Q&A With Nikki Cascone
Chef Nikki Cascone has covered her culinary bases: she was once food and beverage director at Yankee Stadium and later held her own on Top Chef, Season 4. Now, she mans her own kitchen in SoHo at 24 Prince, where she has conceived a creative comfort food menu peppered with organic ingredients. At 24 Prince, Nikki’s signature dishes include crispy mac & cheese rolls with smoked gouda & bbq sauce and meat loaf wrapped in puff pastry with barbeque sauced mashed potatoes. What did you want to be when you grew up? A singer / musician What was your first job in food? A Pork store on Staten Island when I was 14. I sliced meats and made mozzarella. You made it into the top 8 contestants on Season 4 of “Top Chef.” How has the television exposure...
Read MoreQ & A With Cory Colton
Pastry chef Cory Colton’s culinary career was inspired not by his mother or farm upbringing, but rather by Marcel Desaulniers’ television show, “Death by Chocolate.” After formal education at the CIA, Cory perfected pastry in kitchens varying from The Trellis in Williamsburg, Virginia to the St. Regis in Aspen. But it was his drive to cook in NYC that brought him to Lespinasse and then the St. Regis, and now, Quality Meats. At Quality Meats, Cory’s signature desserts include his berry & praline crepes or his huckleberry & cherry cheesecake. A recent graduate of Ice Cream University, do try his butterscotch oatmeal cookie or mint Oreo ice creams. Single/Married/Divorced? Single What did you want to be when you grew up? Originally, I wanted to follow my uncle’s footsteps into the landscaping industry, but after having to mow about 600...
Read MoreQ & A With Waldy Malouf
Chef Waldy Malouf is not just a chef. Though he owns and operates multiple restaurants in NYC, including Beacon Restaurant on 56th Street as well as his namesake pizza joint, Waldy’s, on 27th Street, his career extends far beyond the kitchen. After graduating from the CIA, Waldy took over the Rainbow Room, revamping and earning the restaurant three stars from the NY Times. Since then, Malouf has written two cookbooks, and now sits on many charitable organizations in NYC, including Share Our Strength and God’s Love We Deliver. At Beacon Restaurant, diners can participate in the “Kitchen Counter” offered Thursdays, where Malouf personally prepares a twelve-course tasting menu. On other nights, the chef takes advantage of his wood burning oven, serving wood-roasted wild mushroom ravioli with light cream & sage brother and grilled lamb chops with sweet garlic, mint...
Read MoreQ & A With Jared Stafford-Hill
Chef Jared Stafford-Hill has traveled from East to West: previously chef de cuisine at Italian East Village restaurant, Hearth, he recently seized the opportunity to take over as executive chef at bobo, a chic townhouse in the West Village. Jared has revamped the European menu and implemented a rigorously green-conscious kitchen. Here, he combines bohemian and bourgeois influences with a salad of jamon serrano garnished with manchego, crushed almonds and apricots, and a dry aged beef “Fiorentina” with oxtail, morels and ramps. Single/Married/Divorced? I’m unmarried, but very happily taken. What did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be an architect as a kid. What was your first job in food? I was a dishwasher, at a fancy pizza place in Syracuse, NY. I knew then that this would be a good field…. You...
Read MoreQ & A With Josh Emett
Some might find Gordon Ramsay intimidating (to say the least,) but for Josh Emett, the chef de cuisine for all of the NYC Gordon Ramsay restaurants, Gordon Ramsay instills confidence and prowess, not fear. Josh joined the UK Ramsay team in 2000, starting as senior chef de partie at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea and then shifting to Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s. In the fall of 2006, Josh left his homestead for NYC at The London to take part in the Ramsay transformation. Now overseeing as many as 60 chefs, Josh reigns his multiple kitchens, varying from casual/bar fare to exquisite fine dining. At maze, diners feast upon honey and soy roasted quail with sauteed foie gras and spiced pear chutney, while at Gordon Ramsay, indulge in a roasted cannon of Colorado lamb with confit shoulder, olive crusted tomatoes,...
Read MoreQ & A With Michael White
It’s hard enough to succeed as executive chef in one kitchen, but Michael White manages to produce superior Italian dishes at two: Alto and L’Impero. Marrying into a Southern Italian family, his wife Giovanna was influential in his understanding of homemade pastas and balancing bright and bold flavors. And spending 7 years in Italy, he solidified his talents in Italian cuisine. Now residing in NYC, Michael maintains a consistent exploration of Italy, enabling him to add a personal touch to the “haute cuisine” at both restaurants. At Alto, he takes ricotta-filled ravioli and gives it a Northern Italian touch, using earthy truffle and hearty egg yolk, spinach, asparagus ragu, and parmesan cheese to complete the dish. At L’Impero, the food takes a Southern turn as saffron-flavored pasta is paired with meaty crab, sea urchin, and juicy tomatoes. Single/Married/Divorced? Married...
Read MoreQ & A With Susan Ungaro
With the 2008 James Beard Awards on the imminent horizon, we thought it would be an opportune time to check in with the foundation’s newest president, Susan Ungaro. Though Kim Cattrall from Sex and the City will dropping in to host the awards ceremony on June 8th, another woman runs the illustrious show year-round. For twelve years, Ms. Ungaro served as the editor in chief for the award-winning women’s magazine, Family Circle. An award winner herself, she has earned particular notice for her work from the William Paterson Legacy Awards and president Reagan’s Office of Consumer Affairs. Since having accepted the position of president at the James Beard Foundation two years ago, Ungaro has significantly revived its reputation and scholarship program. Under her supervision, the James Beard’s Greenwich Village townhouse has become a dynamic and prominent hub for over 200...
Read MoreQ & A with Craig Hopson
Craig Hopson inadvertently stumbled into the kitchen as a means to supplement his daily surfing habit while growing up in Australia. From there he traveled through Europe, training in such esteemed kitchens as Restaurant Guy Savoy in France before returning to Australia to launch his own eatery, Circa Restaurant. He moved to New York City to work alongside Terrance Brennan at both Artisanal and Picholine, earning himself a reputation for injecting bold and innovative flavors into French classics. Tapped to run the kitchen at One if By Land, Two if By Sea, Hopson has successfully transformed the menu from American to continental French fare with inventive global influences, such as beef Wellington with foie gras sabayon and soft shell crabs with squid ink linguine and paella broth. Single/Married/Divorced? Happily involved. What did you want to be when you grew...
Read MoreQ & A With Alex Stupak
Pastry chef Alex Stupak is a master of innovative designs and textures, making him no stranger to the molecular gastronomy taking place at wd~50. In a kitchen where science takes dishes to a whole new level, Alex has relied on experimentation and a precise sense of balance to perfect the creations that continue to delight and awe customers. At the youthful age of twenty-six, chef Alex Stupak had earned the pastry chef position at one of most innovative and praised restaurants in America, Alinea. There, Stupak worked alongside famed chef Grant Achatz, distinguishing himself with provocative creations and cutting-edge techniques. Alex reverses expectations with a cherry-covered chocolate, a dish of smooth chocolate mousse encapsulated by a blood-red cherry gel. Single/Married/Divorced Married. My wife is the pastry sous chef at Babbo. What was your first job in food? A...
Read MoreQ & A with Karen DeMasco
Pastry chef Karen DeMasco has distinguished herself not with subversive creations or unconventional methods, but with exemplary, classic desserts. Trends may come and go, but Karen’s elemental style that embraces seasonal fruits has sustained her ever-evolving career and a seven-year run at Craft. Karen first honed her techniques at Gramercy Tavern, and then Della Femina, where she was well-received by the New York Times. She was then lured by chef Tom Colicchio to helm the pastry department at Craft, and later Craftbar. At Craft, Karen’s signature desserts include gingerbread with roasted pear and crème fraiche, and chocolate cake with malted milk ice cream. But hurry to have a “choose your own adventure” dessert, as she will soon be departing. Officially ending her tenure with Craft and Craftbar this May, Karen plans to spend the summer finishing her cookbook and...
Read MoreQ & A With Nancy Olson
Nancy Olson has traveled a long way from her hometown in Napoleon, North Dakota to her current mainstay as executive pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern. With its unwavering devotion to bucolic compositions, this Danny Meyer haunt surely reeps the benefits of Olson’s rural upbringing. Nancy’s father raised cattle, while her mother made jams and jellies from seasonal produce grown on their farm. Her upbringing planted shaped a pastry career focused on the freshest, farm-grown ingredients. At Gramercy Tavern, Nancy’s signature desserts include the Grand Marnier mascarpone with a blood orange salad and a coconut tapioca with passion fruit caramel and cilantro syrup. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Single – but attached to the most wonderful, supportive man! What did you want to be when you grew up? For a long time I really wanted to be a teacher. As a chef, I...
Read MoreQ & A With Richard Leach
Most pastry chefs tweak their menu once a year. Richard Leach entirely dramatically reconceives his every three months. At Park Avenue Spring, this seasonal American restaurant gets a full makeover every time the temperatures change. But Richard has been embracing the seasons well before his position at PAS. He spent time in pastry at Aureole and Lespinasse, which earned him the James Beard Award in 1997 for Pastry Chef of the Year. In 2001, Leach published his cookbook Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple, which invited amateur bakers to create his delicate desserts at home. From the launch of Park Avenue Autumn this past fall 2007, then onto Winter and now into Park Avenue Spring, Leach has given guests an array of festive desserts to end on the perfect seasonal note. Signature desserts of this season include the...
Read MoreQ & A with Dovetail’s Vera Tong
With the recent debut of Dovetail on the Upper West Side, pastry chef Vera Tong dazzled both critics and diners with her truly inspired approach to classic desserts. Prior to Dovetail, Vera Tong worked in the kitchen at Compass, where she first met chef John Fraser. The two team up again at this highly received contemporary American restaurant where she not only has conceived an exemplary pastry menu, but also bakes the white cheddar cornbread that launch guests into dinner every evening. Vera’s signature brioche pudding with bacon brittle will be making an encore on the spring menu, as will new additions, including a chocolate and coffee parfait, glazed pineapple crumble and a peanut butter frozen cheesecake. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Single What did you want to be when you grew up? Just a cook How did you get into food?...
Read MoreQ & A With Mike Price
Chef and co-owner Mike Price is so attached to Market Table that even he got married in this 40-seat market-cum-restaurant. Who better to cook for the occasion than chef Joey Campanaro (The Little Owl)? Regulars who pack into this Greenwich Village eatery even came by to watch the ceremony through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dinner highlights included Market Table’s signature gnocchi with braised short ribs and crab cakes. Before launching Market Table, he trained at the CIA and then went on to work for restaurateurs Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams at the Mermaid Inn and The Harrison. Now Price plays the part of butcher, baker as well as chef. His seasonal American spring menu will feature a salad of fava beans, pecorino and mint and an English pea risotto. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Recently married March 2, 2008 to my amazing wife...
Read MoreQ & A with Oceana’s Ben Pollinger
Chef Ben Pollinger is not another seasonal American chef boasting organic ingredients from local farmers: he’s doing his own part to provide the ingredients himself. With a 500 square foot organic garden, Ben is as enthusiastic about his spring plants as the spring dishes on the menu at Oceana, a well-respected seafood restaurant in midtown. His mantra: “It’s all about relationships: the relationship between the farmer and the soil, the relationship between the fresh ingredients and preparing techniques; most importantly, the relationship between the dining experience and those enjoying it.” At Oceana, Ben creates a global cuisine melding international flavors and techniques to create an eclectic menu of seafood dishes. Signature dishes include the steamed grouper with lotus root, yu choy, young coconut, wood ear mushrooms & black bean sauce, and seared Hawaiian opah with hearts of palm, Oakwood...
Read MoreQ & A With Todd Mitgang
Chef Todd Mitgang recently made his solo debut at Crave Ceviche Bar in midtown East. At the youthful age of 27, Mitgang saw instant success, long waits and already has plans to expand his eatery into a neighboring space. Before his popularity at Crave, Mitgang studied at FCI, then landed his first job out of school at Soho’s Kittichai, where he was positioned as Chef de Cuisine. At Crave, Mitgang devotes his undivided attention to ceviches, curing an impressive selection of raw fish in unusual marinades, far beyond the usual lime and lemon juices. He adds extra crunch with whimsical accessories, including charred popcorn. Intensely fruity sangrias and a playful wine list, categorizing the wines by inviting descriptions like “toasted brioche,” add to this chef’s restaurant’s lure. With an ever-changing menu that rigorously bows to the seasons, his winter...
Read MoreQ & A With Alfred Portale
With Gotham Bar & Grill, Alfred Portale has successfully managed to build a 24-year old East Village institution with exemplary modern American fare. Portale has earned numerous high accolades, including two James Beard Awards and multiple 3-star reviews in the New York Times. This Wednesday, February 27th, the Careers through the Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is honoring him at their 10th annual benefit dinner. Not only a leader in the restaurant industry, but Portale also generously donates time to underserved high school students with culinary aspirations. Portale produces some of the city’s finest “vertically-inclined” dishes, including a roast squab with potato puree, sweet corn, snap peas, pine nuts and a smoked ancho chile sauce as well as juniper-spiced muscovy duck breast with sour cherries, butternut squash puree, foie gras and an apple cider jus. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Married What did...
Read MoreQ & A With Joe Campanale & Gabe Thompson
First-time restaurateurs Joe Campanale and Gabe Thompson have recently opened the instantly successful West Village wine bar, dell’anima. With Thompson in the kitchen and Campanale focused on the wine, the two have formed a partnership that brings a new outlook into the trendy NYC wine bar scene. Campanale brings his experience as a sommelier from Babbo to dell’Anima, where he has not only installed a rigorous Italian wine program, but also leans on his travels through Italy when creating cocktails. Thompson spent time in various acclaimed kitchens including Le Bernardin and Del Posto, where he perfected the art of homemade pasta, including kabocha squash ravioli with almonds, brown butter and sage, as well as a splendid tagliatelle alla bolognese. What do you two want to be when you grow up? Joe: I don’t know yet. I’m having so much...
Read MoreQ & A With Josh Eden
Chef/owner Josh Eden has fully embraced the nickname given to him when he worked at upscale French eatery, Jojo. After twelve years of diligent service in Jean-Georges’ artillery of kitchens, Eden ambitiously launched his first restaurant in SoHo. Though his training may be in fine French cuisine, his menu is packed with inventive spins on comfort food fare. He douses codfish and caramelized onions with a rich, gruyere broth, evoking a “French onion soup” twist. There’s also an outstanding roast chicken with garlicky green beans and mashed potatoes. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Single What did you want to be when you grew up? Fireman How did you get into food? My mother was phys-ed teacher, and she worked three jobs to support us, so she used to fill the freezer at home. I used to come home from school and defrost...
Read MoreQ & A With Josh Gripper
Pastry chef Josh Gripper has most recently garnered attention for his dazzling creations at A Voce, a prominent Italian newcomer on New York’s dining scene. A native New Yorker, Gripper jump-started his career as a child baking for his family in Queens. Upon graduating from the New York Art Institute, Josh joined the opening team at downtown Butter, but left soon after to work at Cafe Boulud where he first met chef Andrew Carmellini. He would later team up with Carmellini again at A Voce. Though this Flatiron destination is often praised for its duck meatballs and homemade pastas, Gripper delivers equally as flavorful desserts, including the “Bomboloni alla Toscana,” Tuscan doughnuts with chocolate sauce, and buttermilk panna cotta with roasted pineapple and basil sorbetto. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Single and dangerous What did you want to be when you grew...
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