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Pop-Up "Café Seven" at The Hatchery Was Restaurant-Level Meal
Impact Culinary Training, launched in 2019 by legendary Chicago Chef Rick Bayless, provides learning opportunities to young culinary industry aspirants from Chicago's under-resourced communities. I attended the graduation ceremony for the school's 9th cohort on August 2 and was impressed by the students' enthusiasm and team spirit.
When I received an invitation to attend a pop-up lunch to be prepared by Cohort 10 students on Friday, October 4, I didn't hesitate to say yes. It was a rewarding experience. Under the leadership of Impact Culinary Program Manager Lorraine Nguyen, Culinary Instructor Matt Miller and Culinary Assistant Kelly Dull, the guests were served what I can only describe as a first-class restaurant quality meal.
So first, a shoutout to students Jamaica Baker, Jamaurey Veto Bergman, Julie Humphrey, Lauryn Peacock, Amelia Vargas, Jamal Walker, and Travion Young. Based on that meal, you all are clearly off to a great career start.
Here's what was served at the lunch, held at the makeshift "Café Seven" at Impact Culinary Training's base, The Hatchery food business incubator in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood.
This cucumber-lime-basil agua fresca was so refreshing.
The amuse bouche was this adorable, tiny, flaky buttermilk biscuit served with butter, hot honey and Malden flake salt. Instructor Kelly Dull (a longtime friend) is an incredible baker and her influence was felt on several of the courses.
Salad appetizers rarely get raves, but one of my tablemates — whose sister is one of the current students — described this as the best salad she ever had. It really was excellent, made with baby lettuces, cucumber, cherry tomatoes from Michigan's Piedt Acres farm, Ruby Mac apple from Michigan's Noffke Farms, basil from Impact Culinary's own garden, and apple cider vinagraitte.
This main dish was the plating champion of the meal. The chicken thigh on top was billed as crispy and they weren't lying. It sat atop roasted Kabocha squash from Wisconsin's Geneva Lakes Produce with a shallot-white wine sauce, sage from Impact's garden, and herbs from Chicago's Closed Loop Farm.
The dessert, an acorn squash cheesecake, was as creative as it was delicious. It was made with a Biscoff cookie crust, apple cider caramel, and coffee mousseline with an oat and pepita crumble.
These soft ginger cookies made for a nice final touch.
Since you're probably hungry if you've read this far, the following are links for more information about Impact Culinary Training.
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