At the Chef's Table

Host Alex Boylan takes us to the sophisticated and cutting edge city of Miami, Florida. The restaurant Azul is Miami’s first AAA Five Diamond award winner. Alex cruises on a yacht through the waters surrounding Miami and we end up at the Miami Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where Azul is located. Alex introduces us to the young chef of Azul, Michelle Bernstein. Michelle has established an international reputation for blending the Latin flavors of her childhood, with Asian, New Caribbean and Classic French influences. Michelle takes us along as she chooses the local ingredients for her chef’s table, and then we step into the kitchen as Chef Bernstein gives Alex a few cooking lessons. It’s a culinary excursion to the international city of Miami.

We venture to Coral Gables, one of the classiest suburbs of Miami, Florida. The Old World surroundings hide a culinary hotspot that blends together an array of cultures. Chef Norman Van Aken, a prestigious James Beard award winner, is known for creating New World cuisine in his restaurant Norman’s. Host, Alex Boylan brings us to Norman’s restaurant, which recreates the feel of a world traveled sea captain’s home. Norman and Alex take us along as they gather food ingredients from Little Havana’s markets. Alex lends a hand to Chef Norman as they set the stage for culinary theatre played out at this unique chef’s table.

We travel to Amelia Island located off the northeast coast of Florida known for harvesting some of the best shrimp in the world! Alex meets up with Chef Scott Crawford of the AAA Five Diamond restaurant The Grill Room, located inside the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Resort. Chef Crawford shares his knowledge of heirloom vegetables, Alex heads out on a shrimp boat for the freshest catch, and then he heads into the kitchen to learn a few culinary tips from Chef Scott in preparation for a unique and flavorful dining experience at this chef’s table.

We travel to Chicago, Illinois, is a city known for skyscrapers and for having some of the best dining in America. The Peninsula Chicago is where opulent hotel living and gourmet dining come together for a one-of-a-kind experience. The Avenues is located on the fifth floor of this lavish hotel and the gourmet dishes served here are the work of Chef David Hayden. We join host, Alex Boylan, and Chef Hayden as they search the city for the hidden purveyors of the world’s finest ingredients. Then we step into the kitchen to watch as they combine these ingredients into a “symphony” of tastes for their guests located at the elegant marble counter inside the chef’s kitchen.

We look at Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, an architectural masterpiece that dazzles locals and tourists alike. However located inside this spectacular building is the Café des Architectes where executive chef Frederic Castan injects the soul of Southern France into his dishes. The restaurant uses its décor to bring Paris, France, to the people of Chicago. Chef Castan uses his talents to combine the flavors of France with an Asian twist and Southwestern influences. Join us as host, Alex Boylan and Chef Castan search the city for the finest and freshest ingredients to create a distinctive flavor for tonight’s guests at the chef’s table.

We go to Michigan Avenue which is located in the heart of Chicago and known for some of the best shopping around. However the people of Chicago are as proud of their food as they are of their shopping and TRU is no exception. This restaurant is a fine dining shrine offering progressive French cuisine that entices the taste buds and creates a dining experience unlike any other. With a collection of artwork surrounding the diners, a meal at this restaurant is no everyday affair. Head Chef Rick Tramonto has created the persona and presentation of a mad scientist with a dash of magician thrown into the mix. We follow host, Alex Boylan, Chef Tramonto and pastry chef Gale Gand as they create dishes and desserts with unlimited imagination and taste for tonight’s diners at the chef’s table.

We travel to California’s first and third oldest city, San Jose, provides the perfect backdrop for the creation of foods that pull inspiration from many cultures. The city is known as the capital of Silicon Valley and offers not only museums and great weather, but its many forms of art including the culinary arts. Chef Emile Mooser takes the foundations of cooking that he was first taught and has applied these ideas in a whole new way. Chef Mooser has an international reputation for his new ideas about French cuisine with a pinch of his Swiss heritage thrown in. Follow host, Alex Boylan as he helps Chef Mosser craft a delightful array of dishes for tonight’s diners at the chef’s table.

We visit San Francisco a city notorious for its progressive views and ideas and with its breathtaking views and backdrops, people from all over the world come not only for the city, but the experience. One Market is a restaurant unlike any other in the area. It boasts a rebel chef that has created a new view of American cuisine that keeps everyone coming back for more. Chef Adrian Hoffman takes host, Alex Boylan along for the ride as he picks the ingredients and then creates the meal for tonight’s lucky diners. They will be joining him in the kitchen at the chef’s table for a meal that has no comparison.

We visit Sonoma, California, an area which is synonymous with beautiful countryside, vineyards and some of the best wine in the world. The valley provides succulent produce and sumptuous products that are used to create culinary masterpieces. One of Sonoma’s finest restaurants, Santé, is known for the enticing combinations of food and area wine that dazzle even the most discerning food connoisseur. Host, Alex Boylan joins Chef Rod Williams as they choose the finest local ingredients for tonight’s dinner at the chef’s table. Join us as Chef Williams and sommelier Eric Henson prepare a feast for the senses.

We visit New York’s Upper East Side an elegant, refined and beautiful place to live. This neighborhood is the most famous and affluent in the city and boasts some of the best apartments around. This reputation also extends to the only restaurant located on the famed Park Avenue, Park Avenue Café. The fare found here is All-American cuisine with an “uptown” flair. Host, Alex Boylan joins Chef Neil Murphy as they search the city for the best local ingredients for tonight’s dinner and Executive Pastry Chef Richard Leach astounds us with his architectural inspired desserts. Watch as these experts create an unforgettable meal for tonight’s chef table.

New York boasts an abundance of one-of-a-kind destinations for visitors and The Waldorf-Astoria is no exception. This hotel has maintained a reputation for being the hotel of presidents, royalty, and celebrities. Watch as we journey inside The Waldorf-Astoria’s kitchen, which encompasses an entire city block. Host, Alex Boylan and Executive Chef John Doherty take us along as they find the best ingredients for tonight’s dinner. This is no ordinary dinner at the hotel’s signature restaurant Oscar’s. Tonight’s guests will join Chef Doherty inside his famed kitchen to watch as he prepares a superb feast for their table.

We visit New York which is known for its wide variety of dining options and none are more distinctive than the Artisanal Cheese Center, a dining experience unlike any other in the country. Located inside a wholesale cheese warehouse this chef’s table prides itself on the enjoyment, education and sale of the world’s finest artisanal cheeses. Here, cheese is aged to perfection and impeccably chosen to complement every course. Host, Alex Boylan and Chef Terrance Brennan venture to one of the city’s many markets to find inspiration and ingredients for tonight’s meal that will highlight the numerous uses of cheese. Guests will also have the opportunity to tour the five state-of-the-art refrigeration caves that create the precise environment needed for each cheese to reach its full potential.

Virginia horse country is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Washington D.C. With the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, The Inn at Little Washington provides a haven for travelers seeking a little country diversion. The Inn provides not only a relaxing atmosphere, but boasts one of the best restaurants in the world. Here Chef Patrick O’Connell delivers a captivating performance for guests at the chef’s table next to a magnificent baronial fireplace and a fresco depicting the five stages of dining. The dinner mood is set when an altar boy, swinging a canister filled with incense, leads the guests into a multi-million dollar kitchen. To top off the evening, Chef O’Connell creates his lavish Seven Deadly Sins dessert. Watch as host, Alex Boylan helps Chef O’Connell to prepare this mouth-watering meal for his guests.

We travel to Washington D.C., the center of American government and one of our most beautiful cities. A mecca for culinary connoisseurs, restaurants located here face a tough audience from all over the world. One restaurant that has withstood the pressure and flourished beneath the gleaming dome of the Capitol building is Teatro Goldoni. Chef Fabrizio Aielli combines Venetian flavor with Southern Italian accents to create dishes that remind guests of the gorgeous scenery found throughout Italy. Host, Alex Boylan joins Chef Aielli as they scour the city for the perfect ingredients to inspire tonight’s diners at the chef’s table.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is known for many things from the famous steps “Rocky” ran up to the U.S. Liberty Bell, but the city of “Brotherly Love” is also known for its food. While Philly cheese steaks are the most famous of foods found in the city, The Rittenhouse Hotel boasts a world renowned restaurant for even the most discerning of palettes. Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix has been dubbed the “godfather of Philadelphia chefs” and lives up to his name with his combination of the freshest ingredients and a dash of French influence. Journey through the city as host, Alex Boylan and Chef Lacroix track down the freshest ingredients for tonight’s culinary experience at the chef’s table.

We meet Randy Evans, the executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston, a New Orleans-themed restaurant in business for thirty years. With an earthy brick façade, and a courtyard with a scenic fountain, this Houston dining spot has some of the best Creole cuisine. And the best part is, every mouthful is fired with an authentic Texas flavor. Literally almost every ingredient in the restaurant is bought locally. Join host Alex Boylan as he dines at the Chef’s Table at Brennan’s for a “Louisiana meets Texas” meal. With baked beets, seasoned quail, and honeycomb straight from the bee farm! This is a meal too sweet to miss!

We visit Tim Keating, the master chef of Quattro, the American-Italian restaurant located at the Four Seasons Hotel and designed stylishly in modern décor. With contemporary paintings, red walls, and sterling steel accents, this iconic eating establishment warmly welcomes all Houston sophisticates and hungry travelers. Chef Keating believes in serving the freshest cuisine possible, often flavoring his cooking with herbs and spices picked from a local urban garden just hours before the meal. And you won’t believe where he gets his quail! Just ask Mr. Barrett, Houston quail farmer of fifty years. He catches and packages the quail “old school”. It’s no wonder that notable guests such as Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major, and The Dixie Chicks have all dined at his Chef’s Table.

We visit Olivette’s Chef’s table where the food is out of this world at Olivette’s Chef’s table, and some of the guests are too! Host Alex Boylan shares the table with former U.S. astronauts, sampling fine Mediterranean cuisine prepared by Chef Jesse Llapitan. Chef Llapitan draws from the bright flavors of France, Spain, Italy, and northern Africa; then blends them with regional American dishes. Join host Alex Boylan and Master Chef Jesse Llapitan in one of the most chilling experiences you’ll have in Houston. From a visit to Olivette’s herb garden, to the ice carving station in Olivette’s kitchen, this is one chef’s table you definitely won’t want to miss. Fasten up for a tingling culinary experience!

We visit Studio, one of the most distinct fine-dining restaurants in California. Resting atop the hills of Laguna Beach, Studio serves fresh, elegant Mediterranean food. As part of the Montage Resort & Spa, Studio’s design blends in with its counterpart. Luxurious and peaceful, Studio is painted in sand and sea tones, accented with leafy plants, and windows that have the best ocean view! If you’re looking for a place to dine, refresh, and relax, Studio is it. Join host Alex Boylan and classically-trained Chef James Boyce as they prepare a colorful Mediterranean dish. Tag along as they visit an art studio for a custom-blown glass serving dish, created right before their eyes! Then later, meet up with “The Mushroom Lady”, one of the Chef’s dear friends; and help them gather local ingredients for an exquisite feast at Chef’s Table. Oh – this will surely be a dinner that will delight your palate!

We meet Alex Schimgeour is one of Hollywood’s most talked about gourmet chefs, serving 5-star dishes to some of our favorite celebrities. Join host Alex Boylan on a mouth-watering journey to “Alex”, a chic fine-dining restaurant located on the ever-so-hip Melrose St. Here you’ll meet Alex Scrimgeour (whom we affectionately call “Chef Alex”), a Scottish-born, European-trained food connoisseur. Accompany him on a trip to upscale food stores purveying fine-dining ingredients, including his secret seafood spot not open to the public. And then, on to his kitchen! Here you will witness the magic of Chef Alex’s true cooking talent, as he prepares a seafood entrée fit for kings, celebrities, and adventurous restaurant-goers. See him personally serve it at his Chef’s Table, known as Table 33. You won’t want to miss what has the stars lining up at the door of Alex’s!