The Chef's Table Podcast

An Interview with Chef Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia Chicago - 025 Long before, Chef Andrew Zimmerman landed at Sepia Chicago and before the talented chef graduated first in his class at the French Culinary Institute, a different passion fueled him.  Zimmerman used his creative talents in pursuit of fame as a rock star.  Chef Zimmerman loved music and played in numerous different bands around New York City in his younger years.  Between playing gigs, as so many musicians and other creative artists often do, Zimmerman found himself working in restaurant kitchens to pay his bills.  Eventually, Zimmerman began to see the potential of a career as a chef and now, years later, he is a culinary rock star. Once Chef Zimmerman made the decision to pursue a career in the culinary world, he said in our interview that he immediately took it seriously.  Zimmerman researched culinary programs and decided to apply to the prestigious French Culinary Institute.  He was accepted and was determined to thrive in his education.  Zimmerman accomplished his goal by graduating first in his class.  He said his time in culinary school was a positive experience that helped enhance the skills he already had and prepare him for further advancement.  Like any culinary program, Zimmerman said you get out of it what you put into it and he put his whole heart into the program. After graduating from culinary school, Chef Zimmerman made the decision to move away from New York and head to Chicago.  People who aren't immersed in the Windy City food scene often envision thick cut slabs of beef seared and partnered with a large potato slathered in butter and sour cream.  The reality is that its not all steak and potatoes in Chicago.  Zimmerman said he was pleased to find a large diversity in excellent restaurants in Chicago, much of it thanks to the wide diversity of ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago. Zimmerman worked at the Park Hyatt Chicago on multiple occasions, including a stint as Chef de Cuisine at the popular NoMI widely considered one of the best hotel restaurants in the country.  In 2008, Chef Zimmerman met restaurateur Emmanuel Nony.  Nony helped open NoMI and in 2009 he asked Chef Zimmerman to join him as Nony opened Sepia Chicago.  Zimmerman serves as the Executive Chef and helps the kitchen achieve Nony's vision for Sepia Chicago.  The restaurant is housed in a form print shop from the 1890s.  The decor in the space is a unique mix of nostalgia and modernity.  Zimmerman said he tries hard to plan the menu to pay homage to classic dishes and ingredients in a modern way.  His passion and hard work have earned Sepia Chicago and Chef Andrew Zimmerman accolades, including a 2013 James Beard nomination for Zimmerman. Chef Zimmerman also gained a little national exposure when he competed on the culinary competition show, Iron Chef America, in 2012.  Zimmerman battled Iron Chef Marc Forgione with the secret ingredient being cream cheese.  When the dust settled, Chef Zimmerman was victorious by a mere two points to score a rare challenger victory.  Zimmerman said the experience was great and he enjoyed the competitive nature of cooking on the show. No episode is complete without a recipe.  Chef Zimmerman shared a recipe that showcases his philosophy at Sepia Chicago.  This dish pays homage to a classic protein, while infusing a contemporary spin. Berkshire Pork Tenderloin and Hoisin Braised Pork Cheeks With Tea Soaked Prunes and Cippolini Onions Serves 41 Berkshire pork tenderloin, cleaned of all fat and silver skin8 pc Berkshire pork cheeks, cleaned of all fat and silver skin2 carrots, peeled and chopped1 stalk celery, chopped1 small onion, peeled and chopped3 cups chicken stock8 cippolini onions, peeled and roasted4 baby carrots, turned, blanched in boiling salted water and shocked in ice water4 baby turnips, turned, blanched in boiling salted water and shocked in ice water4 pc prunes, steeped in Lapsong souchong tea overnight,

An Interview with Chef Ken Oringer of Clio Restaurant and Toro Restaurant Boston - 024 One of the amazing things about profiling chefs across America is that no two are alike.  Some may embrace the same cooking styles or types of cuisine, but there is always something unique and different.  Award winning Boston chef, Ken Oringer, is definitely unique.  Over the course of his time in Boston, Oringer has continually sought to identify ways to expand the dining options throughout the city.  The result has Oringer at the helm of six restaurants in Boston, each with a very distinct menu and concept. Many masterful chefs spawn more than one restaurant as they seek to expand, however they often add restaurants that are complimentary to one another.  Perhaps they are all Italian-based menus or they consistently feature farm-to-table ingredients.  In our interview, Chef Oringer said he has always focused on the location for the restaurant and what is best for the neighborhood and the city while also appealing to his own skills and creativity.  Staying true to this approach has allowed Ken Oringer to build a loyal following with Boston area diners and it has established him as one of the country's top chefs. As is so often the case with top-rated chefs, Chef Oringer's love affair with cooking began at any early age.  During our interview, Oringer recalled being interested in food when he was younger and growing up in the northeastern United States.  In high school, entered the restaurant world as a dishwasher and fell in love with the industry.  He studied restaurant management at Bryant College and then applied and was accepted to the culinary program at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.  Oringer said his time at CIA really helped him develop a foundation to serve him well as he emerged from the school to work in some of the best restaurants. After graduating from the CIA, Chef Oringer remained in the New England area where he was born and raised.  He gained exposure to some of the country's best chefs as he worked Chef David Burke at River Cafe and Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten at Le Marquis de Lafayette.  Working with Jean Georges not only marked his first exposure to working in Boston, but Chef Oringer also said it was a transformative experience.  Oringer said he was excited to see Chef Jean Georges not only using classic French ingredients and cooking styles, but infusing Asian ingredients and techniques long before Asian fusion was popular. The experience with Asian ingredients and the fusion style appealed to Chef Oringer and led him to seek to further immerse himself in Asian cuisine.  This led Oringer to head west for San Francisco, a bastion of Asian cuisine in America.  Chef Oringer served as the Chef de Cuisine position at Silks in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, showcasing his Asian culinary skills.  Oringer said he also spent time traveling the world as much as possible to experience new food, including trips to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and several Spanish cultures like Spain and Argentina.  He said the experiences continued to help transform his cooking. After spending some time on the west coast in San Francisco, Chef Oringer said he felt prepared to open his own restaurant and felt called to return to the northeast.  Oringer chose to set up shop in Boston.  In 1997, Chef Oringer's Boston restaurant empire began when he opened Clio, a fine dining French restaurant located in the Eliot Hotel.  Clio was a hit with Boston area diners and critics right away.  The immediate success of Clio was a testament to Oringer's hard work and experiences working for some of the country's best culinary minds. The success of Clio led Oringer to open Uni in 2002, an homage to his love for Asian cuisine.  Uni is located in the lounge area of Clio and features sashimi with many of the core ingredients being sourced directly from the Tskuji Market in Tokyo.

An Interview with Paul Virant of Vie Restaurant and Perennial Virant Chicago- 023 What began as a tradition at home growing up blossomed into a successful career for Chef Paul Virant.  Food was a big part of growing up for Chef Virant.  Both of his parents were good cooks and since they lived in the country just outside of St. Louis, meals were home cooked and full of fresh ingredients.  Fresh milk acquired from the farm down the street and fresh vegetables from their garden were regular staples in the Virant home.  Those experiences help captivate Chef Virant and led him onto the path he walks now as one of America's best chefs. Aside from being the Chef/Owner of several top restaurants in Chicago, Chef Virant is a cookbook author.  His cookbook, The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking With Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux, ties directly into his childhood.  Canning and preserving was an annual ritual in his home and one he grew to embrace.  Throughout his career, Chef Virant has continued to keep the art of preservation as an integral part of his menus so the cookbook was a natural extension.  The cookbook writing process was challenging yet very rewarding, Chef Virant said during our interview. Baking was also a big part of growing up and Chef Virant says he vividly remembers the sourdough starter that was ever present during his childhood.  That same starter is the mother of the sourdough starter Chef Virant uses at his restaurants, Vie Restaurant and Perennial Virant.  Those experiences growing up were the triggers that made him want to consider a career with food. As Paul Virant got into high school, he began seeking out his first jobs and naturally he decided to get into restaurants.  Chef Virant procured a job at The Smokehouse Market and Annie Gunn's, a culinary landmark in St. Louis.  Virant said he worked his way up from the bottom and was immediately enthralled with all the Smokehouse does.  The Smokehouse Market makes homemade beef jerky, smoked trout and bratwursts, yet you can also get fine dining dishes like dry aged beef tartare, heritage chicken, quail, and a wide range of top cuts of beef. Working at The Smokehouse Market exposed Paul Virant to a wide range of cooking styles and techniques.  More than that it solidified his love for food and his desire to become a chef.  After high school, Chef Virant studied nutrition at West Virginia Wesleyan College.  After studying in a traditional college setting, Virant applied to the Culinary Institute of America, one of the nation's preeminent culinary programs.  After graduating from the CIA, Chef Virant gained some experience working in some New York City kitchens until he decided to move closer to home.  Virant began working at some of the best restaurants in Chicago, including Charlie Trotter's, Ambria and Blackbird. After building his skills and experience, Chef Virant decided it was time to branch out and open his own place.  If you know Chicago then you would know that in 2004, when Virant opened Vie Restaurant, the hot up and coming neighborhood was Wicker Park, for example.  If you were seeking to open a new restaurant, looking at Wicker Park would be a natural fit as an emerging area.  So why then, did Chef Virant choose to open in a bedroom community in the western Chicago suburbs?  For one, Virant's wife works in health care and began working in Downers Grove at the time so Western Springs was close to the city, but also close to Downers Grove.  Chef Virant also said in our interview that he saw a gap in the restaurant market in the suburbs.  The suburban Chicago area is traditionally filled with fast, casual and chain restaurants.  Diners seeking to have a fine dining experience were conditioned to head into the city for that experience.  That is until Chef Virant opened Vie Restaurant. Vie opened to great reviews and quickly built a following in the immediate area.

An Interview with Vintner/Restaurateur Joel Gott of Joel Gott Wines and Gott's Roadside - 022 We interrupt our regularly scheduled podcast episode to bring you a look at the restaurant industry from a slightly different perspective today.  Those of you who stop here often know that we profile the best chefs in America.  From master chefs with decades of accomplishment to young chefs molding the culinary landscape in America today.  So far each episode has held true to that specific mission.  Today we depart slightly from that as we have a conversation with Joel Gott.  Gott is a vintner with his own line of Joel Gott Wines and a restaurateur, operating the ever-growing and popular string of Gott's Roadside restaurants. After listening to this interview for a few minutes, I am confident you will see why we decided to bend the rules and interview Joel Gott.  While he never attended culinary school and he doesn't spend the majority of his time running the kitchen at Gott's Roadside or creating new dishes for the menu, he does know good food.  After following in his family footsteps in the wine business, Gott and his brother, Duncan, heard about a roadside eatery in St. Helena that was up for lease.  The pair were already running a successful grocery in the Napa Valley as Joel also continued to build his wine brand.  Embracing their ever-present entrepreneurial spirit, the pair leased the 50-year old roadside establishment and opened it in 1999.  The roadside stand had been run by the Taylor family since it opened in 1949 and the Gott brothers kept the name intact, calling the place Taylor's Automatic Refresher. The Gott brothers wanted to have quick service food, but with a gourmet twist.  More than a simple burger joint, Joel and Duncan Gott built the business around menu items like a grilled Ahi Burger, Ahi Poke Fish Tacos, handmade burgers from all vegetarian fed local beef and more gourmet dishes.  The restaurant also offers diners the chance to pair wine and beer with their meals.  Gott said in our interview that he values the chance to pay homage to the roadside diner, while providing a high quality, cooked to order product. The restaurant thrived and Joel and his brother decided to open another location in 2004 when they opened a stand in the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco.  Known as a haven of specialty food shops, the second location boomed.  Eventually, the Gott brothers added locations in Napa and a fourth location that just opened this year in Palo Alto.  The success of the eatery also led to national recognition when the restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and in magazines like Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Travel + Leisure.  The national recognition culminated in a James Beard Award in 2006, recognizing them as one of America's classics. If you know the chain, then you may know that they restaurants are no longer using the Taylor's Automatic Refresher name.  In 2010, Joel Gott and his brother changed the name of the restaurant chain to Gott's Roadside.  This seemed like a daunting task to transform a change with an established presence and brand recognition and Joel discussed at length how and why they changed the name in our interview.  In the end, changing the name was inevitable after the Taylor family and the Gott's became ensnarled in an argument over the Taylor's Automatic Refresher name.  The daughter's of the Taylor family parents who opened the restaurant originally, now in their 80s themselves, didn't want the Gott brothers to trademark the name Taylor's Automatic Refresher and fought to keep them from using it for the restaurant chain.  Rather than fight the daughters, Joel Gott said they decided to change the name to Gott's Roadside instead.  This too, drew the ire of the Taylor daughters who said Duncan and Joel Gott made an oral promise to keep the Taylor family name on the original St. Helena location.  Finding no way to win with the daughters,

An Interview with Chef Hayden McMillan of Waiheke Island Yacht Club San Francisco - 021 Have you ever heard of a pop-up restaurant?  Admittedly, it's not a typical trend in the culinary world, however communities hosting large scale events like the World Cup or the Olympics will often see restaurants spring up for the event.  These restaurants are designed to capitalize on the event and they often leave shortly thereafter.  Chef Hayden McMillan, one of the top chefs in New Zealand came to San Francisco this summer to serve at the helm of the Waiheke Island Yacht Club restaurant. Not familiar with the major event in San Francisco this summer that inspired fellow Kiwis, McMillan and owner Tony Stewart, to open the restaurant?  Well you must not follow competitive sailing then because San Francisco was home to the America' Cup in 2013.  Stewart approached the America's Cup with his idea and they were excited about the concept and thus the restaurant was born.  After securing a space on Pier 29 in San Francisco's popular Embarcadero district, work began in earnest.  McMillan said in the interview, that the whole build out happened in less than a month and he and his kitchen staff spent their first several weeks laying the wood floor and installing appliances before finally being able to cook. The restaurant opened on July 4 with the guarantee that they would have a space until December 31st and nothing more.  The San Francisco dining community fully embraced the restaurant immediately.  Kiwis in town to watch the America's Cup enjoyed the chance to dine on familiar cuisine and Chef McMillan said it helped tremendously that New Zealand's sailing team reached the finals of the America's Cup. Chef Hayden McMillan described the cuisine at Waiheke Island Yacht Club as crisp and clean with a focus on seafood and fresh ingredients.  In fitting with the goal of introducing Kiwi cuisine to the San Francisco dining market, the restaurant imports a great deal from New Zealand.  McMillan said the restaurant imports things like the lamb, venison, line caught snapper, grass fed beef and more. For Chef McMillan, the chance to lead the kitchen staff at Waiheke Island Yacht Club in San Francisco also marks his first travel abroad.  McMillan said after the America's Cup concluded things settled in a bit and he has been able to explore San Francisco a bit to consumer as much local cuisine as he can.  McMillan said he and restaurant owner, Stewart, are also planning to travel the US after the first of the year to learn more about regional differences in cuisine.  Chef McMillan said he is looking forward to visiting New York City, Chicago, New Orleans and other places. Chef McMillan said food is a part of many of his early memories.  McMillan grew up in a single parent family and began to experiment with cooking to help prepare meals while his mother worked.  He said he enjoyed cooking from the start and began to develop a desire to pursue a career as a chef.  After graduating, Chef McMillan attended culinary school in New Zealand and began working his way up the ranks of the top restaurants in New Zealand.  Chef McMillan said the food culture in New Zealand is much different than in many parts of the United States.  In New Zealand, McMillan said many people eat at home far more often then eating out and so there aren't as many top restaurants in New Zealand compared to the United States.  In recent years, however McMillan said the restaurant scene has been growing in New Zealand.  McMillan has been among the leaders, taking the helm as Head Chef of Auckland's TriBeCa restaurant at just age 25.  In three years leading the kitchen staff, the restaurant was consistently named among the Top 50 Restaurants in New Zealand.  McMillan earned individual recognition in 2012 as an Honorable Mention for Chef of the Year at the Cuisine Awards, New Zealand's version of the James Beard Awards.

An Interview With Pastry Chef Melanie Durant of Empire State South Atlanta - 020 What is the first things that comes to mind when you think of dessert?  Sugar?  Ice cream?  fruit, maybe?  For the average cook or foodie, dessert means something swe...

An Interview With Chef Jenn Louis of Lincoln Restaurant Portland - 019 Chef Jenn Louis came a long way in a short time to get to where she is today.  Where is she today?  Well for starters she is happily married to a husband who works alongside her daily in the two successful restaurants they own in Portland and in the catering business, which came first and is still arguably the best catering business in Portland.  She is also a national name now in the culinary world thanks to her recognition in 2012 by Food and Wine magazine as one of the country's Best New Chefs.  And now she is soon to be a cookbook author on a topic, which has never been written in the English language. Chef Louis grew up with a Polish grandmother and a mother who cooked often.  Jenn Louis said dinner was home cooked by her mother each night growing up in a family with traditional values, especially at mealtime.  Despite being exposed to good food at home growing up, Chef Louis acknowledged that she didn't have a lot of chances to get hands on in the kitchen herself growing up.  After high school, Louis chose to go to a traditional college and ambitiously earned three degrees, which she joked in the interview she never uses.  After college, Chef Louis took a job with Outward Bound, an international non-profit organization providing outdoor education.  Her job with Outward Bound took her to the east coast and she served as a cook in the North Carolina woods.  Chef Louis said it was her first experience truly cooking and she immediately loved the challenge of putting together meals with limited delivery of ingredients. That initial cooking experience led Jenn Louis to the Western Culinary Institute in Portland where she graduated.  During her time in the culinary program and after graduation, Louis also worked in local restaurants to gain experience.  In 2000, Chef Louis decided it was time to build her own food business and she opened Culinary Artistry, a catering company in Portland.  From the start, Louis designed the catering company to be a truly full service event planning firm.  One where you didn't just get a meal, but you also got assistance with floral arrangements, valet parking, and anything else needed to make the event a success.  In our interview, Louis said the creative freedom the catering business allowed was very pleasing to her. After building Culinary Artistry for eight years, Chef Jenn Louis said her husband encouraged her to open a restaurant.  From the start, Louis and her husband David Welch knew they wanted a comfortable place with honest food.  Who is more honest than "Honest" Abe Lincoln?  And thus the name was born.  Lincoln Restaurant was embraced by the Portland dining community and even with the economic recession the restaurant continued to find success.  The menu at Lincoln is simple, yet refined.  Items like Roasted Half Chicken with Shoestring Potatoes and Rabbit with Gypsy Peppers, Sweet Paprika and Creme Fraiche are items you will find.  The menu changes seasonally to ensure the best quality dishes. In 2011, Louis and her husband expanded their burgeoning empire in Portland by adding Sunshine Tavern.  With Sunshine Tavern, they strove to have good food in a fun atmosphere.  The focal point of the space is a 14-foot shuffleboard table.  The fun continues with free access to the vintage Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong arcade games.  The menu at Sunshine is pub fare with Chef Louis' creative twist.  Pizza and burgers are available and you can get delicious selections like a Fried Duck Egg Sandwich with Romesco and Provolone or a Crispy Pig Ear Sandwich with Cabbage and Salsa Verde. When she is not in the kitchen at on of the restaurants, Chef Louis enjoys hanging out at home with her husband and cats.  She has always loved traveling and so she travels as often as she can.  Her travels mostly revolve around food as you would imagine should be the case for any good chef.

An Interview With Chef Justin Cogley of Aubergine Carmel - 018 If you sat down to have a chat with Chef Justin Cogley, recently named one of Food and Wine magazine's Best New Chefs in 2013, you'd quickly learn that he is pretty shy.  The soft spok...

An Interview With Pastry Chef Bob Truitt of Marea NYC and Altamarea Group - 018 So here we are nearly 20 episodes into this odyssey and we are just now introducing our first pastry chef.  Even though it is time for dessert, don't begin to think th...

An Interview With Thomas McNaughton of Flour and Water San Francisco - 016 When you get to know Chef Thomas McNaughton, you begin to have some doubts.  Something just doesn't seem quite right.  It makes sense that he loves fresh ingredients since he grew up in a family that ran a nursery.  No major questions arise when you know McNaughton infuses Italian dishes into his menus since he fell in love with pasta making while working in Italy.  When you sit down and spend some time talking to the 30 year old James Beard nominated chef, you quickly figure out the problem.  The doubts become justified the more you talk.  The realization is that Chef McNaughton is superhuman. There can be no other logical conclusion to explain how this baby faced chef keeps his ever expanding empire firing on all cylinders.  An empire which started when Chef McNaughton returned from Italy after honing his pasta making skills at Bruno e Franco among other stops.  Since 2009, McNaughton and his business partners have opened, Flour and Water, Central Kitchen, and Salumeria.  The superhuman part comes in because McNaughton opened Central Kitchen and Salumeria just mere weeks apart from each other, Chef McNaughton makes constant trips to the farmers market and Bay area farms to ensure the best ingredients, he is currently working on a cookbook to be published in 2014, and he is overseeing the installation of a 2,000 plus square foot roof garden above the restaurants. How is all of this possible?  Chef McNaughton discusses some of the ways he makes it happen in our interview, including the pros and cons of living where you work.  But the reality which comes through in our interview is that McNaughton is a man driven by food.  From his early food memories at home to his time staging across Europe to all the time and effort he puts in to build and maintain relationships with farmers.  All of it shows elements of how he makes the seemingly impossible become possible.  Yet there are still the intangible elements.  The things that are only evident when you dine at one of his restaurants.  His entire being that is poured into each dish through the efforts he makes to develop quality staff, great ingredients and pleasing spaces to dine in. In as much as Chef Thomas McNaughton is driven by his own pursuit of perfection in food and ingredients, it was amazing to hear in our interview how empowering he is as a leader.  While many young chefs rely solely on their own abilities, McNaughton has learned the ways of a master chef already.  Perhaps his time at Gary Danko or Quince or La Folie prepared him.  McNaughton shared that he enjoys both challenging his kitchen staff and empowering them to become an active part of the creative process.  Chef McNaughton said he will often tell one of his chefs he would like to add an egg element to a dish so the chef will go home and think of the best ways to incorporate that element.  McNaughton also said he is proud to know that many of his staff use the development kitchen to constantly be learning.  While some owners try to constantly retain their staff, McNaughton beamed with pride when he discussed how numerous chefs have written successful business plans in that test kitchen and moved on to chart their own paths. The hard work and immense dedication to the San Francisco community and to his craft are evident in all things McNaughton does.  His recognition has grown beyond the Bay area as Chef McNaughton has been nominated three consecutive years as the Best Rising Star Chef from the James Beard Foundation.  The Beard Foundation also nominated Flour and Water San Francisco as best new restaurant in 2010.  There is no telling what the future may hold, but it is safe to say Chef McNaughton will continue to be a familiar face in the culinary scene. Rutabaga Cappelleti With Hedgehog Mushrooms Olive Oil1 lb Rutabaga - cleaned, washed with hot water and scrubbed.  Sliced thin as possible1/2 ea Yellow Onion,

An Interview With Chef Matthew Accarrino of SPQR San Francisco - 015   The path to becoming an accomplished chef is paved with hard work and long hours.  Chef Matthew Accarino of SPQR San Francisco knows the path well.  Chef Accarrino has worked for some of the country's best chefs from Todd English to Charlie Palmer to Tom Colicchio to Thomas Keller.  Now Matthew Accarrino is developing his own following now and seeing recognition on the national level for his work. Chef Matthew Accarrino found his love for food and cooking in a fairly unconventional way.  Despite being in a family filled with good home cooks growing up, Accarrino wasn't thinking of cooking for a living until one fateful day in high school.  On that day, Matthew Accarrino was playing a game of frisbee with friends at school.  He jumped up to grab the disc and when he landed, he fell and broke his leg.  The break was actually inevitable since Accarrino had a bone tumor in his leg that continued to grow larger as he grew.  Surgery was able to remove the tumor and repair his leg, but it resulted in a very long recuperation period where he couldn't walk for the better part of two years.  Up until his injury, Chef Accarrino aspired to become a professional cyclist.  The injury led him to find ways to spend his time at home productively.  That led him to cooking.  Accarrino read cookbooks, watched cooking shows on television, and eventually practicing in the kitchen as he became more mobile. As a serious cyclist, Chef Accarrino was always concerned about his diet and the food he consumed to fuel his riding.  So cooking was a bit of a natural fit.  After he recovered, Matthew Accarrino began working in restaurants.  Taking the career seriously, Accarrino completed the culinary program at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and also completed a bachelors degree in Hospitality Management from Fairleigh Dickinson.  In the interview, Accarrino said he felt the education helped prepare him for the next level of his culinary career. After graduating from both programs, Chef Accarrino traveled to Italy where he was able to gain firsthand experience with Italian cuisine.  During his time in Italy, Matthew Accarrino worked at Michelin-rated Antonello Colonna.  Accarrino said his experience in Italy was transformational for him. Armed with his education in the classroom and in the gardens of Italy, Chef Accarrino returned to the United States and began working in some of the top restaurants in New York City.  Accarrino earned his spot at the opening sous chef at Thomas Keller's first New York restaurant, Per Se.  Eventually, Matthew Accarrino linked up with Tom Colicchio and began working in his numerous restaurants.  This took him westward to Los Angeles.  Chef Accarrino found his home in the San Francisco food scene and took the position as executive chef at SPQR San Francisco in 2009. Accarrino describes SPQR as a comfortable place with a more casual atmosphere, yet with food from his Italian heritage executed with great attention to detail.  His work has been recognized locally and nationally.  Chef Matthew Accarrino was named 2010 Rising Star by Star Chefs.  The James Beard Foundation recognized him as a nominee for Best Chef: Pacific in 2012 as well.  in 2013, Chef Accarrino was named Best New Chef: California by Food & Wine and perhaps most notably, his work with SPQR San Francisco helped earn the restaurant a prized Michelin Star in the 2013 guide.  Accarrino said while the recognition is fun, he is most pleased with the teamwork in his kitchen and the awards shine through as a testament to their work collectively. Chef Matthew Accarrino is Italian through and through.  So it shouldn't surprise you that his recipe to share is an Italian dish.  The recipe is courtesy of his cookbook, SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine, authored by Accarrino, SPQR owner Shelley Lindgren with Kate Leahy.

An Interview With Chef Dale Talde of Pork Slope & Talde - 014 Growing up in Chicago to Filipino parents, food was a focus in the home for Dale Talde.  At an early age, Chef Dale Talde began to develop an interest in cooking.  That interest matured...

An Interview With Chef Kim Alter of Haven Oakland and Plum Oakland Kim Alter is a California girl through and through.  Like so many great chefs, she began working with food at an early age.  As early as middle school, Chef Alter found herself usi...

An Interview with Chef Ethan Stowell of Staple and Fancy & How to Cook a Wolf The Seattle food scene is vibrant and diverse even though many people think of seafood when they think of Seattle cuisine.  While seafood is on many Pacific northwest menus, at least one chef is working to bring a wide range of cuisine options to Seattle diners.  Ethan Stowell is that chef.  Chef Stowell is a self taught chef manages a burgeoning restaurant empire with six different restaurants in Seattle.  He manages these restaurants along with his wife, Angela, who is an active co-owner. Despite being self taught, Ethan Stowell is a very accomplished chef and he pours all of his energy into each new restaurant.  There is a definite common denominator in his cuisine.  Chef Stowell constantly looks to create his menus to feature fresh, local ingredients whenever possible.  Many of his restaurants feature Italian inspired dishes as well.  All of it, as Stowell mentioned in the interview, is designed around the neighborhoods where the restaurants live.  In talking to Chef Stowell, you quickly realize how much he loves finding a building that is a diamond in the rough and shaping it into a new restaurant.  The realization of his vision in design and cuisine seems to fuel his passion to cook amazing food as well.  Staple and Fancy, How To Cook a Wolf, Rione XIII and all of his restaurants are designed to revitalize the neighborhoods where he places them. Stowell grew up in a creative home where the arts were a featured element of daily life.  His parents ran the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company throughout his younger years and so the arts were heavily encouraged.  Once Stowell developed a passion for cooking, his family fully supported his decision despite their earlier attempts to make him into a dancer.  Stowell said the whole family agreed early on that he was a terrible dancer and so they encouraged him to express his creativity in the ways that fit him best.  Thanks to good kitchen memories at home as he grew up, Chef Stowell said he found a desire to express himself with food. Chef Ethan Stowell began his professional culinary journey working for a catering company run by a friend of the family.  He worked there for a number of years and then moved on to restaurants.  Stowell briefly left Seattle to work at Seeger's in Atlanta, Georgia, but came back home after a year.  Chef Ethan Stowell went on to work in Seattle restaurants until he opened his own place, Union, in 2003.  While Stowell eventually closed Union, he continued to open other restaurants, many of which are Italian-inspired. Tavolata is all about quality pasta. Freshly cooked pasta and family style portions are on the menu.  Anchovies & Olives takes the Italian inspiration and marries it to seafood.  Chef Stowell searches near and far to obtain the freshest and highest quality seafood.  The menu includes an extensive selection of Crudo along with seafood pasta dishes and more traditional entrees.  Staple & Fancy features Italian dishes with fresh, house made pastas and other delicious dishes like free range chicken, pork cheeks and a 32-ounce ribeye.  Chef Stowell also offers a personally prepared tasting menu of four courses served family style for the entire table. How to Cook a Wolf is cleverly named after the cooking novel by M.F.K. Fisher.  The book discusses how, in the times of wartime shortages, you can do more with less and create great dishes with simple ingredient.  Ethan Stowell does just that in his restaurant of the same name.  Guests can dine on spaghetti, bucatini, beef carpaccio, and more.  Rione XIII is aptly named after the 13th District of Rome.  Street pizzas are on the menu along with a wide selection of pastas, small plates and traditional dishes like chicken cacciatore and veal piccata.  Chef Stowell's newest venture, Bar Cotto, is a traditional style salumeria.  Italian style pizzas are featured as the larger dishes,

Chef Linton Hopkins - Restaurant Eugene & Holeman and Finch The city of Atlanta is not often on the fine dining list of culinary meccas.  New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, maybe Los Angeles (depending on who you ask), but generally not Atlant...