Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Knowing what you eat is important and we as chefs should know not only what we are feeding people but also where it is coming from.  I try to use organic ingredients when possible but using local and seasonal ingredients is imperative.  Supporting local farmers is important to me and I try to utilize their sources whenever possible.  I always design my menus around seasonality and availability using ingredients at their peak.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chickens/Eggs.  Eggs are my favorite things to cook so I would love to raise them myself.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Salt-all kinds

What should every kitchen not be without?A good chef’s knife and tasting spoons.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Thomas Keller.  The first cookbook I ever read cover to cover was “the French Laundry” it inspired me to become a chef and taught me the importance of the industry

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Gordan Ramsay

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?My last supper would probably have to be my dad’s spaghetti sauce with homemade meatballs, bruschetta, and a tomato-basil platter.  This was the first meal I learned to cook and I love it’s simplicity and flavors.  I remember smelling the fresh garlic and basil as a little girl when this meal was being prepared; these are still my favorite kitchen smells today.  I would enjoy this meal with a bottle of red wine with my family and my dog Sawyer preferably on the water in a warm climate.  I would have to go with a slice of carrot cake for dessert that was heated in the microwave for about 7 seconds.

Suzanne was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and was brought up around good food. With a grandmother or “Nona” as it’s referred to in Italian, hailing from Rome, Suzanne was educated early on about the importance of good food and it’s power of bringing people together.  In college as a hospitality major at the University of South Carolina, Suzanne discovered her passion for food by watching the food network and re-creating the recipes she had seen.  Upon graduation she decided to explore this passion and enroll in culinary school back home in Atlanta.  Suzanne worked under chef Richard Blais at Concentrics’s ONE Midtown Kitchen and chef Eli Kirstein before deciding to start her own business, the Hungry Peach, specializing in private dinner parties.   In 2009 she partnered with best friend, Conor, and the two opened the Hungry Peach Cafe in the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) in Buckhead.  Suzanne has recently paired up with pastry chef Jonathan St. Hilaire to execute his BYOBakeshop dinners concept; family style dinners held the 1^st weekend of every month at his bakery Bakeshop in Midtown.  She creates BYOBakeshop dinner menus based on seasonality and availability, always keeping quality in mind and putting her heart into every meal.

Kristen Hard’s passion for culinary creativity began at the tender age of five as she scoured her house for spare sticks to construct homemade lollipops, barely able to peak over the kitchen countertop.  That initial curiosity has led to years of rigorous research, which propelled Hard’s success to a level commonly reserved for tenured chocolatiers well beyond her age.  Hard, 32, hails from Atlanta and is a true daughter of the South.  After traveling the world as a chef, she brings her culinary pride and recognition back to her hometown. It is through her experiences abroad, that the evolution from chef to chocolate maker has taken place.

After working in several restaurants and cafes throughout college, Hard traveled to Italy to explore the world outside her Southern roots.  While in Rome, she was hired as a private chef aboard boats crossing the Atlantic and sailing the Caribbean.  In the small confines of the boat’s kitchen, Hard experimented with creating chocolate, stopping at local ports to purchase fresh ingredients on a weekly basis.  It was at one such port where Hard discovered the alluring cocoa bean and her true love affair began.  While watching a group of Caribbean women crush cacao beans with their bare hands, her passion for discovering chocolates’ many aspects ensued.  This endeavor served as the basis of her first line of truffles and bars, showcasing a sustainable and deeply satisfying premium dark chocolate infused with an array of organic herbs, spices, teas and fruits.

After returning to Atlanta, Hard began her wholesale company, K Chocolat, in 2004 creating a line of truffles with holistic characteristics informed by her work done with a local herbalist.  Just five short years later, she opened her first storefront, Cacao Laboratoire du Chocolat and Boutique, in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood. Each step in Hard’s journey has been a progression of getting closer to the source of chocolate.  With the unveiling of her “Love Bar,” made directly from the cocoa bean in 2009, Hard’s evolution continued as both the first bean to bar chocolate maker in the Southeast and the first female bean to bar producer in the U.S.  Since then she actively sources her own cocoa beans, working hands on with farmers in the harvesting and fermentation process and is heavily involved in elevating cacao farming practices.

Recent Accolades:

o   Best New American Chocolate- Food and Wine Magazine

o   100 Things to Taste in America- Food and Wine Magazine and CNN

o   Named one of nine of the nation’s best purveyors of factory-free goods by Details Magazine

o   Awarded in 7 categories in the “Best of Salon Awards” of the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon 2010. Categories included Best Dark Chocolate, Best Truffle, Most Delicious Ingredient Combination, Best Dark Chocolate Bar, Best Organic or Fair Trade Product.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Being a good chef starts with giving people the freshest food possible. The closer it is to home, the less time it takes getting in our doors. That insures a quality, fresh product. Local, usually smaller farmers, take more pride in their work, a personal vested interest, and can achieve some different flavor characteristics in the food.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?Pigs. I love everything about them.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Garlic
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] Salt
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? I don’t think there was a celebrity chef that I followed before going to culinary school. I just knew I liked to eat, and cooking was very enjoyable to me. I learned a lot watching my mother.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? George Will
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?In the Bahamas with my wife.  I would eat anything with conch in it, especially conch fritters and stew.  Appleton Estate rum and great wine.  Jack Johnson playing in the background.

 Known for his sophisticated and seasonally-driven cuisine, renowned chef and Atlanta native Shane Touhy has built his career on years of experience, hard work and personal flair.  Upon the opening of Dogwood, his new restaurant located in the heart of Atlanta, patrons will have the opportunity to indulge in Touhy’s one-of-a-kind dishes.  As executive chef, Touhy is responsible for menu development, food production and kitchen operations.

Touhy’s passion for food and entertaining came early in life by observing his mother, an ideal Southern hostess, who filled their home with uniquely-styled dishes created with warmth and simplicity.  He then went on to formalize his culinary education at Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina.  Touhy achieved early success as chef at Primo on Hilton Head Island, becoming partner at the enterprise in his mid-twenties.  Following his time at Primo, he returned to Charleston in order to further sharpen his culinary skills by working with master chef James Burns, who is known for his work at the famous Tavern on the Green in New York.  Touhy was promoted to chef de cuisine at Burns’ restaurant, J. Bistro.

After five years of working with Burns, Touhy decided to try a new market with a different style.  At Mickey and Mooch in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, he updated the traditional “steak and potatoes” menu by incorporating more seasonal, coastal-style dishes.  This combination proved successful and led to the opening of a second location in downtown Charlotte.  In 2001, Touhy returned to Atlanta to join Blue Ridge Grill as the executive chef where he quickly became known for his unique and stylish cuisine made with the freshest Georgia ingredients.

Now, Touhy is at the helm of his first solo venture, Dogwood, housed in the bottom of the Reynolds condominium building in Midtown.  The menu at Dogwood will include American dishes that incorporate Touhy’s regional influences and the use of local products.  Dogwood is a warm and inviting, city-centered gathering place with an elegant Southern setting.

Chef Drew VanLeuvan

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?Sourcing local and organic produce ensures that we are always providing the freshest and most seasonal products to our customers. Using local ingredients gives you better quality ingredients that are better for you; my responsibility as a Chef is to ensure that our guests are receiving and enjoying the highest quality in ingredients that we are able to provide.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?
I would focus on what crops that thrive in the climate I am living in. I am a novice gardener and grow produce throughout the year. In the south, we have such a mild climate, it’s great for produce.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Fennel Seed
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc]
A Japanese Slicer
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Jean Louis Palladin, my mentor.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?
Jean Louis Palladin – I would like to show him how my time working with him has influenced me, my cooking and how I work in the kitchen.
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to?The ideal location for my last supper would be on a Lighthouse Beach in Cape Cod, with my daughter. We would start with Jean Louis’ Chestnut Soup, followed by Heirloom Tomatoes and Melons with a sweet and savory granita. Our third course would be a slice of cheese pizza from A&J Pizza in Queens, and finish with a warm Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut. I would also enjoy a bottle of red from St. Emilion, France – preferably from 1994.
Connecticut native and Atlanta local Drew VanLeuvan brings 16 years of experience to ONE.midtown kitchen, a Concentrics concept that lead the restaurant resurgence to Midtown as well as helped elevate the Atlanta culinary scene to national recognition.  Chef VanLeuvan began cooking while enrolled at the University of Massachusetts. Cooking became his passion and he eventually found himself behind the stove much more than behind a desk and, as he says, “the rest is history.” Chef VanLeuvan went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000. Following graduation, Chef VanLeuvan perfected his skills while apprenticing under some of the world’s best Chefs including Jean Louis Palladin, Guenter Seeger, Wylie Dufresne, Joel Antunes, Sam Mason and Chef Mark Dommen. In 2004 Chef VanLeuvan served as Executive Chef at Atlanta’s acclaimed Toast Restaurant where he was recognized as a “Chef on the Rise” by Food and Wine Magazine. Following his stint at Toast, Van Leuvan became executive chef at Spice Restaurant where he received 3 stars from both the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Creative Loafing. In 2006, Chef VanLeuvan was appointed Executive Chef of Saga Restaurant where he was given the “Rising Star Award” by StarChefs.com and “most memorable plate of 2007” by Creative Loafing. He is the previous owner of Pan De Mie Pasta Company, one of two hand-made past companies in Atlanta.
Chef VanLeuvan is a member of the Jean Louis Palladin Foundation, Slow Food and Chefs Collaborative. When Chef VanLeuvan has time away from the kitchen, he likes to spend it with his daughter, Kayden, and wife, Kellie, in their Ormewood Park home. He also enjoys working in his garden and utilizing his homegrown vegetables in his dishes.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? I’m a huge proponent of living a healthy lifestyle and what we eat is the cornerstone. The quality of product consumed affects the mind, body, and spirit. If I’m going to ingest something into my body for strength, nutrition, and health…I want to be know what I’m eating, what’s in it and on it, where it came from, who grew it, what’s the nutritional value, etc.  Buying local and organic make this possible and I try to share this philosophy with the customers through my food. And…it’s absolutely beautiful and delicious and helps out other small businesses.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chickens and vegetables

What one seasoning can you not live without? Peppers…I love spicy food!

What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] A heavy, sturdy butcher block cutting board.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison…I remember reading the Food & Wine Best New Chefs issue that they were in. I was intrigued by their farm, the old Bacchanalia in the house on Piedmont, and the FOOD. I thought it would really be awesome to work with them…and I did several years later. I learned so much from them…their dedication to product, consistency, and passion for food and dining.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?Julia Childs

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?
I would sail with my closest friends and family to a small island off the coast of Maine. I would eat lobster, mussels, roasted corn, whipped sweet potatoes, Brillat Savarin triple cream cheese, peaches, and French bread, Michel Cluziel French chocolate, and Fiuggi sparkling water with agave nectar and lime. I would listen to the waves as they splashed against the rocks.

The farmers I use are: Moore’s Farm and Friends distributed by The Turnip Truck, These include Serenbe Organics, Georgia’s finest, Osage Farms, Johnson Family Farms, Hometown Honey, Oakview Granary, Beech Creak Farms. Oakview Farms, Featherwise Farms, Sparkman’s

URBAN PL8 is about quality and affordability- “high quality,affordable food in a casual, cool, friendly atmosphere…an everyday kind of place with exceptional food and service” says Chef and owner, Betsy Pitts. URBAN PL8 will be Betsy Pitts’s first restaurant, an endeavor she’s passionate about and has been wanting to do for a long time. She states, “It’s about better food and healthier options. It’s also about affordability. I’ve tried to strip away the overhead that doesn’t have anything to do with thequality of the food. i.e. expensive stemware, linens, big menu, having counter service instead of a full wait staff, prestigious location, etc… to make what I cook the best it can be at reasonable prices. It’s all about ‘everyday’ food…where it comes from, how it’s prepared, how to make it better and more accessible, healthier, more convenient, it’s a service almost as well as a dining experience.”

Chef and owner, Betsy Pitts, has been a part of the Atlanta restaurant scene for many years. She apprenticed under Jean Banchett who was heralded as “the epitome of a chef” by Jacques Pepin and considered one of the most influential chefs of all time, having racked up every four-star review and comparable accolade imaginable; his restaurant was touted by Bon Appetit magazine as the best restaurant in America. She has worked with Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison as sous chef at Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe (which she also helped open), at Watershed with Scott Peacock, acknowledged in 2007 as the “Best Chef in the Southeast” by the James Beard Foundation and featured on Martha Stewart, the Early Show, and the Today Show, to name a few, at Mumbo Jumbo with Shaun Doty; RJ’s Wine Bar as sous chef for Kelly Courtney, Food & Wine Best New chef 2001, was Executive Chef at Nickimotos Buckhead and helped develop and write the menu for Nickimotos Midtown. Betsy also went on to build a successful catering business specializing in high quality catering, for corporate events, cocktail parties, dinner parties, real estate caravans, luncheons, and commercial shoots for Monarch Productions.

URBAN PL8 is located in Westside Atlanta’s old industrial and design district – an area of urban revival that’s evolving into the newest hot, hip area for dining and shopping – on 1082 Huff Rd, between Howell Mill and Marietta St – down the street from White Provisions. The restaurant occupies a corner loft with plenty of free parking and seats 82. With its high ceilings, open kitchen, and savvy modern design, incorporating woods and fabrics, it gives off an open, airy feel. It has a great covered patio and green space – in fact, almost half of its capacity is reserved for patio seating.

What’s notable and different about URBAN PL8:
* Large patio and green space * High quality, fresh food, at affordable prices – healthy food that’s not “health food”.* Wine at retail prices – what you’d pay at your local grocery store – all you pay is a $5 cork fee. No outrageous mark-ups.* Catering Services – business catering, real estate caravans.* Take-out available.* Varying, diverse menu – can change daily depending on what’s fresh and available.* Environmentally sustainable methods and products.* Kid and family friendly – there’s food for them that they’ll like (prepared in a healthy way – shhhhh…).* Counter service – faster, more economical service.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Its really important that we as chefs show how important it is in sourcing local produce, and supporting your local farmer.  Organic is secondary but if its local and organic then that’s even better. The key word is fresh. Our produce comes from our garden verses something that has taken weeks and weeks to get to the consumer, there is no comparison.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Salt….we would not be here if it were not for salt. Salt is essential for all human and animal life. It is one of the worlds oldest seasonings, I can’t imagine any kitchen being with out it.

What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] probably a food processor or a blender those two get used almost everyday.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? As a kid I washed dishes in a kitchen and watched the chef create food, from there I was hooked. I would taste and smell stuff all day. One chef back then that impressed me was Raymond Blanc. He was pretty much self taught and I all ways dreamed of going to his restaurant le manoir aux quat saisons. When I finally did I was like ” yeah this is how its done”.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? I would love to cook and eat with Charles Darwin, that would be some amazing dinner conversation.

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to? It would be with my family, in Spain lots of tapas with some good local wine or some seghesio or turley zinfandel and i would  be listening to some old jean Michel jarre or Beethoven.

Andrew Featherstone was born in Marietta, Ga but was raised in Hertfordshire England. He began working in the industry part time at 13 and by 16 he worked worked full time while attending culinary school.  He returned to the states at 25 where  he honed his culinary skills at the acclaimed 1848 house restaurant and instantly fell in love with southern food.   The next  nine years found Featherstone working for a management company opening restaurants from Texas to Savannah. Inspired by many cuisines from Thailand  to the deep south, Andrew’s philosophy is simple – good quality ingredients serve themself. Andrew also has a keen interest and extensive knowledge of  beer, wine and single malt whisky. Currently Andrew works  hand in hand with farm manager Corey Mosser to bring fresh seasonal produce, free range eggs to the table and assists in expanding the Plantation’s portfolio by canning & preserving.

Kevin Gillespie

Chef Kevin Gillespie

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?   It’s important to ensure that we use the freshest products possible at Woodfire Grill. It makes sense to support our local farmers and serve the best tasting food to our customers.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?  I think I would raise livestock and vegetables. I am intrigued by the three-field rotation method. It’s old-fashioned.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Well, salt goes without saying. In addition to that, apple cider vinegar.

What should every kitchen not be without? No kitchen should be without a high speed blender.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Thomas Keller. When I was 18 years old I got the French Laundry cookbook and read it cover to cover 3 times. He inspired me to constantly strive for perfection.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? George Bernard Shaw or Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to? I would like to be in the middle of a clearing in the woods somewhere in the middle of nowhere with a river or stream nearby. And I’d like to be with my immediate family and friends. We’d eat bbq and fried chicken with all the traditional southern fixings. We’d drink sweet tea. And the playlist would be like my favorite indie rock and speed metal bands. The last song would be from Mineral’s last album, “The Last Word is Rejoice.”

KEVIN GILLESPIE

Executive Chef/Partner- Woodfire Grill

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s true passion lies in serving his customers quality food every day.  This enthusiasm means incorporating the use of fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes.   His goals as executive chef and partner of Woodfire Grill are to increase the usage of local products, make seasonal dishes more exciting, and create a youthful atmosphere at the restaurant.

Gillespie, an Atlanta native, began his culinary education at the Art Institute of Atlanta where he was able to apply several scholarships he had previously earned from cooking competitions and other academic success.  During school, Gillespie was determined to gain the experience he needed to become a successful chef.  While carrying a full course load at the Art Institute, he worked part time at various restaurants perfecting his craft.  After graduating with honors, Gillespie went on to hold different positions at several well-known Atlanta restaurants including chef de partie at Atlanta Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, sous chef at TWO Urban Licks and chef de cuisine at Woodfire Grill.  He enjoyed his time at each of these places but found a true connection at Woodfire, where he originally stayed for two years.  In August of 2006, Gillespie headed to the West Coast where he went to work as executive sous chef at Fife Restaurant in Portland, Oregon.  After a year and a half there, he missed his family and friends in the South and returned to Atlanta.  Gillespie came back to Woodfire Grill to continue to work for his friend and teacher Michael Tuohy.

In the summer of 2008, Nicolas Quiñones and Bernard Moussa of Five Senses Restaurants, LLC purchased Woodfire Grill and made Gillespie the new executive chef.  They felt that in order to carry on Woodfire Grill’s reputation and mission, he was the most qualified for the position.  In early 2009, Gillespie joined Quiñones and Moussa as a partner in the restaurant.  Through his training, skill and passion, Gillespie maintains the values and ideas on which the restaurant is based.  In addition to achieving this partnership at the restaurant, Gillespie also earned a spot on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series “Top Chef” for the show’s sixth season in Las Vegas in 2009.  Proving to be a top contender by winning several “Quickfire Challenges” and “Elimination Challenges,” he stood out as one of this season’s final three chef-testants who competed for the “Top Chef” title in Napa Valley.  Gillespie was also voted “fan favorite” by the viewers of “Top Chef.”

As a rising young culinary star that brings more than just good food to the table, Gillespie was named one of Mother Nature Network’s top “40 Chefs Under 40” in November 2009 for linking farms to forks and promoting better health for people and the planet.  In February of 2010, he was honored as one of Gayot.com’s “Top Five Rising Chefs” and named as a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award.

Gillespie currently resides in the Morningside-Lenox Park area of Atlanta.  He is a member of Slow Food Atlanta, Southern Food Ways Alliance, Chefs Collaborative and the Society for the Preservation of traditional Southern Barbecue.  In his spare time he enjoys camping, playing music and barbecuing.

chef_nick_melvin

Q & A with Chef Nick

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? I truly believe that as a cook and as a chef its my job to help introduce local and organic products to the guest.  They come to my restaurant w/ full trust that the food I’m giving them will be the best quality and the best for them and so its my responsibility to give them the best.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Of course the obvious answer should be pork, b/c I believe its God candy, but I would love to grow any type of veggie.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Sea Salt

What should every kitchen not be without? A great crew, your nothing without your team, all else will follow accordingly.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? My mother was definitely a heavy influence on my entering the culinary world and my two icons would have to be Alice Waters and Frank Stitt

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?Bob Dylan, why?? Cause Dylan is god

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ? Wow, last supper, I’d have to say that I would have dinner with in an old building in the French Quarter, we’d have to start off w/ some absinthe, gumbo, whole roasted hog, sweetbreads, and simply prepared roasted veggies, finished off w/ a butterscotch bread pudding and several shot of pappy van winkle.

With a passion for food and all things pure and local, nationally acclaimed Chef Nick Melvin, formerly of The Farmhouse at Serenbe, creates Southern comfort inspired dishes with modern influences at Atlanta’s PARISH: Foods & Goods, a true neighborhood restaurant and market. A New Orleans native, he utilizes the local and farm-to-table philosophies that PARISH embraces as he brings the flavors of Southern roots back to Atlanta. Dishes epitomize his blending of the character, taste and love of the Crescent City with local Georgia flair. He emphasizes local farmers through weekly changing appetizers and entrées.

Prior to taking the helm at PARISH, Melvin was the executive chef at the Farmhouse at Serenbe, where he created a prix fixe, weekly-changing chef’s choice menu that featured seasonal dishes that incorporated the freshest ingredients from the Serenbe Organic Farms. His approach to local, sustainable and organic farming and cooking has been featured nationally in The New York Times and on the Travel Channel, as well as locally in The Atlantan. Preceding his time at Serenbe, Melvin was a mainstay at Concentrics Restaurants as a sous chef at Murphy’s, Room at TWELVE and TAP.

Melvin graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 2003, during which time he held an externship at Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo., and Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse in New Orleans, La. He perfected his culinary skills while staging with Chef Susan Spicer at New Orleans’ Bayonna and Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Ala. Born and raised in New Orleans, Melvin quickly developed a love and appreciation for the wonderful food of the Crescent City. He spent many afternoons cooking with his mother, who first introduced him to Alice Waters’ principles of using fresh and local ingredients in cooking. When he’s not in the kitchen, Melvin enjoys gardening, traveling and playing racquetball.

Q & A  with Chef Ron
Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?
Sourcing local and organic food for the restaurant is significant not only because it is a commitment to superior product, but it also allows us to develop relationships within the community that help further manifest the magnitude of the local food movement and positively impacts our local economy.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?
If I were a farmer I would raise chickens

What one seasoning can you not live without ? I don’t really cook with seasonings – I’d say I couldn’t live without Dijon mustard

How do you describe your style of cooking? My style of cooking is seasonal, very approachable,unpretentious and slightly humorous

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Jerry Garcia

What would you eat and drink at your last supper? Hot Dogs, Foie Gras, Doughnuts & Grand Marnier

Where would be your ideal location for your last supper, what music would you listen to and who would join you? Ideal location would be backstage at the Beacon Theater in NYC, listening to the Dead jam.  I would invite everyone who thought I was crazy for becoming a chef and doubted my ambitions to own a restaurant.