Scenes From Our James Beard Pregame Lounge at the Park Hyatt Chicago
On the food world’s biggest night, we helped everyone primp with beard trims, blowouts, and a mountain of caviar

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on May 2, 2017

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.

jbf pregame lounge
A mountain of caviar from Regalis Foods.
jbf pregame lounge
Substance and CasaSmith ViNO from Charles Smith kept the party going all night long.
jbf pregame lounge
Here's the view from the Water Tower Suite at the Park Hyatt Chicago—it'll do.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Sara Kearney, GM of the Park Hyatt Chicago, are all smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Gary 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.
jbf pregame lounge
Marc and Maureen Schulman of Eli's Cheesecake make for the sweetest couple at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Barbuto manager Jen Davidson and chef Jonathan Waxman are a dashing duo.
jbf pregame lounge
The Spotted Pig partner Ken Friedman and Michael Murphy of If Only strike a pose.
jbf pregame lounge
Revelers mingle with drinks and small bites during SAVEUR's JBF Pregame Lounge hosted at the Park Hyatt Chicago.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs gets his beard trimmed by the grooming professionals from Merchant & Rhoades.
jbf pregame lounge
Zachary Golper of Brooklyn's Bien Cuit grins while getting a beard trim from the folks at Chicago men's barbershop Merchant & Rhoades.
jbf pregame lounge
Lilia's Missy Robbins and Sean Feeney pause for a photo with a friend.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests were treated to an array of luxe accessories from VK Nagrani by designer Vivek Nagrani.
jbf pregame lounge
Park Hyatt New York chef Chad Brauze and publicist Lauren Young are bubbly with their glasses of bubbly.
jbf pregame lounge
Hedley and Bennett's Ellen Bennett and Jean Armstrong of Williams-Sonoma squeeze together for a photo.
jbf pregame lounge
Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs, and Sean Feeney are a dapper trio.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Park Hyatt Chicago chef Edward Sura catch up at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Bien Cuit's Zach Golper and Emily Luchetti give their drinks a pause to strike a pose.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Chef's Club International's Dana Cowin are camera-ready at the Park Hyatt Chicago JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Billy Harris and SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs look dapper in their finest suits.
jbf pregame lounge
From 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.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR PR director Stefanie McNamara and The Door's Jesse Gerstein help keep the event running smoothly, and with smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests feasted on this elegant meat and cheese spread at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Aperol and great views make for a intoxicating mix.
jbf pregame lounge
Who doesn't love a good selfie? #JBFPregameLounge
jbf pregame lounge
Hello, mister bartender!
jbf pregame lounge
We loved Campari's festive red hues at the JBF Pregame Lounge hosted with the Park Hyatt Chicago.
jbf pregame lounge
Pastry chef Emily Luchetti gets a blow out from the professionals at Mario Tricoci salon.
jbf pregame lounge
Hannah Hayes, travel editor at Southern Living and Jason Caslow, publicist at Polished Pig, work the camera with cheeky smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Mikaela Reuben, private chef, gets her hair done at the Mario Tricoci blowout station.
jbf pregame lounge
Adam Sachs and Greg Baxtrom of Olmsted come together for a photo at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Look at that grooming mise-en-place.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests walked away with some Wild Turkey bourbon-filled flasks for JBFA revelry.
Culture

Scenes From Our James Beard Pregame Lounge at the Park Hyatt Chicago

On the food world’s biggest night, we helped everyone primp with beard trims, blowouts, and a mountain of caviar

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on May 2, 2017

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.

jbf pregame lounge
A mountain of caviar from Regalis Foods.
jbf pregame lounge
Substance and CasaSmith ViNO from Charles Smith kept the party going all night long.
jbf pregame lounge
Here's the view from the Water Tower Suite at the Park Hyatt Chicago—it'll do.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Sara Kearney, GM of the Park Hyatt Chicago, are all smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Gary 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.
jbf pregame lounge
Marc and Maureen Schulman of Eli's Cheesecake make for the sweetest couple at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Barbuto manager Jen Davidson and chef Jonathan Waxman are a dashing duo.
jbf pregame lounge
The Spotted Pig partner Ken Friedman and Michael Murphy of If Only strike a pose.
jbf pregame lounge
Revelers mingle with drinks and small bites during SAVEUR's JBF Pregame Lounge hosted at the Park Hyatt Chicago.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs gets his beard trimmed by the grooming professionals from Merchant & Rhoades.
jbf pregame lounge
Zachary Golper of Brooklyn's Bien Cuit grins while getting a beard trim from the folks at Chicago men's barbershop Merchant & Rhoades.
jbf pregame lounge
Lilia's Missy Robbins and Sean Feeney pause for a photo with a friend.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests were treated to an array of luxe accessories from VK Nagrani by designer Vivek Nagrani.
jbf pregame lounge
Park Hyatt New York chef Chad Brauze and publicist Lauren Young are bubbly with their glasses of bubbly.
jbf pregame lounge
Hedley and Bennett's Ellen Bennett and Jean Armstrong of Williams-Sonoma squeeze together for a photo.
jbf pregame lounge
Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs, and Sean Feeney are a dapper trio.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Park Hyatt Chicago chef Edward Sura catch up at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Bien Cuit's Zach Golper and Emily Luchetti give their drinks a pause to strike a pose.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs and Chef's Club International's Dana Cowin are camera-ready at the Park Hyatt Chicago JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Billy Harris and SAVEUR Editor-in-Chief Adam Sachs look dapper in their finest suits.
jbf pregame lounge
From 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.
jbf pregame lounge
SAVEUR PR director Stefanie McNamara and The Door's Jesse Gerstein help keep the event running smoothly, and with smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests feasted on this elegant meat and cheese spread at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Aperol and great views make for a intoxicating mix.
jbf pregame lounge
Who doesn't love a good selfie? #JBFPregameLounge
jbf pregame lounge
Hello, mister bartender!
jbf pregame lounge
We loved Campari's festive red hues at the JBF Pregame Lounge hosted with the Park Hyatt Chicago.
jbf pregame lounge
Pastry chef Emily Luchetti gets a blow out from the professionals at Mario Tricoci salon.
jbf pregame lounge
Hannah Hayes, travel editor at Southern Living and Jason Caslow, publicist at Polished Pig, work the camera with cheeky smiles.
jbf pregame lounge
Mikaela Reuben, private chef, gets her hair done at the Mario Tricoci blowout station.
jbf pregame lounge
Adam Sachs and Greg Baxtrom of Olmsted come together for a photo at the JBF Pregame Lounge.
jbf pregame lounge
Look at that grooming mise-en-place.
jbf pregame lounge
Guests walked away with some Wild Turkey bourbon-filled flasks for JBFA revelry.

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