Graham Elliot and Jacquy Pfeiffer to be inducted in Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame September 19

Chef Graham Elliot

Chefs Graham Elliot and Jacquy Pfeiffer will be inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame at its 7^th annual event tomorrow (Wednesday, September 19) at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Executive chef host is Mario Cordia, CEC.

Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with a reception, followed by an awards presentation at 7 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.  Individual tickets are $120 per person.

For tickets, visit: Brown Paper Tickets.

Elliot and Pfeiffer join an illustrious list of past inductees including Charlie Trotter, Art Smith, Rick Bayless, Jimmy Bannos, Carrie Nahabedian and Pricila Satkoff.

Graham Elliot, 2012 Chef of the Year

Elliot began his career by working at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, a five diamond/five-star property in Dallas, Texas. This was followed by a move to Chicago where Elliot had the opportunity to work at the famed restaurant Charlie Trotters for the next three years, as well as work alongside Chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand as the Chef de Cuisine of Tru.

A stint at The Jackson House Inn & Restaurant in Woodstock, Vermont earned him a spot as one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs of 2004.

This opened the door for Elliot to return to Chicago to become Chef de Cuisine of Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel. Under Elliot, Avenues earned a four-star rating from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Magazine as well as a AAA Five Diamond Award.  He became the nation’s youngest four-star chef and earned three James Beard award nominations.

In 2007, Elliot faced off against Iron Chef Bobby Flay on the TV show Iron Chef America, with the secret ingredient of chocolate. Elliot put up a good fight but lost to Flay by a total score of 49-47. He appeared on "The Today Show."

In May 2008, Bowles opened his first restaurant, Graham Elliot, in Chicago, a "bistronomic" restaurant combining four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility, to another round of wide critical acclaim.

In 2009, he appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters. In the show, he cooked for The Heart and Stroke Foundation due to his nephew needing a heart transplant.

In 2010, Elliot became a judge on the U.S. version of the reality show MasterChef, along with Chef Gordon Ramsay and winemaker/restaurateur Joe Bastianich.

Elliot opened his third restaurant Graham Elliot Bistro on Randolph St. in Chicago this past June.

Elliot was born in Seattle, Washington, as a self-described "Navy brat”. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and started out in the food business as a dishwasher and bus boy for two years. He attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University.

Pastry Chef of the Year, Jacquy Pfeiffer

Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer

“A lifetime is not long enough to learn pastry. One always needs to keep working on mastering this ever changing craft. That’s what makes pastry so fascinating – it’s a never-ending story.”

Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer's exceptional career began with an apprenticeship in Alsace at the famous Jean Clauss Pâtisserie. Following his apprenticeship in Strasbourg, Pfeiffer went on to establish himself as a leading figure in the art of pastry working with some world-renowned families and establishments.

Some of these include the Royal Family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the Sultan of Brunei; the Hyatt Regency, Hong Kong; a prestigious pastry shop in Palo Alto, California; and both the Fairmont and Sheraton hotels in Chicago, Illinois.

These experiences led Chef Pfeiffer to teach and consult in numerous of the most prominent properties and companies worldwide, such as the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas, and the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

In 1995, Jacquy Pfeiffer along with Sébastien Canonne, founded The French Pastry School where their team is devoted to imparting excellence. Today, The French Pastry School is considered one of the leading pastry institutions in the world. Jacquy Pfeiffer is presently the Academic Dean for Student Affairs.

He has earned a number of awards. For additional information visit the Chicago Culinary Museum website.

About Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame

The mission of the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame is to promote and celebrate Chicago as a Culinary Mecca. Through hard work and dedication to this endeavor, the organization takes a leadership role with the entire industry to create a culinary environment that fosters education, awareness, and growth to our industry.

CCMCHF’s goal is to preserve the past, and develop the future of the culinary achievements in the great City of Chicago and America. The Chicago Culinary Museum will house a interactive learning center for children, culinary artifacts, library and will provide a common place for the Hospitality Industry.