Dinner at Shelley Young's house

Following a 9-hour company retreat slash business strategy session, the team ended the day with a rare dinner experience tonight. We were guests at Shelley Young's private home, the founder of The Chopping Block, a renowned recreational cooking school in Chicago.

It was nothing short of a treat. Literally.

{ Shelley Young's home in Lincoln Square }

The experience of being in a top chef's personal working space and seeing her in action was such a humbling (and uh-MAZ-ing!) experience. Over appetizers of black bean fritters and deviled eggs with shrimp, and a glass of Prosecco and French strawberries in hand, we kicked it back on plush bar stools while Shelley prepped artichokes in her airy kitchen, which was custom-designed and built from ground up with Wood-Mode cabinets and butcher-block and concrete countertops.

Shelley Young is not what I imagined most chefs/cooks to be. She's warm, friendly, relaxed, and anything but Gordon Ramsay. One of the perks of having a private dinner cooked by a chef is that she will answer any of your culinary questions, dumb or otherwise :) 

Her home was reflective in cozy, earthy colors, accented with furniture in an eclectic mix of 70s-inspired and Danish modern.

{ Shelley and her assistant, plating }

Did you know that artichokes are the only food that don't pair well with any type of wine?

{ first course: grilled artichoke with lemon-tarragon aioli }

{ second course: homemade fettuccine in light cream sauce tossed with farm-fresh tomatoes, spring peas, and oven-roasted tomatoes }

Or that hangar steak is considered the most prized cut for its flavor, and is not readily available in the United States?

{ third course: roasted hangar steak with a crisp three-bean salad }

{ dessert: three-layer trifle with vanilla poundcake, cream, blackberry jam, peaches mascerated in bourbon, dried apricots mascerated in cointreau, French strawberries in some other alcohol, and tart plums }

{ my vintage-inspired frock fits right at home with Shelley's couch decor }

{ the team + Shelley Young }