Hilton sports renovation, new menu

Late last year, Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Suites completed a renovation to the atrium and Terrace Restaurant/Lounge/Outdoor Patio. New furniture, lighting and wallcoverings have created a new "feel" within the lounge. The open space, with a touch of modernism, now blooms with bright warm colors creating a sense of calm throughout the entire space, which has resulted in a new environment for colleagues to congregate after a long day at the office.

Although the primary source of business has always been from overnight guests, one of the benefits of the recent renovation has been an increase of customers from the local community.

"The recent renovation to the Terrace Restaurant/Lounge/Outdoor Patio, combined with the vision of our leadership team, has resulted in record growth in food and beverage sales during the first quarter of 2016," said Donald Hill, director of sales and marketing.

Under the leadership of Director of Restaurants Daniel Padberg and Executive Chef Keith Freeman, new menu and beverage offerings have created excitement for customers. Hilton Worldwide created a "core" menu that uses trends in the market. With this philosophy, the restaurant and lounge are able to keep consistency throughout all Hilton branded hotels as well as showcase the personal styles of the food and beverage team.

"Collaborating together, Keith and I utilize seasonal ingredients to produce an enticing menu that speaks to a number of different palates. With spring upon us and with summer just around the corner, we are excited to offer new menu items that speak to the bright flavors that the seasons bring," Padberg said.

Traditional food background

For as long as he can remember, Padberg was engulfed in food from the traditional Slovak food prepared by his grandmother (all by memory and without any recipe) to his uncle who was an executive chef at a local restaurant. He entered the industry at the age of 15, working as a dishwasher alongside his uncle. It was there that he fell in love with the "controlled chaos" that surrounds the food and beverage industry.

He then moved up in ranks through the years at that restaurant from line cook to butcher. With his admiration for this as a career, he pursued an education at Purdue University Calumet and graduated with a degree in hospitality and tourism management. After graduation, he relocated to Indianapolis to work at the newly built JW Marriott Hotel.

With a food and beverage management team primarily from Las Vegas, he had the opportunity to be part of grand events. With a drive to focus more on culinary, he worked at the Conrad Indianapolis before relocating to the western suburbs and came to Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Suites as the sous chef.

After about a year in that role, he had the opportunity to move out of the kitchen to the restaurant/lounge. As his employment history ranged primarily within the kitchen, Padberg wanted to bring the knowledge that he had learned of flavor profiles to the lounge as well. In doing so, this has sparked a creative new approach to the creation of cocktails, some that are oak aged on site as well as using grilled fruit. With a passion for local seasonal ingredients, he has taken this to heart when producing new signature cocktails as well as the selection of craft beers and spirits.

Experienced chef

Meanwhile, Freeman has also made a huge impact on the food and beverage team. He spent his career in the culinary field beginning at Hard Rock Café as a sous chef and eventually being promoted to executive chef. After twelve years at Hard Rock Café, he then served as executive chef at the Flat Top Grill. He then moved on to serve as the executive sous chef at Weber Grille before pursuing his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant.

For more than eight years, Freeman owned and operated Legends Grill in Aurora. After a short stint being "Hiltonized" at Conrad Chicago, he joined the team at Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Suites in August 2014. As featured in his own restaurant, his specialty has always been southern comfort food. As a child, he loved to watch and help his mother prepare huge dinners on Sundays for their family. Usually taking around six hours of preparation time, their family would gather to enjoy the meal. Although a fan of comfort food, he has incorporated more of the "trendy" items such as kale, tofu, yuzu salmon, snapper, avocados and mangoes into new menu offerings. Given the dietary restrictions and desire for more healthy options of guests today, his menus have been an overwhelming success with hotel guests and the local community.

The venue

Weather permitting, the outdoor lounge will open this month for dinner. A popular gathering place, guests can enjoy a sit-down dinner or relax with beverages and appetizers on the array of soft seating. Whether a pub burger from the sandwich menu or the pan-seared Atlantic salmon from the list of seasonal entrees, guests can enjoy a terrific meal under the setting sun.

The Terrace Restaurant/Lounge/Outdoor Patio is within Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Suites at 10 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook features 211 spacious, 500-square-foot suites centered around a 10-story atrium. It is part of the Hilton/Drury Lane Complex which also includes the 128 room Hilton Garden Inn Chicago/Oak Brook and Drury Lane Theatre and Conference Center, featuring theatrical productions and 50,000 square feet of flexible function space.