Oxford Capital’s latest luxury lifestyle hotel opening spring 2016, appointed Riley Huddleston as executive chef and beverage director. In these roles, he will oversee and lead the entire culinary and beverage program and operations for the Chicago property and its chef-driven dining establishments.
“It’s exciting to be a part of such a smart and collaborative executive team and have the opportunity to contribute to the property’s overall brand positioning. The goal is to intertwine the hotel services with all its different amenities and dining outlets,” Chef Huddleston says. “This format is atypical of most hotels and our concept will stay true to the history and character surrounding the hotel and location, while adding in little touches that set it apart and enhance the guest’s experience.”
A native of Oregon, Huddleston has spent more than a decade in the culinary community, gaining a unique mix of experience in roles as a chef, mixologist, pastry chef, and restaurateur. His career in the food industry began by launching and co-owning Boise Fry Company, a French fry-focused fast casual restaurant concept that won “Best Fries” accolades from Travel + Leisure and U.S. Travel News. Soon after, he moved on to culinary positions in acclaimed restaurants across the country, including Gramercy Tavern and Tribeca Grill in New York. He introduced the mixology component to his resume when he joined the menu development team at the Aviary, the famed Grant Achatz cocktail concept. Most recently, Huddleston was the opening executive chef for I|O at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago, the city’s largest all-season indoor/outdoor hotel rooftop lounge on the lifestyle hotel’s fourth floor. There, he produced upscale bar fare to pair with his chef-driven cocktail program that uses scientific methods to create specialty drinks.
Huddleston’s innovative culinary style blends classic French training with modern cooking techniques. He draws on his eclectic mix of experiences to build creative menus that focus on the best produce and ingredients available from around the world. In conjunction with the hotel’s amenities, his dining establishments will pay homage to the building’s history via re-imagined American cuisine.
“The entire team at Oxford Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to have Riley on board for our exciting LondonHouse Chicago project and look forward to seeing how his cuisine will reflect the city and its history,” says George Jordan, senior vice president at Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC.
All dining outlets will open along with LondonHouse Chicago in spring 2016. LondonHouse is located in Chicago’s historic London Guarantee Building at 360 N. Michigan and the new 22-story architecturally synchronized LondonHouse Tower at 85 E. Wacker Dr. The property is situated on what was once the historic Fort Dearborn.
