Restauranteur, James Beard nominee and television personality Chef Graham Elliot paid a visit to Naperville recently, dining at CityGate Grille. It was a busy Friday night - the last Friday before indoor dining was rolled back in DuPage County and other parts of Illinois - with the dining room near socially distanced capacity and, despite the chilly weather, with several parties dining outdoors, on CityGate Grille's covered and heated Patio.
Beard described his experience in an Instagram post:
Had an amazing dining experience in #DuPageCounty @citygategrille - delicious, creative cuisine, genuine hospitality and warm service. Now's the time to #celebratelocal and support the restaurant community whether dining in, ordering takeout or delivery...
Of course Instagram means pictures! Here are Chef Elliot's images within an hour of their posting:
...and a couple of our own taken the night of his visit. On the left, between courses with CityGate Grille owner John Calamos Sr., and on the right, with CityGate Grille bar manager Pierce Lueders.
Imagine how flattered Lueders was when removing his mask for this photo and Chef Elliot saying, "I recognize you. You do those Thirsty Thursday cocktail-making videos on YouTube."
See Lueders' Thirsty Thursdays series and more videos on the CityGate channel on YouTube.