An Appetite for Longevity
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have a reputation for retaining a loyal, tenured staff, and our 5-star hotel in Center City, Philadelphia is no exception. Our doorman, with 25 years of seamless and intuitive service under his cap, will remember your name, even if it’s been over seven years since your last stay. He is, however, regarded lovingly as a newcomer by our pastry chef, Eddie Hales, who created his first Four Seasons dessert in Toronto in 1975.
A member of the Four Seasons family longer than anybody save founder Isadore Sharp, Hales quickly became known for his strong mixing arm and delicate decorator’s touch. A move to the Hotel in 1983 saw him reshaping the dessert menu with intriguing ingredient combinations and modern techniques.
“When I arrived, we were still serving from carts with cut-and-serve desserts sized for 8 or 10 portions,” he says. “Today, pastry is about individualisation with technologies that enable greater technique.”
Professing a love for chocolate – his signature creation is the fountain chocolate soufflé with crème Chantilly – Hales also delights in transforming hard-sells into must-haves. Take, for example, his homemade prune ice cream.
Cheese lovers may note a paucity of cheese-influenced denouements on the dessert menus. This however, might change, with the arrival of newcomer Stephen Flis, Resident Cheese Expert. Truth be known, Flis actually joined the Fountain Restaurant team in 2003, where he worked the breakfast and lunch shift. Compared to Hales though, he’s still a rookie.
After several years in the kitchen, a growing passion for cheese led Flis to New York for training at the Artisanal Cheese Center. Returning now as Resident Cheese Expert, Flis is responsible for identifying and showcasing new and innovative cheese offerings for restaurant guests, while also imparting his expertise on restaurant staff.
Do we see chocolate cheesecake in the near future?
