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| Chef's Showcase |
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| Food for Thought
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Chef Lamb appreciates the power of a good attitude.
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Chef/partner: Dale A. Lamb
Restaurant: Le Chantecler
Location: Niwot, CO, 50 miles north of Denver
Web Site: www.lechantecler.biz
Concept: Ingredient-driven cuisine with global influences in a casual, intimate setting
Partner: Elizabeth Darling
Right-hand chefs: Samir Aniba, sous chef, and Charles James
Menu highlights: Lobster ravioli with light saffron sauce, $10; five-spice foie gras with mango papaya salsa, vanilla French toast, $15; buffalo carpaccio, herb-infused olive oil, fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, sea salt, $11; filet Hennessy, charbroiled with cognac cream sauce and green peppercorns, $26; barbecue sea scallops, charbroiled with lobster oil, with black rice, $18
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| What role can a restaurant play in its surrounding community? – Questions & Answers
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Why is Niwot such an ideal location for Le Chantecler?
Niwot is a historic area based on the Native American ancestral community. There are a few other smaller foodservice venues, such as a pub, a breakfast cafe, a new bed-and-breakfast and a deli, but we’re really the only high-end restaurant for miles. And we’re set in the main intersection right downtown.
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What are the benefits of such visibility?
Our corner tends to be the hub of community activity. Generally, the town is pretty quiet. We've discovered that when we do organize a big event, the turnout is terrific because everyone who lives here likes to get out and have a good time. It’s sort of like "if you build it, they will come."
Last year, for example, we helped with a few local art fairs and put on a "Lobster Bash" that drew 1,600 people. For $20 everyone got a whole lobster, while other local merchants set up booths for food and entertainment. It was so successful that we're going to try to do it again this year and maybe even add a luau to the calendar.
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Do Le Chantecler guests tend to be repeat customers?
Yes, in fact, they do, in part I think because we're careful to provide value-priced upscale meals, and we've got no other comparable competition locally.
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How does the menu strategy help cultivate a loyal clientele?
We make sure we deliver an upscale presentation of high-quality food for a reasonable price. Our ambition as restaurant owners is not to become rich, but to draw good salaries, pay our employees fairly and give our guests what they want: a hearty meal in a comfortable dining room.
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How does that play out in day-to-day operations?
I realized that in order to make a restaurant really work, I have to give up some control. So I depend on my sous chef and cooks to help develop menu ideas. The result is that in our kitchen everybody participates in what goes on the plate. My goal is not to stifle, but to encourage new ideas. And many times their specials become regular menu items. That helps keep the whole kitchen crew happy and motivated, while providing guests with a variety of offerings.
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Do you ever do private meetings and tastings?
Absolutely. I’m always available, especially if someone wants to venture off the menu or plan some more elaborate themed event. Some guests even bring in ideas they’ve seen in books or magazines, and we work to duplicate that.
But for the most part, guests tend to stick to the menu. It’s large and comprehensive, with a little bit of something to please everyone.
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How do you and your staff prepare for events?
The whole crew meets weekly to go over all the parties and make sure the front-of-the- house and back-of-the-house know the latest details. Then we plan the best way logistically to work the whole day. We operate from the perspective that the client always comes first, so these meetings ensure that we can achieve that goal.
As for the kitchen, we generally work a day or two ahead, prepping food for the next day while we’re finishing and serving the reservations on the current day.
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What do you look for when you hire a chef?
I look for maturity, discipline and — most important — a good attitude. If someone loves to cook, then there's a 98-percent chance that he or she will be great at it. That's something you can spot right away by how a cook treats food.
I'm also fastidious about labeling and storage, and I expect my kitchen staff to do the same. You can burn something, and that can be fixed. But if food isn't fresh or wholesome, then you're done. I never worry because I know that whoever eats here never will have a problem.
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The name Le Chantecler implies a strong French influence, but the menu is more expansive. Was that a natural evolution?
French food is a great foundation for our concept. We use many of the principles and techniques for the basis of our stocks, sauces and preparations. But, really, demi-glace and classic reductions can get old after a while. It's not the sort of food our customers would want to eat every day.
So I try to let my chefs explore a bit and be more creative out of the French boundaries. Certain things just won't fly. I believe the dishes should make culinary sense, but for the most part we're willing to go anywhere – Germany, South America, the regional United States and Asia.
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How do you and your crew get new ideas and research new dishes?
I never claimed to know everything. So, when I incorporate other people into the process, it expands everyone's mind. I use the Internet to research what other chefs are doing. And then I spend a lot of time getting familiar with food products. I'll even go walk around at a place like Whole Foods just to see what's new and available. If you're around new ingredients, pretty soon you can start figuring out what to do with them.
For example, I always make my suppliers tell me all they can about the products they sell. The more I can learn the better. I want to know what other chefs are doing with the ingredients; I want to know information about how the food was produced and where it came from. That not only helps to inspire ideas but also ensures that the ingredients drive the dishes.
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Is that why you add the "Food for Thought" section to the menu – a little glossary of terms that help educate customers?
We want to make sure that the customers are comfortable. We worry that they won't order something if it's unfamiliar, so in that way "Food for Thought" helps persuade them to order an item.
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What can guests hope to see from Le Chantecler in the future?
We're excited to be expanding soon. The restaurant will be adding 60 seats and some outside dining space to accommodate more diners and small intimate events like weddings and meetings. And we're getting involved with a grocery store downtown called the Niwot Market, helping it make some special prepared items. There's even the possibility that the kitchen will be used as a "commissary."
I feel so fortunate to be a restaurant owner here in this little community, out of the rat race and able to make a meaningful contribution.
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