Hans Ploug
To those of us who “grew up” with Niels behind the stove – or alongside many of his international teams in San Francisco – “Cheffie” as he was called was the greatest mentor anyone could ask for. Some of the greatest and most influential individuals from San Francisco enjoyed his fresh food cuisine at the Concordia Argonaut Club for nearly 25 years – long before slow food and local became “de rigueur” for the foodies of the Bay Area. My greatest memories of Niels will always be: the ultimate patriarch; a good father and husband who always wanted what was right for his family; an extrovert that always spoke his mind – whether it was driving in his car in heavy traffic, or great political discussions and discourse with others; and last but not least, Niels lived life very much in his own way, but always respected others who chose another path than his own. Niels Ploug and his footprint will forever be remembered by me, and many, many others. Philip Bay