Culinary celebrities not the only stars at NRA show

Celebrity chefs gave cooking demos, authographed their cookbooks and shook a lot of hands at this year's National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. Among them were Paul Prudhomme and John Folse of Louisiana, both kings of Cajun cuisine; Marcus Samuelsson and Rick Bayless, Top Chef Master winners, restaurant owners and authors; and many others. I noted that the line of fans who waited in line to get Bayless' signature in their cookbooks was particularly lengthy.

From the golf world, the legendary Greg Norman was at the show to promote his Greg Norman Signature Wagyu beef, which he showcased at an exclusive dinner at Sixteen restaurant in the Trump Tower under the direction of Frank Brunacci, executive chef and fellow Australian. This luscious beef will be available at several additional restaurants around Chicago.

Representing the city of Chicago was none other than newly installed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who briefly walked a bit of the show floor with a small entourage and shook hands. No doubt the mayor understands the economic importance of keeping this mega-trade show in Chicago for years to come.

NRA Show--so much to see, so little time

This is the 26th year I've attended the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago's McCormick Place. As an industry observer, I have the luxury of being selective about what aspects of this huge trade show to take in, since it's impossible to see it all.

On the first day, for example, I chose just one of the 25 education sessions to attend: Cornell Dean's Leadership Series: Insights from Top Innovators. Panelists discussed a wide range of subjects affecting their businesses. Dan Rosenthal, CEO of Chicago's Rosenthal Restaurant Group, made an impassioned case for sensible immigration reform, which has languished in Congress, and against some of the massive INS sweeps that have struck several restaurant companies. "We need to take action to be sure this problem gets resolved. Make the punishment fit the crime. To rip families apart doesn't fit the crime," he said.

Drew Nieporent of New York's Myriad Restaurant Group and Zachary Bruell of Cleveland's Parallax and other restaurants lamented a decline in the service aspect of many higher-end restaurants today. "The service and the experience is what makes the restaurant," Bruell said.

Asked why so many restaurants fail, Elizabeth Brau, a leading restaurant consultant in Las Vegas, said, "More restaurtants fail because of the economics of the lease than anything else."

Aria's new chef raises bar on New World Asian

Beverly Kim Clark, chef de cuisine at The Fairmont Chicago's Aria restaurant, is raising the bar on an already innovative New World Asian menu. Diners will notice more Korean ingredients from her heritage but may not catch more subtle influences that inspire her creations.

Chef Clark, whose past experience includes work at Takashi and Red Light, says the paintings of local artist Matthew Lew, which grace 60 of the hotel's luxury suites, have helped to inspire some of her cooking. Lew, in turn, gains inspiration from natural and man-made elements of his surroundings and actually incorporated water from Lake Michigan into his acrylics for his varying waterfront views of the Chicago skyline.

"When I look at Matt's paintings, they are colorful, bright and bold; there is a really positive energy that comes out--they are playful and sensual or calm and peaceful," says Clark. "I get inspiration from all artists."

On the colorful and bold side, she recently created a bite-sized vertical composition of crispy pork belly with kimchi puree, black garlic mustard and pineapple, radish and chili relish on a kimchi mung bean pancake topped with a quail egg that was as delicious as it was pretty. Another full-flavored stunner was her hoisin-glazed pulled Denver lamb rib with cumin, fava mint puree and shaved Napa cabbage and fennel slaw.

Clark makes her own kimchi in the restaurant, saying most of her customers know what it is and have acquired a taste for it. She credits her mother for being "an amazing cook and the reason why I'm a chef."

Mom would be proud indeed to see what her daughter is achieving.