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About three years ago, John Anderson ’87 had a chance encounter in Chicago that opened the door for him to pursue his interest in the restaurant business.
When his wife fell ill and had to stay in their Chicago hotel room, Anderson found himself roaming the Peninsula Hotel looking for a meal. He visited a restaurant called Avenues where he met its talented chef, Graham Elliot Bowles.
“Chef and I got to know each other over an incredible meal he designed for me and we hit it off,” he says. “After about 15 courses and 15 paired wines, I told him I was interested in the restaurant business and I would like to be involved in anything he might want to do on his own.”
A few months later, Bowles contacted Anderson and asked if he was still interested. Two years after that, they opened Graham Elliot to bring “fine dining redefined” to Chicago. The restaurant was ranked first on Chicago Magazine’s Hot List at the end of the summer.
“Chef had been doing large tasting menus at Avenues and had garnered four stars and many awards doing haute cuisine,” Anderson explains. “We wanted to take the idea of the whimsy he puts into his food and bring it to the whole dining experience. He wanted his patrons to come regularly rather than only on special occasions. We designed the room to be comfortable and casual – beautiful wood everywhere, exposed brick, no table cloths, natural copper bar top and communal tables in the bar area, and fun music. The early results are very exciting, and we are regularly serving 150-200 people a night. The critics are still trying to figure out how four-star food fits into a boisterous, bistro-like atmosphere. It is quite unconventional.”
Unexpectedly, it’s his day job as chief risk officer for the global commodities business at J.P. Morgan Investment Bank, based in London, that piqued his interest in the restaurant industry. Frequent dinners out with clients, colleagues, and brokers for over 17 years helped him see what types of dining experiences he enjoyed most.
Understanding how the financial world works and is connected also is helping Anderson lead an effort to create an endowment for Lafayette’s crew team. Working with best friend Doug Smith ’87, former crew team president, and Beth Nelson ’96, director of major gifts, his goal is to raise $600,000 over the next five years.
“My real passion is for water,” Anderson says. “I would have chosen sailing had Lafayette had a team, but crew was as close as I could get to the water without having to be in it! I honestly would not have chosen Lafayette if rowing was not an option. As I began rowing, the dedication, balance, rhythm, and hard work grew on me. Rowing for Lafayette was the most important experience I had while attending the school. It provided my closest social relationships and discipline required to balance life.
“I’d like current and future Lafayette students to be able to take advantage of everything a crew team offers. Without long-term funding commitments, the future of the team will always be too dependent upon a particular set of students and their drive to work out, raise funds, hire coaches, repair equipment, balance budgets, etc.”