Q&A: Chef Michael Lachowicz on Crowded Kitchens and Reaching Milestones

Michael Lachowicz, chef and owner of Restaurant Michael, talked to Patch editor Sara Fay about his restaurant's five-year anniversary Wednesday.

Sara Fay: So what's the idea behind this anniversary dinner that you've planned for your restaurant?

Michael Lachowicz: Well, the restaurant is celebrating five years on Wednesday and I decided I was going to bring in some guest chefs and they're comprised of old friends and mentors. I wanted to bring these guys in because they're all talented chefs, No. 1, and they're all part of my background and comeuppance as it were.

SF: So like any good anniversary, you want to be surrounded by your friends and family.

ML: Exactly. And my brother, among them, was my partner for almost 7 years at Les Deux Gros in Glen Ellyn and at Le Francais as well. He is going to come in as the guest sommelier for the evening and he has orchestrated all the wine selections for the evening and paired them with my menu.

The menu is going to be extraordinary. (For a list of courses, scroll down to the bottom of the screen.) Everybody is doing their own course, their signature dish. It was booked 24 hours after I announced it.

SF: And how have you celebrated your past anniversaries?

ML: I don't think any of them count until you get to five years, you know, that's great that you made it for a year, but it doesn't mean you're going to make it.

SF: But what about three years and four years?

ML: Three and four years don't mean anything. Listen, I'm divorced and twice disengaged so anniversaries don't mean much until you get to a certain benchmark.

SF: You know this is on the record, right?

ML: Trust me, there's a reason I'm disengaged and divorced, so I think five years at a restaurant is pretty good, especially in the mess we're going through right now with the economy.

SF: I can imagine.

ML: We've been blessed with fantastic clientele up here. Our customers are wonderful and supportive and it's been a wonderful run. I'm open for another great 10 years. I have another 17 years on my lease, so we're not going anywhere.

SF: So that's 17 more anniversaries. Are you going to celebrate them all after this one?

ML: We'll celebrate every five years, in increments. I'm not greedy.

SF: What's the atmosphere going to be like in the kitchen on Wednesday night?

ML: There's going to be of egos floating around here. We've got a lot of chefs working in one kitchen. The top might blow off the whole restaurant, I'm not really sure. It should be interesting. It'll be crowded –we're used to working with five to six people in the kitchen and we're going to have 17 people. But nobody's trying to steal the spotlight. At that point, I'll be glad to sit in the office, I'll just be glad we pulled it off.

SF: Will you make any appearances in the dining room?

ML: We're all going to go out in the dining room because we'll be following our course out the door and going table to table, explaining what's going on. People are paying not just for the food and wine, they're paying to see these guys cook again.

SF: What's your biggest hope for year six now?

ML: Well, the restaurant has been busy for the past six months, busier than it's ever been, so hopefully we'll stay on the same track.

Cooking Wednesday night: Roland Liccioni, chef/consultant and former Le Francais chef/owner; Patrick Chabert, long-time sous chef to Jean Banchet and Liccioni at Le Francais and now caterer; Paul Wildermuth, former executive chef of KDK Restaurant Group (Opera, Red Light, etc.) and now executive chef at Briarwood Country Club, and John Bubula, former chef/owner of Thyme and Timo and now chef/instructor at Kendall College.

Menu

Passed hors d'oeuvres (Michael Lachowicz)

Roasted Eggplant, Couscous, Roasted Red Pepper Tureen with cauliflower cream (Roland Liccioni)

Foie Gras and Truffle Ravioli with Périgord Sauce (Patrick Chabert)

Roasted Filet of Wild Striped Bass over Boulangere potatoes and Pinot Noir Jus (Paul Wildermuth)

Farm Plate Trio of Squab, Quail and Rabbit (Michael Lachowicz)

Warm Apple Sabayon with Gingerbread, Pecorino Cheese and Red Wine Syrup (John Bubula)

Courses will be paired with a vintage champagne, Puligny-Montrachet, DRC Burgundy, and a vintage Port.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length.