Meals on Wheels Chicago Celebrates Chef David Koelling
The former Barrington restauranteur receives the organization’s first Chef’s Legacy Council Award at the 2018 Celebrity Chef Ball
David C. Koelling with daughter Jorie Koelling and son Ryan Ingram.
On November 9, 2018, Meals on Wheels Chicago’s Chef Council presented its first-ever Annual Chef Legacy Award to Chef David C. Koelling for his dedicated and continuous support of each of the past 30 Celebrity Chef fundraisers. The 30th anniversary of the Celebrity Chef Ball brought together more than 85 of the region’s best chefs and mixologists under one roof at Morgan Manufacturing, an entertainment venue in the West Loop. A number of Barrington area residents attended the event and gathered together at the three tables for “Pod 11” in the large renovated industrial venue.
Chef Koelling’s culinary path has spanned the United States from Michigan, California, Alabama, Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana—including a stop in Barrington for the opening of The Greenery in 1985. The Greenery received accolades locally and nationally for Koelling’s innovative cuisine and all-American wine list. After leaving The Greenery, which was located on North Avenue in downtown Barrington, he opened the Biloxi Grill in Wauconda in 1997. Today, Koelling is the president of Strategic Dining Services, a national dining and hospitality management firm.
“Creating, preparing, and serving great food to engage, challenge, and delight customers and friends is what makes a chef’s professional life tick,” Koelling said. “Preparing food for someone in need takes this to an entirely different level. Being able to partner with Meals on Wheels Chicago makes both of these things possible and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to be a part of their amazingmission,” Koelling says.
Meal on Wheels Chicago works with the City of Chicago Department of Family and Social Services to prepare meals and to provide the delivery to homebound seniors and people with disabilities. The 2018 Celebrity Chef Ball proceeds will enable Meals on Wheels Chicago’s team to prepare more than 150,000 meals in 2019. Jayne Drew, a South Barrington resident, is the nonprofit’s Director of Development and Communications. If you would like to support Meals on Wheels Chicago, contact her at 773-661-4550 or email: jdrew@mealsonwheelschicago.org.
Pictured left: (From left) Founder and Chef David Cameron, Founder Aldo Zaninotto, and Chef Ryan Baffe of Osteria Langhe in Chicago. Right: Jayne Drew of South Barrington is Director of Development and Communications for Meals on Wheels.
Barrington area guests filled the three tables at Pod 11.