Chef Knights at Hollerbach’s
by Chip Colandreo
Are you ready for a knight out like no other?
Wait... a what?
You read it right, a knight out during which you’ll enjoy a dining experience unmatched in Central Florida in the one place that combines the ambiance and culinary ability to make it possible: Hollerbach’s German restaurant in Sanford.
Or, more specifically, right above Hollerbach’s, which is where you’ll discover Chef Knights.
Up the stairs from Historic Downtown Sanford’s undisputed king of cuisine is the realm of the monarch’s more feisty foot soldiers, Knight’s Hall. And this is where a lucky few meet once every three months to take a guided culinary tour with Hollerbach’s Executive Chef Patrick Story and Chef de Cuisine Samuel Winslow. These quarterly Chef Knights are the chefs’ opportunity to flex their muscles and prepare completely custom, multi-course menus built around a theme of their choosing.
“This is a resurgence of something we did almost 20 years ago,” says Chef Story, who can speak from experience. He took his first job at Hollerbach’s as a night cook 19 years ago and has since become one of Sanford’s most heralded chefs. He’s been the executive chef at Hollerbach’s since the mid-2000s. “When we opened Knight’s Hall we knew it was time to bring it back.”
Each Chef Knight – the next is May 16 and then again in August – features at least four courses (but usually six or seven) designed exclusively for the event by Chef Story or Chef Winslow and served to a maximum of about 30 guests. The chefs take turns theming each Chef Knight, and they have deliciously opposite tastes.
“Chef Story focuses on classic cuisine – French cuisine, Italian cuisine – whereas I love to experiment with different culinary combinations and techniques,” says Chef Winslow.
The very first rebooted Chef Knight in January of 2023, with Chef Story at the helm, featured a haute cuisine reimagining of the standard Hollerbach’s menu. Chef Winslow followed it up with an audacious showcase of German/Japanese fusion. Goulash Ramen was the star of that culinary show, and it earned rave reviews.
Each course of every Chef Knight experience is paired with a wine, cordial, or other libation, and each dish is personally presented and explained by the chef in charge.
You might expect an intimate, culinary odyssey like this to command a king’s ransom, but you’d be wrong. The cost of a seat at Chef Knights is only $125 per person for a completely all-inclusive dining and drinking experience.
“We often sell out even before we’ve announced the theme or menu for the night,” Chef Story says. “That’s the biggest compliment we can get. Guests know we’re going to create something special. They don’t even need to know what it is.”
The next Chef Knight on May 16 will be another of Chef Winslow’s creations. He’s planning a German-inspired menu, but one that’s missing an often clichéd staple of the German diet: meat. He’s calling it the Noble Garten, which will celebrate a vegetable-forward meal.
“I’ll be exploring everything from pickling to fermenting,” says Chef Winslow. “I want to challenge the guests’ palates, but I promise they’ll enjoy it.”
Reservations for Chef Knights can be made right on Hollerbachs.com. If the May 16 event is already sold out, grab your seat early for the next installment in August.
“There’s nothing else like this,” says Chef Story. “We’re really proud of it. We get to share the food we love with friends who will love it, too.”
Can’t Wait for Chef Knights? Check out Überkeller!
The culinary success of Chef Knights inspired the Hollerbach’s team to create another specialty dining experience – and this one is open every weekend!
Überkeller, also located upstairs above the main Hollerbach’s dining room, is a chef-driven bistro that offers small-plate meals (and tantalizing drinks), many of which were born from dishes served at Chef Knights. It’s open every Friday for dinner and every Saturday and Sunday for a brunch experience like no other. Go to Hollerbachs.com/uberkeller to learn more and preview the dinner and brunch menus.