Marion St. Cheese Chef Spends 82 Days Touring European Markets, Kitchens

After 82 days touring European kitchens, markets and culinary culture, executive chef Leonard Hollander was welcomed back to Oak Park this week at his restaurant, Marion Street Cheese Market. 

Guests were treated to various snacks, including three flights of cheese featuring selections from some of Hollander’s favorite places to eat cheese along the trip: France, England and Spain. They also served a popular drink Hollander came across in Spain called tinto de verano, a mix of red wine and orange soda.

“It’s like sangria without all the fruit floating around,” Hollander said. “It was everywhere.” 

During the 82-day stage trip, Hollander and his wife traveled through Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain. He spent time in eight kitchens, and the days he wasn’t there he would spend full days in open markets, grocery stores and other places such as vineyards. While he was gone, cooks Corey Pastor and Nick Stewart took over.

"They were totally instrumental in making this possible for me,” Hollander said.

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Patch: So how was the experience, and how did the trip work? 

LH: It was great to see the creative process. All of the places were so different. I had some connections, a chef I met at a seminar, or some of our fish purveyors from there, and they were so welcoming. Everyone was so open to me coming and staging. They’d say here’s the recipes, write down anything you need, take as many photos as you want.

I was usually paired with a cook or a sous chef for an entire day, someone who spoke better English. It was really great to see such high level kitchens performing in that manner. I’d work 9 a.m. to midnight and still be up at 1 chattering about what I learned. It was constant, full stimulation.

Patch: What did they ask you about?

LH: Everybody asked about Chicago. Everybody wanted to talk about basketball. People asked if I knew Michael Jordan. They asked about the mafia in Chicago, too, especially in Italy. Everyone was really nice, but the Italians a lot of times would say, “Your pasta is no good. This is how you do it.”  

Patch: What was the best place you visited or dish you tried?  

LH: The most unique concept was La Mare Aux Oiseaux in France. Chef Eric Guerin has owned in for 18 years and developed it into 15 high-end rooms where he can have guests stay. The concept is that there’s land, sea and air in every dish. It was the most romantic concept for a restaurant that I’ve ever witnessed. I thought, he’s a man who’s found what he needs to do. He’s home.  

A lot of the markets were just fascinating, too. I was there from 2 a.m. to 2 in the afternoon and it was packed at 2 a.m. There are definitely places I need to go back to. I could have spent all 82 days in France or Italy.  

Patch: What did you take away from the trip?  

LH: Local food is just how you do it there. It’s not a thing, not a trend. It just reinforces that I’m seeking to move forward by moving back in time. The idea of fresh and organic, that’s just the way.  

Patch: How will this inspire what you do here at Marion Street Cheese Market?  

LH: There are definitely some things I’ll incorporate into the menu. One dish was a vitella tonnato, poached veal with a tuna sauce. I think I’ll try that but with bison. For the specials I know I’m going to get into handmade pasta.  I think it also just gives a story to some of the products we already use. I visited the vineyards where our olive oil comes from.  

Patch: You also were blogging about your trip along the way. How was that?  

LH: It was very difficult. You can’t force it. A lot of times we’re worrying about our next destination, sometimes where we’d be sleeping at night. But trains were good for blogging. I’ll still be finishing blog posts now that I’m back.
Follow Chef Hollander's blog for updates, and follow him on Twitter @liv2cook.