Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago Announces New Executive Chef
May 28, 2013 - Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago announces Valeria Benner as the new Executive Chef of the 306-room historic hotel. Chef Benner will oversee all culinary operations, including NiX Restaurant featuring American cuisine and seasonal menus. She will also be in charge of catering for weddings, meetings and events.
Chef Benner joins Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel from the Lockwood Restaurant located in the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. During her time there, Chef Benner demonstrated a commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients by opening a rooftop garden and apiary. Prior to that position, Chef Benner served as the Head Chef and Food & Beverage Director at the Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel, also in Chicago.
A passion for seasonal, sustainable and artisanal food developed while growing up in the woods and farmlands of Michigan, Chef Benner has dedicated her career to inspiring a love for Midwestern fare. Her experiences with hunting game, gardening, pickling and preserving factor into her approach to food. Chef Benner began her culinary career in Wisconsin and spent over a decade working at The American Club and Fresco in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. She was praised for her cultivated knowledge of cheese and charcuterie that The Wisconsin State Journal described as “a modern take on an age-old craft.”
As the Executive Chef of Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Chef Benner plans to honor the hotel's strong Chicago history while pioneering cuisine that will showcase her respect for the Midwest's culinary style. She plans to immediately collaborate with the food and beverage team to create new dishes at Nix Restaurant that will add a new profile to the menu, while complimenting favorite dishes of hotel guests and locals.
Located steps off of Michigan Avenue, Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel has been a landmark on the city's famed Magnificent Mile for 85 years. The hotel features 306 modern and newly renovated guestrooms and suites and over 18,000 square feet of meeting space, including the elegant Crystal Ballroom with its gold gilded, 25-foot high domed ceiling.
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