B.R. Guest Announces Joel Dennis as Executive Chef of Blue Water Grill Chicago
June 21 2007 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW YORK, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Water Grill Chicago, a
member of the B.R. Guest Restaurant Group, is pleased to announce
the appointment of Joel Dennis as the Executive Chef as of June 25,
2007. After three years working at Chicago's famed Tru as Chef de
Cuisine, Blue Water Grill is proud to have Dennis in the kitchen to
further showcase his talents. Before moving to Chicago, Chef Dennis
spent four years under the tutelage of Alain Ducasse as sous chef.
It is Ducasse whom he credits as the biggest driver in honing his
personal style of focusing on the freshest ingredients and
simplistic touch. Spending time in both Ducasse's New York and
Paris kitchens enabled him to grow his eye for detail and the
beauty of simplicity. "I was immediately impressed with Dennis'
sensibility regarding seafood," says B.R. Guest founder Stephen
Hanson. "With a pedigree and talent like his, he was a perfect fit
to lead our team in the kitchen." Born and raised in Rochester, New
York, Joel spent much of his childhood in the kitchen with his
mother, who shared with him her love of cooking. While attending
college, Dennis majored in English and Business and supported
himself working in various restaurant kitchens. It was through
these stints that Dennis quickly developed a strong interest the
culinary arts. Upon graduating from college, Dennis took the
obvious next step and attended the renowned Culinary Institute of
America. After completing his tenure there, he worked for one year
as a Saucier at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and then moved
on to Charlie Palmer's Aureole where he spent three years as sous
chef. Guests at Blue Water Grill can expect to find his signature
dishes such as Line Caught Halibut with Fresh Morels and Fava Beans
and Day Boat Cod with Chickpea Puree, Chorizo, Tomato and a touch
of fiery Espelette Pepper (from the Basque region of France) on the
menu. Chef Dennis is also an avid supporter of green markets and
sustainable products from local farmers. "Every meal is an
education," says Chef Dennis. "And I look forward to bringing all I
have learned to the table at Blue Water Grill." B.R. Guest
Restaurants Since opening its first restaurant in 1987, B.R Guest
founder Stephen Hanson and his team have redefined the restaurant
experience through an emphasis on hospitality and quality. Current
B.R. Guest properties in New York City include Atlantic Grill, Blue
Fin, Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos Park, Dos Caminos Soho, Dos
Camino Third, Fiamma Osteria, Vento Trattoria, Ruby Foo's Dim Sum
and Sushi Palace, Ruby Foo's Times Square and Level V nightclub.
B.R. Guest locations outside of New York include Fiamma Trattoria
in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and Blue Water Grill and David
Burke's Primehouse in Chicago. In fall 2007, B.R. Guest will open
two additional restaurants: Primehouse in New York City and Dos
Caminos at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Recently, Hanson inked
a deal with hospitality giant Barry Sternlicht which appoints B.R.
Guest as the exclusive restaurateur in Sternlicht's '1' Hotels and
Residences, the first luxury, eco-friendly global hotel brand. In
June, 2007 B.R. Guest took its obligation to the environment one
step further by becoming certified by the Green Restaurant
Association(TM) for its incorporation of sustainable practices
within the restaurants. B.R. Guest's commitment to service and
hospitality is also evident through its dedication of time and
resources to community-based organizations including City Harvest,
Share Our Strength, City-Meals-On-Wheels, Memorial Sloan Kettering,
American Cancer Society, Publicolor, World Wildlife Federation,
PENCIL, Momentum AIDS Project, American Heart Association and The
James Beard Foundation. Executive Chef Joel Dennis Blue Water Grill
Chicago Joel Dennis joins the team at Blue Water Grill as Executive
Chef after three years working as Chef de Cuisine at Chicago's
famed Tru. Dennis' passion and talent in the kitchen will now be
showcased at the helm of another Chicago eatery. Born and raised in
Rochester, New York, Joel spent much of his childhood in the
kitchen with his mother, who shared with him her love of cooking.
While attending college, Dennis majored in English and Business and
supported himself working in various restaurant kitchens. It was
through these stints that Dennis quickly developed a strong
interest in the culinary arts. Upon graduating from college, Dennis
took the obvious next step and attended the renowned Culinary
Institute of America. After completing his tenure at the CIA, he
worked for one year as a Saucier at the Waldorf Astoria in New York
City and then moved on to Aureole where he spent three years as
Sous Chef under the tutelage of Charlie Palmer. Dennis then moved
on and became Sous Chef for Alain Ducasse, whom he credits as the
biggest driver in honing his personal style of focusing on the
freshest ingredients and simplistic touch. Spending time in both
Ducasse's New York and Paris kitchens enabled him to grow his eye
for detail and the beauty of simplicity. Guests at Blue Water Grill
can expect to find his signature dishes such as Line Caught Halibut
with Fresh Morels and Fava Beans and Day Boat Cod with Chickpea
Puree, Chorizo, Tomato and a touch of fiery Espelette Pepper (from
the Basque region of France) on the menu. Chef Dennis is also an
avid supporter of green markets and sustainable products from local
farmers. "Every meal is an education," says Chef Dennis. "And I
look forward to bringing all I have learned to the table at Blue
Water Grill." Press Contact: Cheryl Perl 212.331.0305 DATASOURCE:
B.R. Guest Restaurant Group CONTACT: Cheryl Perl of B.R. Guest
Restaurant Group, +1-212-331-0305,
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