Q & A with Ryan Lowder

Ryan Lowder craves action – perhaps that’s why he traded a career in finance for one in the kitchen.  And just recently, he jumped from Spanish cooking at Mercat, where he ran the kitchen, to Italian.  This former pro skier and mountain biker credits his culinary interests to grandparents who were farmers.  He got his start at the bottom, delivering pizzas, washing dishes, and bussing tables in Salt Lake City, and eventually headed east to the Culinary Institute of America.

Instead of hanging around for graduation from the CIA, Lowder found himself working at Jean Georges, followed by stages and consulting gigs in both Colombia and Spain.  Arriving back in New York, he worked at Casa Mono and as the opening chef at Mercat, where his cooking garnered the attention of restaurateur Sasha Muniak, a regular at the chef’s counter at Mercat.

Currently, Chef Ryan Lowder is heading up Gusto‘s kitchen, where he integrates lots of Mediterranean flavors into the Italian menu. On the menu right now is a homemade pappardelle with rabbit ragu and whole roasted sea bass with a fennel salad and olive pesto.

Single/Married/Divorced?
Recently married.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a professional skier.  Before then, early on, I was into forestry, but that’s back when I didn’t have any sense.

What was your first job in food?
I made pizzas and was a delivery boy for Romano’s in Salt Lake City.  I was sixteen and had my mother’s car to deliver the pizza.  I also washed dishes and bussed at ski resorts, and worked at a hotdog/hamburger stand.

You weren’t a chef who grew up in the kitchen.  We hear you’re quite an athlete – a professional skier and a mountain biker.   Does that athleticism translate to the kitchen?
Well, my grandparents were farmers, so in a way food really was a big part of my childhood.  I was a hyperactive child, and I found sitting at a desk to be just painful.  I like a tangible job, where I can move around and use my hands – it runs in the family.  In the kitchen, I get just that.

What inspired your decision to leave a career in finance for an apprenticeship in the kitchen?
I made a lot of money, but it was a soulless career.  I’m just more connected to cooking – like I said earlier there’s a lot more moving around, and I like to do that.

You chose not to finish school at the CIA to work full time at Jean Georges.  If you could do it again, would you have graduated from the CIA?
No, I wouldn’t.  I was in a unique situation in that I had a very good position.  Still, the CIA is a great institution, and it’s where I got my basis.  I’m happy for it.

What’s the most important thing you learned working in the kitchen at Jean Georges?
Cayenne pepper and lemon juice – the balancing of heat and acid. Jean Georges is very much about that – in fact, it’s more like religion in the kitchen.

You left Jean Georges to travel abroad to Columbia and Spain, where you cooked and consulted for some of Spain’s finest restaurants, including El Raco D’En Frexia.  What drew you to Spanish cuisine in the first place? 
My girlfriend at the time was a pastry chef at Jean Georges, and she was moving to Spain.  So really I did it for her – we made a stopover in Columbia where I consulted at various restaurants, and from there we moved to Barcelona. So, first I did it for a girl, but I soon grew to really love and appreciate the cuisine.

You came back and worked at Casa Mono, then served as the opening executive chef at Mercat.   Would you ever consider opening your own Catalan restaurant?
No.  I learned a lot, and I loved it, but I’ve moved on.  Right now, as you can see, I’m much more focused on Italian.  I will say, however, that I got my Mediterranean base from Spain.

How did the executive chef opportunity at Gusto come about?   How has the transition to Gusto been?  Have you revamped the menu, perhaps added some Spanish or Catalan-influenced dishes?  

Sasha, the owner of Gusto, was a regular at Mercat when I worked there.  He always dined at the chef’s counter.  As a result, he knew me and my cooking, and that’s how working at Gusto came about.

Where did you discover your love for Italian cuisine?  Have you traveled to Italy as well?
I have, yes.  I spent some time cooking with my friend’s grandmother in Milan.  It was a nice comparison to the cooking of my own grandmother.

You’ve cooked so many different cuisines – which is your favorite genre of cooking? 
At the moment it’s Italian.  It’s more casual than French cuisine, and it’s a whole different take on how to cook.

What is your favorite dish on the menu at Gusto?
It’s a toss up between the rabbit ragout with papparadelle – which is delicious – and the lamb with fava bean puree and cherry vinaigrette.

Your least favorite (you must pick one)?
The artichokes.  They’re a staple in Italian cuisine, but I’m bored with them.  It’s a toss up between those and the green salad.   

What are some culinary trends you embrace?  Any you predict?
I really like this whole butcher thing that’s going on – I have a great friend who’s a butcher and really knows his stuff – it’s nice to see him get more attention.  I predict more markets – fish from the morning’s catch, meat, fruit, and restaurants surrounding them, just like in Europe.  We don’t really have anything like that yet.

Any desire to return to leave New York and ski for the rest of your life?
Haha – it was fun while it lasted.  There’s nothing like the Snowbird tram on a powder day.

Any new projects on the horizon?  Spill the beans…
Just Gusto right now.  I’m working on a place next door.  And that is ALL I have on that at the moment.

Address: 60 Greenwich Ave., btwn. 11th St. & 7th Ave.
Phone: (212) 924-8000