The Delmonico Way
Max Tucci

From Scott Warner, President, Culinary Historians of Chicago

I just couldn’t pass it up. When I attended the International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference in New York this past September, one limited-seating event had me signing up immediately: an historic dinner in the board room at Delmonico’s, hosted by third generation partner and global brand officer, Max Tucci.

Max regaled us with the luscious history of what is widely recognized as America’s first fine dining restaurant, that began in 1827 in Manhattan as a small cafe and pastry shop. It was  opened by Italian-Swiss immigrants, the brothers Giovanni and Pietro Delmonico. Ten years later, in 1837, they moved nearby to what is still Delmonico’s present location at 56 Beaver Street — in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district. The rich, powerful  and famous frequented the eatery.

Fast forward 100 years, to 1926, and Italian immigrant Oscar Tucci (Max’s grandfather) buys Delmonico’s, opens a speakeasy in the basement, continues attracting celebrities and world leaders (i.e.,Elvis, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon)  and institutes many of the professional restaurant standards in use today, known as the Delmonico Way. During the height of the Tucci era, Delmonico’s, with its many rooms was considered the largest restaurant in the world. (63,000 sq. ft.) One of the lush private dining rooms included an en suite bedroom — if only the walls could talk!

Delmonico’s is also credited with being the first U.S. restaurant to use white tablecloths, and the creator of Delmonico steak, Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Lobster Newberg and the Wedge Salad.

So do join us as Max Tucci takes us on his personal tour of his beloved Delmonico’s. Max has also captured his family’s legacy in his book, The Delmonico Way. Sublime Entertaining and Legendary Recipes from the Restaurant that Made New York! (Rizzoli).

Recorded via Zoom on November 9, 2023

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The Delmonico Way

My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories
Presented by Joan Nathan

Joan Nathan has been called the Jewish Julia Child, and is considered one of the world’s great authorities on Jewish cuisine. She is the author of twelve books, including the award winning Jewish Cooking in America and King Solomon’s Table.

Come join us as Joan Nathan serves a buffet of tales from her latest and most personal book, My Life in Recipes/ Food Family and Memories. Joan uses recipes to look back at her own family’s history — their arrival in America from Germany; her childhood in postwar New York and Rhode Island; her years in Paris, and Israel, where she worked for Jerusalem’s mayor, Teddy Kollek.

Along the way she earned a graduate degree from Harvard University, married a Washington attorney, had children, wrote for the New York Times, produced and hosted a PBS television series “Jewish Cooking in America”, and ultimately  became “The Matriarch of Jewish Cooking”, according to the Jerusalem Post. So, gather ‘round to hear of a life well-lived, centered around all the foods Joan has come to love and share with the world.

***

Here’s a sampling of Joan’s favorites from My Life in Recipes on our website CulinaryHistorians.org:

Pasta with Almond Pesto, Green Beans, Eggplant, and Cherry Tomatoes
Halibut Gefilte Terrine with Fresh Herbs
Passover Pecan Lemon Torte with Lemon Curd Filling
Rugelach with Raspberry Walnut Filling

Recorded via Zoom on Wednesday, August 14, 2024

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My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories

The Glor﻿y of Chicago-Style BBQ
Dominique Leach

We’ve all heard of the classic BBQ styles from regions like Kansas City, Memphis or Texas. But what about Chicago-style BBQ?

From rib tips to hot links to mild sauce and more, Chicago chef and pitmaster Dominique Leach of the black-women-queer-owned and award-winning restaurant Lexington Betty’s Smokehouse (plus the 2023 winner of the Food Network’s hit show BBQ Brawl), is making it her mission to further define this unique style and put it on the map in 2024.

Join us to hear Dominique discuss the origins of Chicago-style BBQ, its variations, and its future.

Biography: Known as one of the Chicago’s leading BBQ chefs, Dominique Leach is a classically trained chef turned nationally recognized pitmaster. First garnering culinary experience in some of Chicago’s most prestigious kitchens under the direction of such chef icons as Tony Mantuano at Spiaggia, and Sarah Grueneberg at Monteverde, Leach then branched out with her wife Tanisha in 2016 to create her own catering company “Cater to You Events & Drop Offs.”

Inspired by fond childhood memories of her grandmother, Betty King of Lexington, Mississippi, who filled the house with flavorful aromas of home-cooked meals, Dominique then took those aromas and applied techniques to launch a successful food truck, Lexington Betty Smoke House.

Her expertise and soulful food would earn her a spot on The Food Network’s show “Chopped” and as a judge/contestant on Food Network Canada “Fire Masters,” recognition as the “Best Barbecue in Chicago” by Good Morning America, as well as a full brick-and-mortar home for Lexington Betty on Chicago’s South Side.

Chef Leach and her wife’s persistence in a male-dominated industry have helped them to carve out a name for themselves in the culinary world in Chicago and beyond.

Recorded via Zoom on October 30, 2024

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The Glor﻿y of Chicago-Style BBQ, Dominique Leach

Chicago’s Astounding Food Evolution: 1990 ’til Now
Chef Dean Zanella
Founder and instructor, Tutore Italian Cooking School

The past 35 years have seen a sea change in Chicago dining. And who better than to take us on a voyage through this period than a master chef who has sailed through this time?

Come join us as chef Dean Zanella takes us from the local culinary world of 1990 to the present; where fine dining no longer requires white tablecloths; where non-European cuisine has been elevated; where chefs are the main focus of the restaurant; and where chefs work with local farmers. And he’ll dish on the impact of TV’s Food Network on our dining experience. Chef Zanella will also give his take on some of Chicago’s key chef influencers, like Charlie Trotter, Rick Bayless, and more recently, Erik Williams. “They held their standards high and made people expand their palates,” he says.

Bio: Chef Dean Zanella is a founder and instructor at Chicago’s Tutore Italian Cooking School. He has worked at some of Chicago’s finest restaurants, including Charlie Trotter’s and Gordon, in addition to helming such notable eateries as 312 Chicago, and Rhapsody Restaurant at the Chicago Symphony Center. He is a strong supporter of Chicago’s Green City Market.

Recorded via Zoom on December 16, 2024

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Chicago’s Astounding Food Evolution: 1990 ’til Now

The Legacy and Impact of the Farm-to-Table Movement in Chicago
Chef Jason Hammel


Come join us as one of Chicago’s most iconic chefs, Jason Hammel, takes us back to the 1990s, tracing his journey from East Coast outsider to one of the Midwest’s most passionate advocates for hyper-local sourcing. He’ll recount the early days of the farm-to-table movement, the founding of Green City Market, and the rise of restaurants dedicated to local ingredients. Lula Café, his restaurant of 25 years, has grown in parallel step to this movement, and through stories from its early days, he’ll highlight the challenges and resistance that once stood in its way.

But this conversation isn’t just about the past—it’s about the economic and ethical decisions chefs face when choosing where and how to source their ingredients. As Hammel enters his third decade in the industry, he’ll reflect on the movement’s impact: What has changed in the restaurant world and beyond? What progress has been made for local, organic producers? And what does the future hold for Lula, for chefs across the Midwest, and for the next evolution of farm-to-table dining?

BIOGRAPHY: Jason Hammel is the executive chef and owner of Lula Cafe in Chicago, the Logan Square eatery known for its seasonal cuisine. His debut cookbook, The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories, was published by Phaidon in 2024.

Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, Hammel aspired to be a writer, not a chef. After graduating in 1994 with a degree in English, he traveled to Italy, where an accidental stay across the street from Florence’s central market foresaw his career as a chef dedicated to seasonality.

In 2017 the Museum of Contemporary Art named Chef Hammel as executive chef/culinary curator for the museum’s new restaurant, Marisol, Hammel himself was named the Jean Banchet 2019 Chef of the Year, and in 2024 Lula Cafe was awarded for Outstanding Hospitality by the James Beard Foundation. 

Today Hammel splits his time between Lula, Marisol, and the non-profit food education group Pilot Light, which he co-founded in 2010.

jasonhammel@lulacafe.com / instagram

Recorded via Zoom on April 16, 2025

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The Legacy and Impact of the Farm-to-Table Movement in Chicago

Culinary Historians of Chicago studies the history of food and drink in human cultures. Why we procure, prepare and serve the food we do has cultural, sociological, geographical, financial and political influences. We encourage participation from all walks of life: from academics to home cooks, chefs to grill masters, farmers to heirloom gardeners, food scientists to students. Our programs, and those of our sister organization Chicago Foodways Roundtable, are supported by research, fieldwork and scholarship, though geared to an informed popular audience. We welcome everyone to gather at our table to share food, drink and their life’s culinary experiences.

If you would like to contact us, please e-mail us at CulinaryHistorians@gmail.com

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