Wouldn’t it be nice to hit a salon for a touch-up right before your black tie event? Where they’re ready to pour you a drink and maybe pass a nibble of caviar? Us too, which is why we teamed up with the Park Hyatt Chicago to turn the hotel’s Water Tower Suite into the ultimate green room.
That meant Merchant & Rhoades hot shaves and Mario Tricoci blowouts for chefs, writers, and food world hob knobbers, along with a bar provided by our friends at Campari and Wines from Charles Smith. The dapper team from VK Nagrani fixed up bow ties on tuxes, and Regalis Foods shared a whole mountain of caviar (really). All just the thing to prep attendees for the awards and inevitable after-parties, after-after-parties, and hungover breakfasts.
See scenes from it all in the photos below.
A mountain of caviar from Regalis Foods.Substance and CasaSmith ViNO from Charles Smith kept the party going all night long. Matt Taylor-GrossHere’s the view from the Water Tower Suite at the Park Hyatt Chicago—it’ll do. Matt Taylor-GrossSAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Sara Kearney, GM of the Park Hyatt Chicago, are all smiles. Matt Taylor-GrossGary Metzner, SVP at Sotheby’s, and JP Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Michigan Avenue Magazine, share a couple of spritzes at the JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossMarc and Maureen Schulman of Eli’s Cheesecake make for the sweetest couple at the JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossBarbuto manager Jen Davidson and chef Jonathan Waxman are a dashing duo. Matt Taylor-GrossThe Spotted Pig partner Ken Friedman and Michael Murphy of If Only strike a pose. Matt Taylor-GrossRevelers mingle with drinks and small bites during SAVEUR’s JBF Pregame Lounge hosted at the Park Hyatt Chicago. Matt Taylor-GrossSAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs gets his beard trimmed by the grooming professionals from Merchant & Rhoades. Matt Taylor-GrossZachary Golper of Brooklyn’s Bien Cuit grins while getting a beard trim from the folks at Chicago men’s barbershop Merchant & Rhoades. Matt Taylor-GrossLilia’s Missy Robbins and Sean Feeney pause for a photo with a friend. Matt Taylor-GrossGuests were treated to an array of luxe accessories from VK Nagrani by designer Vivek Nagrani. Matt Taylor-GrossPark Hyatt New York chef Chad Brauze and publicist Lauren Young are bubbly with their glasses of bubbly. Matt Taylor-GrossHedley and Bennett’s Ellen Bennett and Jean Armstrong of Williams-Sonoma squeeze together for a photo. Matt Taylor-GrossJeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs, and Sean Feeney are a dapper trio. Matt Taylor-GrossSAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Park Hyatt Chicago chef Edward Sura catch up at the JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossBien Cuit’s Zach Golper and Emily Luchetti give their drinks a pause to strike a pose. Matt Taylor-GrossSAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Chef’s Club International’s Dana Cowin are camera-ready at the Park Hyatt Chicago JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossBilly Harris and SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs look dapper in their finest suits. Matt Taylor-GrossFrom left to right: Aldo Sohm of Le Bernardin and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, Troy Weissman of Le Coucou, Markus Puereschitz of Park Hyatt New York, entrepreneur Damian Mogavero, and Lynne Bredfeldt, Senior Director of Public Relations for Park Hyatt New York & Chicago, are squad goals. Matt Taylor-GrossSAVEUR PR director Stefanie McNamara and The Door’s Jesse Gerstein help keep the event running smoothly, and with smiles. Matt Taylor-GrossGuests feasted on this elegant meat and cheese spread at the JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossAperol and great views make for a intoxicating mix. Matt Taylor-GrossWho doesn’t love a good selfie? #JBFPregameLounge Matt Taylor-GrossHello, mister bartender! Matt Taylor-GrossWe loved Campari’s festive red hues at the JBF Pregame Lounge hosted with the Park Hyatt Chicago. Matt Taylor-GrossPastry chef Emily Luchetti gets a blow out from the professionals at Mario Tricoci salon. Matt Taylor-GrossHannah Hayes, travel editor at Southern Living and Jason Caslow, publicist at Polished Pig, work the camera with cheeky smiles. Matt Taylor-GrossMikaela Reuben, private chef, gets her hair done at the Mario Tricoci blowout station. Matt Taylor-GrossAdam Sachs and Greg Baxtrom of Olmsted come together for a photo at the JBF Pregame Lounge. Matt Taylor-GrossLook at that grooming mise-en-place. Matt Taylor-GrossGuests walked away with some Wild Turkey bourbon-filled flasks for JBFA revelry. Matt Taylor-Gross
