Brian Polcyn - Chef/Proprietor Award-winning chef Brian Polcyn is nationally recognized for his creativity and culinary talents, and as the visionary behind some of Detroit's most acclaimed restaurants. Polcyn's road to Five Lakes Grill has spanned several decades of devotion to culinary excellence. While still in his 20s, Polcyn honed his skills at two of Michigan's most prestigious restaurants, the Golden Mushroom and the Lark. He created three of Michigan's most notable restaurants before opening Five Lakes Grill, nearly a decade ago. In 1987, he debuted Pike Street Restaurant in Pontiac, Michigan. Within weeks, food critics were heaping kudos on Chef Brian and his staff. In 1990, he premiered Chimayo, Michigan's first restaurant featuring authentic Southwestern cuisine. Three years later, he created Acadia, an area trendsetter specializing in foods cooked over various hard woods. Polcyn's national reputation as a chef and restaurateur continued to grow, and so did his family. Now a father of five, he decided to move his family out to the quieter countryside and devote his time to a single restaurant endeavor where he could create and serve the kind of food other chefs can only dream about. To do so, he created, trains and personally supervises a peerless team of chefs, wine experts and service professionals. His vision for Five Lakes Grill has made it one of the country's most beloved restaurants. Chef Polcyn's new restaurant Forest Grill is located in the Triangle District of Birminham, Michigan. Forest Grill opened in August 2008. In 2000 Chef Polcyn was prominently featured in Michael Ruhlman's widely read book, “The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection”. That takes the reader through Chef Polcyn’s grueling weeklong Certified Master Chef practicum and exam at the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Polcyn and Ruhlman teamed up in 2005 to publish “Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing.” “Charcuterie” was also nominated for a James Beard Award. Chef Brian has been featured in local and national publications, including The New York Times, The Detroit News, Atlantic Monthly, Gourmet, Bon Appetite, Playboy, Detroit Hour Magazine, The Detroit Free Press and Wine Spectator. His numerous awards include three gold medals and a silver medal from The American Culinary Federation. The Hiram Walker Corporation recognized him as a "Rising Star in American Cuisine." In 1990, he was first runner-up in the semi-annual American Culinary Gold Cup Bocuse d'Or, which is a competition that seeks America's top native-born chefs. Five Lakes Grill won best restaurant in 2005. Chef Polcyn was also nominated for Best Chef Midwest in 2006 by the James Beard Foundation. He has cooked several times at the James Beard House in New York City, participates at the Traverse City Epicurean Classic, and the StarChefs International Chefs Congress. Besides operating his own restaurant, Chef Brian teaches charcuterie at Schoolcraft College. He has authored a book on the subject. Chef Brian also works for many local charities, including Michigan Chefs Against Hunger, Share Our Strength, and the Tatse of the NFL.