Patrick Fahy Makes His Mark on Cafe Des Architectes
By Anthony Todd in Food on Sep 28, 2011 7:00PM
A pastry chef shuffle shook the food world (well, shook it a little bit) earlier this year. Meg Galus, whose lollipops we admired at Chicago Gourmet last weekend, left her job at Cafe des Architectes/Sofitel and moved to NoMi Kitchen. Someone had to take her place. When Cafe Des Architectes announced that Patrick Fahy, formerly of Blackbird, was taking the job, it became clear that the restaurant planned to take its pastry kitchen to an entirely new place.
Fahy's desserts are almost mind-blowingly complex - a definite departure from the standard hotel restaurant pastry afterthought. A maplewood ice cream (yes, wood not syrup) was delicately smoky, earthy and unlike anything we've had before. The star dessert, homemade lollipops (are we sensing a trend?) was overshadowed by the side dish, a violet macaroon so entrancing that we demanded seconds.
At one point, Fahy rhapsodized about the importance of the NY674 apple, a special hybrid that doesn't oxidize. It has to be specially sourced from a local orchard. Once he'd left the table and we began eating the dish, we realized it was just a tiny sliver of the dessert. When someone is thinking that hard about a sliver of apple, the results show it.
Cafe des Architectes is launching a new fall menu soon, but many of Fahy's new desserts are already being served. Check out the pictures for dish descriptions and more information.
Cafe des Architectes is located at 20 E. Chestnut Street. And yes, they are still serving the Executive Lunch.