along the windows and overlooking the hubub in the middle of the restaurant.

First things first, we requested a cocktail menu. After inquiring about a “lightly alcoholic” drink and getting laughed at–”We don’t do that here in Chicago” the waitress said–we decided on the Chicago Cosmo ($12) made with Effen vodka, fresh lemon/lime juice, cointreau and cranberry. Even though we sipped it slowly and hardly finished it, we still needed a cappuccino at the end of the meal to recover.

But our terrible tolerance aside, once we started skimming the menu, we started to get a little anxious…in a good way. All dishes are made with seasonal ingredients and are locally sourced when possible in a “farm to table” experience that’s all the rage these days. We wondered if it were possible to sample a little bit of everything on the menu.

It was a tough, tough, tough decision but with the aide of our server we settled on the Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad ($11) with crunchy seeds (like pumpkin), sour cream and a citrus vinaigrette to start followed by Seared Scallops ($24) served with some chili foam and a side of Sauteed Corn ($6) with creamy pecorino, jalapenos and lime.

Scallops are always an iffy menu choice, in our opinion, because sometimes they come out too hard or too briny but the Pump Room scallops were cooked perfectly. Nice and soft but a little crisp on top and just the right balance of salt. The chili foam was interesting but tasty and helped spice up (heh) the scallops. It also complimented the side of corn which was heavenly as you can imagine anything sauteed and topped with melted pecorino cheese would be.

Given that we were half in the bin at a table by ourselves, we decided to finish off with dessert because…why not? We ordered the Creme Fraiche Cheesecake ($7) with market raspberries and a side of raspberry sorbet. Oh boy. Tasty gluttony. And that’s when we decided we needed a cappuccino to wake ourselves up. Otherwise, we would have face-planted (with a smile on our faces!) on the table.

So now that we’ve just made love to the food at The Pump Room and are lazily smoking a cigarette at our desks, let’s talk about the design of the new Pump Room. The place is virtually unrecognizable except for the bones of the room. Yabu Pushelberg, a very well-known interior design firm in the boutique hotel industry and the designers of the hotel formerly known as The Waikiki Edition, not only did the 285 guest rooms at the hotel (blending classic and modern design elements with very neutral colors), but they also helped Schrager’s in-house design team led by Anda Andrei along with Kirstin Bailey and Paul Haslhofer in achieving the new look of the Pump Room.

The initial vibe is that of a very well-lit cave as the wall behind the bar of the Pump Room looks exactly like that. But if you’re facing the bar and then turn around, the rest of the Pump Room is laid out and lit up in front of you. “Lit” being the key word here as the ceiling’s old fussy chandeliers have been taken down replaced by provocative light spheres that jut out from all angles. It’s futuristic but not scarily so.

The colors palette, much like the guestrooms, remain very neutral with beiges, grays and dull whites mixing in with the dark wooden tables and chairs. Some tables even have low sofas to sit on!

Clearly the place to be seen while you’re eating is on the main floor at a table but a banquette along the side harks back to the Pump Room’s glory days and the long communal table up front is great for big groups.

Speaking of the Pump Room’s glory days, for the folks who miss how it used to be, there are tons and tons of photos for you to look at. A good batch is clustered at the restaurant’s entrance but if you head downstairs (where the loos are) you’ll find an entire corridor of Pump Room photos as well as the restaurant’s old sign.

When we spotted it, it was lying on the floor between some leather benches. Hopefully, there’s a grander plan for the sign in store. If not, it might be ok. The Pump Room will be creating a new kind of fame now. Also, can you imagine if they named this place The Gold Coast Kitchen? Thank you, people of Chicago, for not letting that happen!

by Juliana | Hotel Chatter

Top Chef to Order

Invite your favorite chef from Top Chef to spice up your next event!  Our chefs are masters at interactive cooking demonstrations and Team Building programs.  Your guests can compete in cooking competitions, assist the chefs as they cook, or simply enjoy an informative and FUN cooking demonstration.  The chefs will give your guests great advice and cooking tips, along with lots of inside scoop from the set of Top Chef.  Brian Malarkey, Casey Thompson, Ilan Hall, Stephanie Izard, Fabio Vivianni, Hosea Rosenberg and Richard Blais are some of our favorite chefs.

• STRETCH YOUR BUDGET by combining dinner, team building and celebrity chefs into one sizzling event.
• ADD EXCITEMENT to your next meeting with high energy, Team Building Cooking Competitions.
• HAVE FUN with FOOD while attendees sharpen their Leadership Skills.
• ENJOY delicious new leisure activities, Food & Wine Tastings and Cooking Demonstrations.

Teamwork, Creativity, Great Food
and an Experience Your Attendees will Never Forget!
Imagine the excitement of bringing in Celebrity Chefs to your next event! Guests will love the challenge of creating the perfect dish and have a great time doing it.

The payoff is a fabulous meal and a once in a lifetime experience of cooking with their favorite Chefs. Let our Top Chefs To Order team bring their culinary experience and celebrity excitement directly to YOU!

Team Building and Leadership Events

The Melting Pot – Team Building for all Generations
A little healthy competition in the kitchen, guided by a celebrity Top Chef is a fun and energetic way for your staff to be creative together. Dinner is prepared by multiple teams as they compete against each other, and the clock. You will be amazed at how quickly the barriers disappear and how lasting this experience is amongst all of your guests.

Step Up to the Plate – Quick Fire Challenge
Team dynamics and quick decision making skills all play a role in this event. Original dishes will be created, critiqued and served to the entire group. The judging will be done by your own appointed leaders and the winners will enjoy a special VIP Meet and Greet with the celebrity Top Chefs. This can be a great unifying experience for all levels within your organization.

Thinking Outside of the Bag – Leadership Training
Problem solving, hands-on management and delegating skills will be the focus of our Leadership challenge. You have only one bag of groceries from which to create a two-course meal while competing against your colleagues. This program is a fast paced, creative way to demonstrate the value of thinking outside the bag.

“Top Chefs To Order” Programs

Cooking Classes & Demonstrations:
Choose from a variety of themed cooking classes or request your own. Here are some of our favorites: Ready, Set, Grill; Deep Sea Dishes; Garlic Gone Wild; Say Cheese.

Wine and Food Pairing Techniques:
Learn the best compliments for every meal course from a celebrity Top Chef and certified sommelier. You can even pick the theme – Italian, Pacific Rim, French, just to name a few.

Iron Chef Competition:
Enjoy a relaxing dinner while you watch celebrity Top Chefs compete using this unique One Secret Ingredient format.

Sous Chef for a Night:
Reward your top performers with the opportunity to become a Sous Chef to the Top Chefs during the Iron Chef Competition or a Cooking class.

“Take a Chef Home” Prize Packages:
Acknowledge that special achievement by having a celebrity Top Chef prepare the meal of their dreams in a private residence, outdoor venue or yacht.

New York City’s fave “neospeakeasy” has become mainstream to the chagrin of some of its regulars. Besides the amazing drink menu created by Jim Meehan, Please Don’t Tell’s greatest asset is its “secret” entrance inside the hot dog joint Crif Dogs on St. Mark’s Pl. The phone booth entry not only makes patrons feel like they are experiencing something special, it has also filtered out those who weren’t in the know.

Mixologist Jim Meehan has been well known to drink connoisseurs for some time but now he’s bringing his talent, and his secret bar, to the forefront. Jim was recently featured on the Travel Channel and last week he made a high profile appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. On the show, Jim spilled all of his secrets, like how to make one of his signature drinks, a Tequila Highball, and where to find his hidden bar.

But all of this publicity has some wishing PDT would stay a secret. One Twitterer recently exclaimed, “Now that @PDTNYC & Jim Meehan have been on Travel Channel and Jimmy Fallon, it should be really awesome to sit next to tourists at the bar!” While another patron pointed out the fact that speakeasies are suppose to be kept on the DL. “What point is it having a “secret” bar that everyone knows about??? They shouldn’t be listed in places like City Search, and they shouldn’t have a website or any other kind of advertising either. It should be simply word of mouth. They didn’t have the internet back in the prohibition years you know!”

If you’re one of those annoying tourists who wants to check out a real, big city speakeasy, make sure you make reservations and call early.  PDT’s 45 seats are usually booked by 4 pm. The only thing that irritates locals more than tourists, are tourists without reservations

-Jaunted

Etiquette Tips

Hotel teas look so inviting, with refined guests sipping chamomile and nibbling on delicate finger sandwiches. But if you’re worried that people will gasp you if don’t point your pinky the right way while holding a tea cup, don’t fret.

We recently went to the Four Seasons Chicago to glean some tea tips so that you won’t look like a teatime newbie, or even worse, an uncouth pig.

1. Dress the part.
Okay, you don’t have to don white gloves to attend high teas, but dress up. We spotted two ladies in jeans, and while no one shot them disapproving looks, they stood out among the skirts, lady pants and suits in the room.

2. Don’t get drunk.
If you choose to get a glass of champagne before your tea, which everyone did in our room except for the jeans-wearing delinquents, try to pad your stomach with some alcohol-soaking food before you arrive. Otherwise, the bubbly will hit your empty stomach quickly and your tipsy party will get a little rowdy and loud, much to the chagrin of the murmuring tea drinkers.

3. Mind your napkin.
If you need to use the bathroom or get up for any reason, the proper protocol is to transfer the napkin from your lap to your seat, not the table. And obvs, don’t use the napkin like a bib. For shame.

4. Eat in order.
You should first eat the savory finger sandwiches, next the scones and then the sweets. There’s no mixing courses.

5. Slice up those scones.
When it’s time to eat those scones, cut them down the middle and use a knife to slather on the Devonshire cream, jam or lemon curd. Do not even think about dipping the mounds of deliciousness into the spreads.

Of course, use common sense when you’re at teatime. Don’t loudly slurp your tea, be sure to chew with your mouth closed and, in case you’re wondering, you don’t need to point your pinky while holding a tea cup.

-hotel chatter

Los angeles | chinese checkers.

Dining is all about the chow; Philippe Chow, that is.

This 5,000-square-foot chinese eatery is decked out in candy red furnishings with bamboo accents. imagine sleek, theatrical flair with room for 175 of your nearest and dearest. start by dipping some satay (chicken, beef, maine lobster, or shrimp) into chow’s famous cream sauce. then, try the glazed and crispy peking duck with house made pancakes. if you’re game for peking turkey, make sure to allow 45 minutes, or call ahead. fish out the sig nine seasons spicy prawns in sweet and sour sauce or, the pan crispy salmon. you won’t get tipsy on the drunken sea bass, but a sinful twist on the martini, the white chocolate bliss (navan vanilla and white godiva liqueur), is another story. dining tete a tete? philippe’s surf and turf (mignon and south african lobster tails) is made for two. an intimate wine cellar seats 14 for private events, but for an everyday kind of taste stop in for the three course lunch special; at $20.10, it’s a tribute to the fast approaching new year. sure, you can order take out, but with obama, clinton, clooney, diddy, lebron, and denzel as loyal clients, you’re not going to want to miss the celeb fest.

8284 melrose avenue. at sweetzer. west hollywood. 323.951.1100. www.philippechow.com
-julib