Member's only club and Willis Tower resident, The Metroplitan, has been serving up steakhouse fare and craft cocktails at its restaurant, Craftsman, for 50 years. At the helm of operations for the 50 year celebration is Director of Food and Beverage, Dominique LeBlanc Beers, an industry veteran and female leader in a male-dominated field. We recently chatted tableside about what it's like to lead the historic mainstay into the next half century and how The Metropolitan will be honoring the milestone.
CFM: What does it mean to you to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry?
DLB: In the 20+ years since I have been working professionally in kitchens and restaurants, being a female in the industry isn’t as challenging for people to comprehend these days. Years ago, I would frequently be asked questions like “where is the chef?” while wearing a coat that says Executive Chef, or those who hadn’t met me in person would automatically assume I was a man and address me that way in emails or calls. Ultimately, I find that if you work hard and treat the employees right, they will respect you as a leader whether female or male.
CFM: Your menus at Craftsman rotate seasonally, what are some must haves for current and prospective members to indulge in before the menu changes in the Fall?
DLB: We are currently featuring Latin-inspired selections for the Summer. You will find items like homemade oxtail empanadas, mole chicken and a vegan hearts of palm ceviche. For a cool Summer cocktail, we have a drink called Purple Line Express with Empress Indigo Gin, fig simple syrup, lavender, and sparkling wine. Perfect for a hot Summer day!
The Purple Line Express cocktail
The Mole Verde Mushroom tacos on the Latin-inspired Summer menu
CFM: The Metropolitan is celebrating 50 years in 2024, can you give us some culinary highlights from the past half century?
DLB: Over the past five decades, The Metropolitan has always featured a mixture of classic dishes and modern trends. Lobster Bisque is one of the mainstay staples that has almost always been on the menu and our Members come back for time and time again! One of the first events at the Club was a Bourgogne Wine Dinner featuring three wines, Beef Bourguingnon, Salsify au Beuerre Noisette and Crepes Suzette for only $14! A lot of the highlights over the past half century would include tableside presentations of dishes like dover sole, bananas foster, and steak Diane.
CFM: What is Craftsman and The Metropolitan doing in honor of its 50th anniversary?
DLB: The Metropolitan will be hosting a 50th Anniversary Gala on October 3, where we will honor the past five decades through food, drinks, music and entertainment. Leading up to the Gala, we have been featuring an array of culinary selections that were once offered in the early years of the Club. Currently we are highlighting Oysters Rockefeller, Sole Meunier, and Crème Brulee. The Club also worked with Hillrock Distillery to do a barrel selection and private bottling of their Solera Aged Bourbon.
CFM: Where do you see The Metropolitan in the next 50 years?
DLB: The Metropolitan will remain as one of the preeminent Business & Social Clubs in Chicago. Our longstanding philosophy of building relationships and enriching lives will continue for decades to come as we honor our past while ever-evolving to serve our members and their modern needs.
Lobster Bisque before the tableside pour
Lobster Bisque after the tableside pour
CFM: Tell us about the Frank Lloyd Wright inspiration for Craftsman.
DLB: When the Club was renovated in 2018, the space was re-imagined creating the open space design Frank Lloyd Wright was famous for. Higher ceilings with black exposed steel beams also pay tribute to the exterior of The Willis Tower.
CFM: What is your favorite part about living and working in such a culinary mecca like Chicago?
DLB: So many things! It never gets old working in the most iconic building in Chicago with breathtaking 360 views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. Being in the center of it all means we have everything at our fingertips. Within the city you can experience cultures from around the world through restaurants which helps with always learning new foods, ingredients and gives me the ability to draw inspirations for unique programming and offerings for our members and guests.
CFM: If you weren’t working in the food and hospitality industry, what would you be doing?
DLB: Tough question! Recently I have been diving deeper into the Wine & Spirit world, which I know isn’t really that different from food and hospitality. Otherwise, I really enjoy gardening and hanging out with my dog, so anything that would allow me to do more of that would be great!
Member's only club and Willis Tower resident, The Metroplitan, has been serving up steakhouse fare and craft cocktails at its restaurant, Craftsman, for 50 years. At the helm of operations for the 50 year celebration is Director of Food and Beverage, Dominique LeBlanc Beers, an industry veteran and female leader in a male-dominated field. We recently chatted tableside about what it's like to lead the historic mainstay into the next half century and how The Metropolitan will be honoring the milestone.
CFM: What does it mean to you to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry?
DLB: In the 20+ years since I have been working professionally in kitchens and restaurants, being a female in the industry isn’t as challenging for people to comprehend these days. Years ago, I would frequently be asked questions like “where is the chef?” while wearing a coat that says Executive Chef, or those who hadn’t met me in person would automatically assume I was a man and address me that way in emails or calls. Ultimately, I find that if you work hard and treat the employees right, they will respect you as a leader whether female or male.
CFM: Your menus at Craftsman rotate seasonally, what are some must haves for current and prospective members to indulge in before the menu changes in the Fall?
DLB: We are currently featuring Latin-inspired selections for the Summer. You will find items like homemade oxtail empanadas, mole chicken and a vegan hearts of palm ceviche. For a cool Summer cocktail, we have a drink called Purple Line Express with Empress Indigo Gin, fig simple syrup, lavender, and sparkling wine. Perfect for a hot Summer day!
CFM: The Metropolitan is celebrating 50 years in 2024, can you give us some culinary highlights from the past half century?
DLB: Over the past five decades, The Metropolitan has always featured a mixture of classic dishes and modern trends. Lobster Bisque is one of the mainstay staples that has almost always been on the menu and our Members come back for time and time again! One of the first events at the Club was a Bourgogne Wine Dinner featuring three wines, Beef Bourguingnon, Salsify au Beuerre Noisette and Crepes Suzette for only $14! A lot of the highlights over the past half century would include tableside presentations of dishes like dover sole, bananas foster, and steak Diane.
CFM: What is Craftsman and The Metropolitan doing in honor of its 50th anniversary?
DLB: The Metropolitan will be hosting a 50th Anniversary Gala on October 3, where we will honor the past five decades through food, drinks, music and entertainment. Leading up to the Gala, we have been featuring an array of culinary selections that were once offered in the early years of the Club. Currently we are highlighting Oysters Rockefeller, Sole Meunier, and Crème Brulee. The Club also worked with Hillrock Distillery to do a barrel selection and private bottling of their Solera Aged Bourbon.
CFM: Where do you see The Metropolitan in the next 50 years?
DLB: The Metropolitan will remain as one of the preeminent Business & Social Clubs in Chicago. Our longstanding philosophy of building relationships and enriching lives will continue for decades to come as we honor our past while ever-evolving to serve our members and their modern needs.
CFM: Tell us about the Frank Lloyd Wright inspiration for Craftsman.
DLB: When the Club was renovated in 2018, the space was re-imagined creating the open space design Frank Lloyd Wright was famous for. Higher ceilings with black exposed steel beams also pay tribute to the exterior of The Willis Tower.
CFM: What is your favorite part about living and working in such a culinary mecca like Chicago?
DLB: So many things! It never gets old working in the most iconic building in Chicago with breathtaking 360 views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. Being in the center of it all means we have everything at our fingertips. Within the city you can experience cultures from around the world through restaurants which helps with always learning new foods, ingredients and gives me the ability to draw inspirations for unique programming and offerings for our members and guests.
CFM: If you weren’t working in the food and hospitality industry, what would you be doing?
DLB: Tough question! Recently I have been diving deeper into the Wine & Spirit world, which I know isn’t really that different from food and hospitality. Otherwise, I really enjoy gardening and hanging out with my dog, so anything that would allow me to do more of that would be great!
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