Thomas Lents On Sixteen

Chef Thomas Lents has had stints cooking across the country and the world, including a turn as the chef de cuisine at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas. But when Chicago came calling, this Midwesterner had to go home.

He recently spoke to The Daily Meal about his restaurant Sixteen in the Trump Hotel, which he joined in January this year. He said, "What we've tried to do with Sixteen... is really progress it as a destination restaurant in Chicago. We've tried to implement modern fine dining." Lents said he wanted to make the experience more interactive than other restaurants he has helmed.

In terms of the Chicago scene, Lents believes Sixteen is trying to push the boundaries by eschewing the molecular bent of some of other Chicago's other well-known restaurants. His goal is to have a focus on ingredients, but to also keep attention on the service and the experience of dining. "We actually have a lot of elements of surprise, the menu doesn't give a lot of description."

For more with chef Lents, watch the video above.