An Affair to Remember

This weekend, I attended the ACF Central Regional Convention at the Motor City Casino. Our local chapter, the MCCA, shared hosting duties with the brilliantly talented staff of Motor City, the Detroit Athletic CLub, and Coach Insignia.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Academy Dinner - an event celebrating the American Academy of Chefs, on Sunday evening at the DAC. As its name implies, the Academy is a very prestigious group of notable chefs, who have achieved a level of professional excellence admired by many.

While at the Academy dinner, I was in awe of the collective talent and technical skill of each and every attendee. A black-tie event, each Academy member was handsomely dressed, but also adorned with medals, dazzling indicators of their culinary feats. Many mentors and friends are members of the Academy and I, a young granola-making "grasshopper" was humbled by the experience.

Chef Kevin Brennan, Executive Chef of the DAC, as well as an Academy member, prepared the best meal I've eaten in 5 years. Each course was expertly prepared, flawlessly served by attentive and warm, though professional, waitstaff. 

As I glanced around the room, I was incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have such wonderful mentors and friends, men who have set the bar for the culinary industry incredibly high, and invested in helping their proteges reach the gold standard.

Another professional friend wrote a fabulous feature about the AAC dinner. Check out what Sylvia Rector gleaned from Kevin Brennan, in her article in the Detroit Free Press. http://www.freep.com/article/20120408/COL20/204080336/DAC-chef-has-tough-audience-135-culinary-society-members
 Bravo, Sylvia, and many thanks for your enthusiastic support of our chapter and our chefs!