David Hammond wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:Chef Foss has left the building.

It was inevitable.

Yes, I think so. I also believe that he as a chef and we as a dining metropolis will be better off for it.

It never felt like a good fit and in many respects, it felt like the antiquated and outdated infrastructure at the hotel was holding him back from reaching his full potential as a chef. I hope that chef Foss ends up at a venue where his skills and enthusiasm can truly be showcased.

=R=

David Hammond wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:Chef Foss has left the building.

It was inevitable.

Personally, although I wish Chef Foss had been able to leave on his own terms, I'm excited to see what he'll be able to do when freed of the constraints of corporate hotel chefdom. He's got some real chops, judging by the dishes of his I've been able to sample at various events where he's participated.

Foss is a great and talented guy, but I was glad that when I ate at Lockwood, I had a Groupon to knock the price back down from jacked-up downtown hotel levels (well, partway down). Having his food minus the Hilton (and its tendency to support union members over excellence) is exciting; having the Hilton minus Foss is not something I am likely to experience. Actually, I suppose we know what that's like, it's on the first page of this thread.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I hope that chef Foss ends up at a venue where his skills and enthusiasm can truly be showcased.

stevez wrote:He's got some real chops, judging by the dishes of his I've been able to sample at various events where he's participated.

I agree, but it appears his next step is a pop up restaurant related to his food truck endeavors. With all due respect to Chef Foss' passion in opening up doors to chefs who'd like to operate out of food trucks, I'd like to see Foss settle in a "real" kitchen somewhere, and not only selling food out of trucks (as good at that will be, no doubt).

to be fair to chef foss, he scheduled and announced the popup restaurant before he got canned.

In case one had any delusion that Lockwood was continuing in a Foss-like course, his talented (and hilarious) chef de cuisine James Toland has left and announced his own venture.

Like Lockwood, it's named for a Ramones song.

Mike G wrote:In case one had any delusion that Lockwood was continuing in a Foss-like course, his talented (and hilarious) chef de cuisine James Toland has left and announced his own venture.

Like Lockwood, it's named for a Ramones song.

Just looking through all of the posts and am longing at the moment to return to cooking refined food... but that'll have to wait at least for now.
Thank you all for your kind comments and even criticisms... except KennyZ's opening one

And for the record, Chef Toland was let go before I had departed. You can still expect to see his restaurant soon.

Catch y'all on another topic!
Phillip

Matthew Wiltzius has been named executive chef at Lockwood Restaurant & Bar in the Palmer House Hilton in the Loop.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141002/BLOGS09/141009960/a-new-executive-chef-for-lockwood