At the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY, Executive Chef Todd Richards has his hands full overseeing banquet operations and the Oakroom, one of the nation's few five-diamond restaurants run by a team of African-American chefs.
Richards recently competed on the Food Network's Iron Chef America program. Pitted against Iron Chef Cat Cora, Richards had less than one hour to cook up a five-course dinner, and each course had to include a secret ingredient (carrots, in the episode) that was revealed to the combatants only 30 minutes before the cook-off.
Richards lost, but he put up a good fight and brought treats back to Seelbach from the experience. He put down his knives to chew the fat with
MeetingNews.
Q Considering the surprise of the secret ingredient, and that it was your first time cooking in Kitchen Stadium [where the show is taped], how did you prepare?
A 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 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?
A 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.
Louisville has all of the hospitality and southern charm associated with Kentucky, but it has Midwestern characteristics, too. The residents are people you can relate to, unlike people you sometimes find in big cities, and they're hospitable.
Q Did your appearance on the show change the experience of meeting planners who work with you?
ASince the battle, more planners say, "You're the expert, we trust you. Make something my group would like." That approach works well.
Q In January 2006, you cooked at the famed James Beard House (a culinary institution in New York that showcases chefs), and your menu was called "Modern Interpretations of Classic American Comfort Food and Cocktails." Do you try to be similarly creative for meetings and banquets?
A Yes, all the time. For a recent group, we did a comfort food theme, so our snack menu included items people would remember eating as kids but with an adult twist, like truffle potato chips and horseradish kettle corn.
Another group coming in is having a Las Vegas theme, so they have requested old-style Vegas foods; we'll serve big steaks and charcuterie plates. We can tailor our banquets to what guests want.
Q How active are planners in menu planning, and how active would you like them to be?
A Not having enough information is a frequent problem, so I love it when meeting planners get involved in menu 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 What are some good questions for meeting planners to ask of their banquet chefs?
A I always suggest that they ask what is in season, because if we're buying out-of-season productswhich is often what planners ask forthe 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 What's your favorite food?
A When I'm traveling, I eat exotically. I travel to Vegas a lot for research; when I go there, I eat at the top-tier restaurants to see how we compare.
At home, I eat oatmeal every day. I like simple food.
Contact Rayna Katz at [email protected]Originally published January 28, 2008