Meet 60 Men Who Cook Chef Dave Press

Much thanks to Laura Rush for giving us great insights into some of the celebrity chefs participating in this year’s 60 Men Who Cook fundraiser to be held next Friday, May 11—and also for letting me piggyback on her series to introduce you to The Little Traveler’s Chef Dave.

Each of the 60 local celebrity men in the 60 Men Who Cook event will demonstrate their cooking prowess in one of four categories: hors d’oeuvres, main dishes, side dishes & desserts.  Attendees get to sample the dishes and vote for their favorite.  Proceeds benefit the Geneva History Center, Geneva Lions Club and Rotary Club of Geneva. 

This will be Chef Dave’s first time in the competition and he’s fired up.  He’s been in the restaurant business for twenty-five years, with most of his tenure being spent on the management side of the business. But he’s always had a passion for cooking, and a few years ago he had the opportunity to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago and received his culinary degree.

Since October 2011, Chef Dave has been overseeing The Little Traveler’s Atrium Café, where he gets to combine both his culinary and management skills. Growing up in Chicago’s suburbs of Arlington Heights and Wheaton, and currently living in Lisle, he made many trips out to Geneva with family and friends and is familiar with Geneva’s history as a destination town.

He understands the importance of maintaining the tradition of The Little Traveler and at the same time listens to customers for cues on how to freshen up the café’s offerings.  He must be a great listener because his new wrap sandwiches and salads are quickly becoming the most popular items on the menu!  This summer, Chef Dave is excited to feature dishes made with seasonal produce from local vendors, like Sweet Home Organics in St. Charles.     

You’ll get a literal taste of his creativity and talent at the 60 Men Who Cook event.  He’s entered the side dish category and will be making a Potato Terrine prepared with a French technique.  It promises to be several thin layers of delicious.

The fourth Annual 60 Men Who Cook event takes place on May 11 at Prairie Event Center at Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Rd., St. Charles. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and samplings will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 each, which includes samplings and voting, available at the (8 S. Third St.), (524 W. State St., Suite A),(113 S. Third St.), (328 S. Third St.) and (214 W. State St).

Vote for your favorite chef at the event or if any of them already have your mouth watering, you can vote by making a donation online right now!