Be their guest

It's not often East Coast based Chef and PBS series television host Todd English makes it to the Midwest.

Macys Department Store is hosting a Culinary Council Chef Night Tuesday night featuring English, along with pastry chef Gale Gand.

The event will be at the Macy's on State Street from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in their swank Macy's Culinary Kitchen.

The evening, which was described to me by Macy's publicist Marisa Reeves as "a night of culinary inspiration" will highlight the newest offerings from these two favorites from Macy's Culinary Council Chefs.

Guests are invited to meet both English and Gand during the special reception, which will include a book signing, cooking tips and a sampling of their favorite recipes.

Reservations are required and limited. Call (800) 292-2450 to reserve your spot.

English first rocketed to fame after he opened his flagship restaurant, Olives, in Charlestown, Mass., in April 1989. The restaurant's name is a tribute to his wife, Olivia. English's menus and recipes are primarily described as "rustic Mediterranean," with a strong influence from Italian cuisine.

Olives is known for two signature desserts - a molten chocolate cake and a vanilla bean souffle.

As for why 46-year-old English stays so busy, he now also has a selection of his Olives restaurants scattered around the country, including Union Square, New York City; the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas; and locations in Washington, D.C.; Aspen, Colo.; Tokyo; and Biloxi, Miss.

English and his wife Olivia divorced in 2004. They have three children, named Oliver, Isabelle and Simon.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

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