In 1890, a French chef named Auguste Escoffier took his place at the head of the line in the kitchens of the Savoy Hotel in London. For eight years, Escoffier fed thousands of gastronomes who flocked to The Savoy for his famously sophisticated fare. It was here that he did the fieldwork for his Guide Culinaire, perhaps the definitive culinary textbook of the modern age. Just over a century later, The Savoy is once again at the pinnacle of culinary excellence, once again serving thousands of meals to discriminating epicureans from around the world, hungry for a taste of some of the best food of the age. And once again, the chef at the helm is an extraordinarily gifted European with a yen for writing and an uncanny ability to shape culinary culture. As Rory Ross wrote in Gourmet, Anton Edelmann "appears poised to make a little history of his own."

Edelmann, who was born in Munich, got his professional start at The Savoy: he landed his first real job there, working as a lowly commis saucier (apprentice saucemaker). His résumé includes stints at the Franziskauer in Düsseldorf, at the Hôtel de la Paix in Geneva, and at London's renowned Dorchester Hotel. He was chef de cuisine at the Grosvenor House, then opening chef at its top-drawer Ninety Park Lane restaurant some 17 years ago, when The Savoy offered him a new job. This time, his title would read "maître chef des cuisines." Edelmann jumped at the chance to pursue his craft in some of the best-pedigreed kitchens in the world. He has been the hotel's top toque ever since, heading the stoves in the property's famed River Restaurant and overseeing eight private dining rooms and three banquet rooms. He has written six books, including The Savoy Food and Drink Book and, most recently, Perfect Pastries. He has earned an AA Rosette, one Egon Ronay star, an Ackerman Guide Black Clover Award, a slew of Gold Medals, and a Chef of the Year nod from Caterer and Hotelkeeper. And the critical kudos-not to mention the reservations-keep rolling in.

This month, Anton Edelmann brings his definitive cuisine to our Beard House kitchens. You'll want to be able to say you were there for culinary history in the making.