Modern German fare meets Classic Chicago cuisine at Sky-High Epicurean Events in Munich and Chicago

March 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Chicago, Ill. -- The culinary team from The Signature Room at the 95th, a destination recognized by many as an iconic dining experience in Chicago, turns their sights to one of the top restaurants in Munich for their first international chef exchange event in April 2011.

The Gourmet Towers of the World Series will include a culinary and culture exchange that begins with The Signature Room’s team traveling from the top of the John Hancock Building to Munich, Germany, where Executive Chef Patrick Sheerin will share the kitchen and collaborate with Michelin-starred Chef Otto Koch in his establishment atop the Olympic Tower, Restaurant 181.  

Chef Koch explains that his philosophy keeps him inspired to uncover a new dish or restaurant location, as he simply states, “I am content because I am never satisfied.”

Chef Koch gained acclaim as the previous owner and chef of Le Gourmet in Munich, which earned one Michelin star, and a more casual Restaurant Schwarzwalder located downstairs from Le Gourmet.  The Bavarian-born chef and author is renowned for combining German know-how with a solid knowledge of French cooking technique that has earned rave reviews from guests and critics alike.  Prior to owning Restaurant 181, he owned KochArt, another Michelin-starred dining establishment in the seasonal Robinson Club Alpenrose, Lech am Arlberg, in Austria.

Since 2003, Executive Chef Sheerin has led the development of gourmet menus for The Signature Room at the 95th, its special events, and the monthly Signature Menu which benefits a different non-profit each month.  He infuses the menu with locally grown ingredients, and he has become well recognized for his culinary talents and fervent support of sustainable growers and local farms.

Sheerin is a graduate of French Culinary Institute of New York and has worked in some of Chicago's most renowned dining rooms, including Crofton on Wells, Toque, the Everest Room, NAHA, and The Four Seasons Chicago.  Sheerin is an avid supporter of the city’s charitable dining events, and may be most recognized for his bacon-infused dishes.  In 2010, he proudly took home the coveted Rascher 2010 award at the sold-out BaconFest Chicago for most interesting use of the ingredient.

In each city, the chefs will collaborate on a gourmet, multi-course menu paired with wines from the visiting country for a gala evening, with the first event scheduled in Munich, Germany. Later in the month, Chef Koch travels to Chicago to join culinary forces with Chef Sheerin to create a six-course gourmet dining event.

Event Schedule:
Munich: Restaurant 181
Wednesday, April 13 from 7 p.m. for 175 euro per person (USD $227)
Olympic Tower
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 7
80809 München

Chicago: The Signature Room at the 95th
Wednesday, April 27 from 6 p.m.
$150 per person
875 N. Michigan Ave.

The exchange has been created to offer an opportunity for the culinary teams to learn about one another's cooking traditions and culture.  In addition to the valuable collaboration on a singular dining event, during each visiting chef’s exchange, the hometown team will provide tours of local farmer’s markets, breweries and specialty food shops, treating each to some of the finest and most famous food and wine destinations and a unique introduction to the home cultures along the way.

For Munich, a seven-course Gala Dinner is scheduled on Wednesday, April 13th beginning at 7 p.m. in Restaurant 181.  Tickets are all-inclusive and include the gourmet menu, wines, other beverages, plus a lift ticket to the top of Olympic Tower and musical entertainment for 175 euro per person, or $227 USD.  To make reservations, visit www.restaurant181.com .

For Chicago's event on Wednesday, April 27th, the multi-course gourmet dining event includes wine pairings and live musical entertainment on Wednesday, April 27. The event begins at 6 p.m. and costs $150 per person.  Reservations may be secured by calling 312-280-0472 or booking online at www.signatureroom.com.