Step Up’s Chef Chat, posted each week leading up to Shine & Dine, features discussions with Chicago’s top chefs who will be offering exclusive tastings at the August 7 culinary event benefiting Step Up’s programs that ignite girls to fulfill their potential. Today’s edition highlights Carolina Diaz from Filini Bar and Restaurant and Charles Joly from Crafthouse.
Carolina Diaz
You’re starving — what’s the first thing you reach for? Cookies and milk. Done.
What’s your signature dish? Sedani with red pepper sauce and raw tuna is my signature because the raw tuna is so unexpected with pasta.
When you’re not in the kitchen, what’s your recipe for relaxing? Swimming. It takes a whole week of stress off in an a few hours.
I think the next big trend in food will be…Mediterranean. I think the flavors are starting to influence every cuisine because of the boldness and freshness. A lot more packable To Go food also. Convenience is key.
My first job was…At my mother’s beauty shop when I was in high school. I washed hair, swept the floor, and handled the register.
When I was 15 I was…Traveling. My parents allowed me to take a trip to France and Spain.
My mentor is…Geoff Felsenthal, chef instructor at The Illinois Institute of Art Chicago. Has seen me through all of my tough culinary challenges. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his encouragement.
Something that inspires me is…Family. Even with food, sharing that experience of eating, tasting, drinking and enjoying is always better with family.
Chef Carolina Diaz brings not only her experience as sous chef at Filini Bar & Restaurant (221 N. Columbus Drive), but also a wealth of prior training in a variety of different cuisines, to her role as executive chef of the acclaimed Italian restaurant located inside the award-winning Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago. She completed her culinary training at the Illinois Institute of Art, where she learned the importance of understanding the culture of food and the flavor that is associated with each region of the world. After graduating, Carolina began exploring a wide range of techniques from some of the top chefs around the city. She began her journey with a focus on Asian cuisine and honed her skills at Chef Bill Kim’s highly acclaimed Chicago restaurants Belly Shack, Urbanbelly, and BellyQ. Her interest in exploring different cultures led her to train with Chef Christian Fantoni at Filini when the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago first opened in 2011. Inspired by Chef Fantoni’s novel twist on classic Italian recipes, she has since adopted a similar approach to her cooking style.
Carolina puts authenticity and local sourcing at the forefront of her approach to cooking. “At Filini, I want to serve the best ingredients in their most pure and simple form,” says Carolina. “I look forward to maintaining the classic and simple Italian culinary tradition that is at the core of Filini.” Guests can anticipate seasonally driven, classic Italian fare bursting with the true flavors of Italy.
Charles Joly
You’re starving – what’s the first thing you reach for? My phone to call delivery. I’m never home, so unfortunately there’s not much in my fridge. I love the taquerias that are so ubiquitous around Chicago- you can’t go wrong there.
What’s your signature drink? To drink or to make? Like so many things, this is dependent on my mood or the mood of my guest. There is no “one size fits all.” It is our job to figure it out with the guest.
When you’re not in the bar, what’s your cocktail for relaxing? I love a perfectly made daiquiri or a glass of very old rum on ice.
My first job was…Shoveling snow door to door in the winter and mowing lawns in the summer. If you wanted to spend money, you had to figure a way to get it. We were young entrepreneurs.
When I was 15 I was…Fudging my age in order to get a job as an usher at US Cellular field.
My mentor is…Bridget Albert. She is a fantastic bartender and incredible person. She opened the door for me in our field and is a constant inspiration.
Something that inspires me is…Continuing to spread the word about our industry. Seeing the growth over the past years has been incredible. I feel a responsibility to see its continued expansion and growth through.
Chicago native Charles Joly is a world renowned mixologist. In June of 2014 he beat a field of top bartenders to win the biggest and most celebrated bartending competition in the country, the United States Bartenders Guild World Class competition. As a result, he became the U.S. representative at the world competition. In 2013, Charles was voted American Bartender of the Year at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail event and also won a James Beard award. He has worked as the beverage director for some of the most successful restaurants and cocktail lounges in Chicago and has overseen the opening of seven establishments in three states. But to his many repeat customers, he’s known for having a rock star appearance, refined taste and a mad scientist approach toward creating the perfect drink.
Charles likes to put his unique twist on classic cocktails that are naturally balanced and properly mixed and has been training his palate for more than two decades. His attention to detail is so intense that his recipe keeps in mind how a drink will taste not just after the first sip, but also after it has sat in ice for 10 minutes.
When he’s not creating cocktails behind the bar, Charles can be seen competing in or judging some of the top cocktail competitions in the world. He has achieved multiple honors, including winning the “On The Rocks” reality show on NBC, being selected as the Chicago Tribune Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year and being selected as a James Beard Award winner.
Leave a comment for the chefs below and be sure to purchase your Shine & Dine ticket to join us on August 7!
