Fresh off ‘Chopped’ win, Seattle chef Kaleena Bliss lands at Chicago Athletic Association

When trying to find its new govt chef, the Chicago Athletic Affiliation (12 S. Michigan Ave.) definitely didn’t thoughts wanting afield.

The Loop resort simply employed Kaleena Bliss, who most just lately was the chief chef on the Thompson Seattle. She’ll formally begin March 1.

Together with being an acclaimed chef in Washington, followers of the Meals Community will acknowledge Bliss for her current wins on “Beachside Brawl” and the “Chopped: On line casino Royale” match.

This will probably be an enormous transfer for Bliss, too. Apart from her time attending the Culinary Institute of Arts in Hyde Park, New York, Bliss has referred to as the Pacific Northwest house. That features time in Portland earlier than she moved on to Seattle.

However because of a program from Hyatt, which owns each the Thompson Seattle and the Chicago Athletic Affiliation, she was capable of lend her assist to the Chicago property. “I went for 3 weeks with the complete intention of coming again to Seattle,” Bliss stated. “However I used to be very stunned. I fell in love with it and the workforce. I got here house to my boyfriend and stated, ‘I believe we’re transferring to Chicago.’”

A lot of her focus will probably be on Cindy’s, the resort’s gorgeous rooftop restaurant overlooking Millennium Park. She received’t have any involvement with the opposite eating places within the facility, together with Cherry Circle Room, Drawing Room, Sport Room and Milk Room, that are run by the Land and Sea Dept.

Although she’s nonetheless engaged on the menu, Bliss needs to include her love of the Pacific Northwest. That may embody extra seafood dishes, although she’s additionally wanting ahead to exploring what’s out there regionally. “My mind may be very Washingtonian,” Bliss stated. “I’m used to a forest and a mountain vary. However I’m actually excited to take my cooking model and convey it to a special terrain. I’ll must get to know completely different merchandise which can be native to this area.”

Whereas Bliss is thrilled about her current wins on the Meals Community, she can be proud she was capable of talk about points within the restaurant trade. “I bought to speak overtly and actually about my very own struggles being introduced up within the trade, the place issues like psychological well being weren’t priorities. I had numerous anxiousness and anxiousness,” she stated.

Now that she’s in cost, she needs to create a special environment for her workers. “I need to current a kitchen the place individuals might be profitable,” Bliss stated.

Together with working Cindy’s, Bliss may even be in command of the banquet and occasions program for all the resort. “That’s a part of the explanation I fell for this job,” Bliss stated. “I used to be simply in awe of the historical past of the resort. It saved a lot of the unique artwork and structure.”

However she’s additionally completely satisfied that she will get so as to add some new historical past to the property, which from its opening in 1893 till 1972, didn’t enable ladies members. “It was a males-only athletic membership, however now there are numerous ladies in management positions,” Bliss stated.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com