Hyatt Cooks Up The Good Taste Series Culinary Competition – Eleven chefs from Hyatt hotels compete Iron Chef style for winner to attend global competition.
If you are a fan of Food Network shows Iron Chef or Chopped or Bravo’s Top Chef, you can imagine how nerve-wracking it must be for the chefs competing to win that coveted title. Their culinary knowledge and creativity are all tested in a fast paced environment. To say the kitchen is “hot” is an understatement!
In the spirit of these shows, I was invited for the second time to judge a chef competition for the Hyatt Corporation. In their The Good Taste Series competition, Hyatt chefs compete against their colleagues to win prizes and the opportunity to travel to an international destination for the ultimate in competitive cooking events. Since 2014, Hyatt has recognized their brand’s culinary talent across the Americas region with the expansion this year to their global properties.
The midwest region’s competition was held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. Eleven talented chefs from Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin properties – some brand new to the Hyatt corporation – were charged with using 4 chosen ingredients to create 2 dishes that not only tasted incredible but were beautifully plated. As the judges walked to each chef’s table, we learned about their personal stories behind the dish and a brief picture of their culinary career. Some chefs decorated their tables with hints to the ingredients in the dishes they would serve
and some used items that reflected their culture like from Chef Nikolaos.
There were four ingredients that the chefs were required to use in some fashion in their two dishes:
- Trout
- Duck Breast
- Farro
- Turnips – note how beautifully cleaned and equally sized they are from Chef Kevin from Minnesota
A sampling of the dishes from the chefs:
Now, with the judges’ ballots submitted, it was General Manager, Tim Obert, who announced the winners of the competition.
The winners and their dishes:
Kevin Patton, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis; Tracey Sortman, Hyatt Regency Columbus; Nikolaos Kapernaros, Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chef Kevin:
Chef Tracey:
Chef Nikolaos:
The message that this competition really shares is that innovative recipes and culinary talent abound in Hyatt hotels and their restaurants. Their interest in providing their guests with the most delicious, creative and flavorful dishes is a serious mission within their food and beverage program. Incorporating seasonality, conservation and multi-cultural themes is high on the list of providing the best experience to their diners.
To learn more about the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, read about my stay from my visit in March. If you are attending a trade show at McCormick Place, this is where you want to reside. For reservations and more information, see here.
Congratulations to the 2018 winners!
