Chaîne des Rôtisseurs  Bailliage de Boston

Le Chapître de Noël

Gala Célébration et Intronization

at

Omni Parker House Hotel

Sunday December 4th 

To cap off the Boston Bailliage’s semi-centennial what better venue than the oldest continually operating hotel in the United States, the Omni Parker House Hotel, founded in 1855 - a time of transition in forward thinking Boston. After multiple waves of immigration from all across Europe and the world the basis of the great melting pot of America was well laid. For years a hot bed of abolitionists, the fugitive slave act was openly defied and schools were legally desegregated. And with all that Harvey D. Parker opened his grand hotel which quickly became home to the renowned Saturday Club members of which included a veritable who’s who of eminent writers and thinkers of the day such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louis Agassiz among many others. Over the ensuing years famous guests included Charles Dickens, in residence for 5 months of his American travels during which he first recited “A Christmas Carol” to the Saturday Club, actor John Wilkes Booth 8 days before his most famous performance where he “slayed the audience, and John F Kennedy who announced his presidential run in the iconic Press Room. Mr. Parker enjoyed 30 years at the helm of his wonderful vessel of hospitality overseeing operations and expansion until his departure to Mt. Auburn Cemetery Boston’s “permanent home” for prestigious people in 1884. In the ensuing years The Parker House has been a cornerstone of Boston hospitality and a touchstone for our culinary history with the creation of Massachusetts State dessert – Boston Cream Pie – plus the invention of the now ubiquitous Parker House Rolls and the coinage of the word “scrod,” the common menu name for our hallowed cod. Employees have ranged from Ho Chi Min to Malcolm X to Chef Emeril Lagasse.

For us modern Bostonians in a different age and time this was the opportunity to bring back a feeling of nostalgia for this long lost time of enlightenment and indeed perhaps lost innocence.

Our Bonne Bouche for this sumptuous evening was Maître Hôtelier General Manager John Murtha assisted by Director of Food & Beverage Maître de Table Hôtelier John Coviello, Professional du Vin Frank Weber and Executive Chef Gerard Tice. Our reception in the intimate Parker’s Bar featured our final induction of the 50^th anniversary season from whence we moved to Parker’s Restaurant in the most beautiful grand hotel dining room in the city to enjoy the lavish menu titled “Americus” featuring a truly spectacular array of foods and wines from across the United States.

Vive la Chaîne!!