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 (*) Hartmut Handke. the world's winningest competition chef... |
 (**) The chef's banquet table; the chef's classroom... |
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Handke, The Book: Handke's Cuisine, a world class restaurant in Columbus, Sold after 17 years; New owners retain name, culinary crew 18 August 2008 Editor's Note: Few restaurant reviewers can claim to have covered near perfection in every aspect in a single restaurant. In my travel, food and restaurant writing career spanning more than 40 years, I can make such a claim. Handke's Cuisine in my city's Brewery District, is the perfect restaurant by my exacting standards.
In July 2008, after 17 years and two months, Handke's Cuisine had new owners. Lorie Buxton and husband Tim Phalen, two experienced restaurant people from the Dayton area, bought the business. They retained Handke's kitchen staff and recipes. They did so almost at the time the nation's economy tanked. The Columbus Dispatch story the morning of June 4, 2009, carried the story of the closing. Shortly after the ownership change…in spite of favorable re-reviews…the new owners said their dining room traffic was down some 40 percent. The location at 520 S. Front St., in the troubled Brewery District, originally was a classy steak house, Pete's Steakhouse. When Handke stepped away from the business, he left many of his worldwide culinary awards in locked trophy cabinets. A member of the family said they are to be returned. Handke, known as America's Master Chef, is considered to be the winningest competition chef in the world. --- Doral Chenoweth, thegrumpygourmet@wowway.com === Bio, from www.chefhandke.com Chef's Bio Chef Hartmut Handke, CMC, is one of America's most accomplished chefs with over 40 years of culinary experience and many national and international culinary awards and professional honors to his credit. He has worked in world-class kitchens in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Canada and the United States. His award-winning global cuisine reflects his diverse influences and his mastery of the highest culinary standards.
Chef Handke's peers have also recognized his contributions and achievements. He is the only chef to receive all three of ACF's most prestigious professional awards. In 1992 he received "ACF Culinarian of the Year Award" and "ACF Chef Professionalism Award". A year later he was awarded ACF's "National Chef of the Year Award." In 1989, Chef Handke was recognized as "Ambassador" by the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to his experiences outside America, Chef Handke has worked in fine-dining establishments in the United States for over 25 years. He served as executive chef of the Athletic Club of Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, for nearly nine years and as executive chef of The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., from 1986 to 1991. Since then, he has been chef-proprietor of Handke's Cuisine in Columbus, Ohio. In 2001, 2002, 2003 and now 2004 the Zagat Survey ranked Handke's Cuisine the top restaurant in both Columbus and the state of Ohio, and his créme brêlùe dessert the best in the country. Chef Handke is one of only 75 chefs in the country who has achieved certified master chef (CMC), the certification given by ACF to recognize the highest achievement in the culinary profession. He was the thirteenth chef to receive the CMC designation after passing the grueling 10-day, 130-hour examination. Chef Handke devotes his personal time to the professional development of talented, young culinarians through teaching, coaching and training. An ACF-sanctioned culinary judge, Chef Handke has judged numerous culinary competitions during his career, most recently at the 2000 "International Culinary Olympics" in Erfurt, Germany, and the culinary competition held during the World Association of Cooks' Societies Congress in Melbourne, Australia. While maintaining active memberships in professional trade associations, Chef Handke is also involved in local charities and community organizations. In addition to owning and operating Handke's Cuisine, he is a professional culinary consultant. He served for five years on the menu design team for United Airlines Worldwide and has consulted for Kellogg's, Caribbean Hotel Association, Donatos Pizza, Huntington Bankshares and OSO Sweet Onions.
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E-mail: thegrumpygourmet@wowway.com
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