Café Escadrille’s Executive Chef Brian Theurer is one of a select group of culinary masters in the Boston area who has created the menu for and prepared semi-annual dinners for the Escoffier Society of Boston. The society’s goal is to honor the tradition of haute cuisine and fine dining, both of which are traced to the work of Frenchman Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935), who is known alternately as The Chef of Kings and The King of Chefs.   

Brian, who has been a chef at Café Escadrille for 39 years, recently managed the Escoffier Society’s 82nd Annual “Le Diner Printemps” (spring dinner) in the Café’s Grand Ballroom on Sunday, April 14. The society’s semi-annual dinners, which entail strict rules regarding traditional courses served during the meal as well as codes of etiquette for members, are held each spring and fall in some of the Boston area’s finest hotels and restaurants, including Café Escadrille.

Although the Escoffier Society’s dinners are available to members only, patrons who dine at Café Escadrille can enjoy fine dining on a daily basis courtesy of Brian and his team of expert chefs, sous chefs, bakers, and assistants. And restaurant patrons can enjoy many items from the Café’s menus that meet the criteria for inclusion at a traditional Escoffier Society dinner.

“The multi-course dinners that our team creates that meet the stringent criteria of Escoffier dining are all about the food and all about the wine,” Brian said. “And the same is true for how we approach serving our clientele at Café Escadrille – it’s all about the food and all about the wine. This focus on providing our patrons fine dining excellence has been in place in our restaurant for over four decades.”

Brian, who is one of a small group of executive and master chefs that prepare dinners for the society, was selected by the group’s managing committee to manage the menu and execute the dinners, along with additional members of Café Escadrille’s staff. In addition to Brian, the other managers of the April 14 event were General Manager Brittany Collins, Director of Special Events Jessica Reynolds, and Wine Director Miguel Escobar.

“We had about 20 people on staff for the society’s event and everyone did a fantastic job,” Brain said. “We had about 60 attendees at that dinner and when it was over they asked us to bring the entire staff into the ballroom and they gave us a standing ovation. The committee members told us it was one of the best Escoffier dinners they ever had.”