Jody Williams brings big French flavor to Grove Street

Photo credit: Max Poglia

The minute Jody Williams walks into Buvette during a bustling lunch service, she is greeted by a slew of friends and Franchofiles that are enjoying every morsel of her new Gallic venture. The lively, "everybody knows your name" atmosphere at her West Village gastroteque is exactly as it should be; homey and inviting, with no aires about it.

As I chat with Williams on a brisk fall day, we sit outside next to the signature Buvette bike, a French two-wheeler that you imagine the owner to be a lithe French woman with baguettes and greens hanging outside the shopping basket. At the moment, it is filled to the brim with wine corks. Williams situates herself near the front door so she can keep an eye on her gastronomes that serve as the host, servers, sommeliers, bartenders and baristas. It's a place built on the traditional way of working where "you roll up your sleeves and do every job," Williams says.

She has a zen-like quality to her, speaking from the heart with a genuine passion for cooking, serving, learning and teaching people about food. Her best advice for those that are thinking about becoming a chef? "Learn at the source. Feed your soul. Give yourself time. It takes a decade to really master the craft of cooking and be able to transfer it into your freedom as a chef in the kitchen."

Mousse Au Chocolat
Photo credit: Felicia Jamieson

Williams learned from the source herself. Before she traveled around Europe, she began cooking in San Francisco, working as chief steward at the Four Seasons Clift while Mario Batali was working in the kitchen as sous chef. "I took the job at the Four Seasons to see if working in food was what I really wanted to do. Mario was inspiring and there was a great energy about him and it affirmed to me that [cooking] is something I was [going to] do," says Williams.

Buvette at 42 Grove Street
Photo credit: Buvette

After learning the ins and outs of the kitchen, she  went to the source - Italy. "[Until then], I was always looking for something more real and traditional. I thrive in an environment where I'm extremely challenged and learning and it's new. I was further inspired by the [native] people that would always encourage me to cook, so [when] learning a dish I [received] a lot of affirmation from the culture and Italian and French people that would give me tidbits on their cuisine."

Not only has she learn from friends and patrons of her restaurants, she has surprised a few as well, by simply being a woman. "So often when I was working in Italian cuisine, there would be a group of Italians and they would ask the server 'Can I meet the chef - we would love to thank him' and when I came out and they realized I was an American woman and I spoke Italian, it was always a rewarding moment."

Fig tartine
Photo credit: Buvette 

She continues to surprise her French clientele that are strong in numbers at Buvette, which is always a good sign when the expats are dining in droves. "The French [guests] don't think an American will be making real cou qu vin or tarte tatin or aligot on par with traditional dishes and they are so disappointed when I come out and say "Can I help you?" in English because they assume a French chef is running the kitchen."

Maybe French expats feel so at home because that was William's intention, all along. Buvette is designed to feel like a romantic, yet rustic kitchen in Provence. From the chalked out map of France that details the wine list to the Warren Muller chandelier that hangs above a communal table in the back. You can see old meets new, traditional meets modern. She has nurtured a culture of food and wine where it isn't fussy or put on, but welcoming and accessible.  The bar is lined with small leather baskets filled with nuts, bottles of wine, fresh pastries, glass mason jars and cutlery, all things you would find in Mémé's house.

Photo credit: Buvette 

The love and attention to detail is found on the menu, as well. Williams showcases variations of croque monsieur, tartines, crepes and "just the right size" pastries to go with your morning or afternoon coffee. All are a perfect fit for her made up term of "gastroteque," a place that is suited for any time of day or night. "It can be your cafe, your early morning coffee, luncheonette, your before or after work bite, your indoor or outdoor picnic - it can be anything."

Everything seems smaller to the American eye in Buvette, or to those that aren't aware that Buvette actually means diminutive or small. "I have a strong reaction to everything that is so big. I don't want a croissant the size of my hand or a muffin that's as big as a softball. I want things that are tailored to go with an apertif or coffee or tea." Her restaurant lives by this philosophy where it is a place to gather, a joining of friends. This seems very nuanced at Buvette, but it's a very old concept that Williams has embraced and welcomes New Yorkers with open arms.

wEE Recommend Buvette for Breakfast meetings, lunch with clients, romantic dinner date, late night bite in West Village.

Photo credit: Max Poglia

QuickEE Questions for Chef Jody Williams: 

1. Besides Buvette, where do you like to eat? 
I Sodi - 105 Christopher Street @ Bleecker St. 
Takashi - 456 Hudson Street @ Morton St.
Pearl Oyster Bar - 18 Cornelia Street @ West 4th St.
Taim -  222 Waverly Place @ Perry St.


2. What is your favorite "I just got out of the kitchen and need a drink" drink?
My favorite drink changes with the seasons. I always enjoy a Negroni - I Sodi has the best Negroni in town. I drink Campari and soda like it's water. This summer I was drinking sparkling Gamay. In the winter, I enjoy vin brulé, a mulled wine that warms you right up - I think it's perfect before you go outside and crunch your way through the snow. 


3. What do you think is your greatest responsibility as a chef?
Take care of the world. We all have a responsibility to ensure that our generation isn't stuck eating [food like] GMO salmon and teaching them how to eat real things. There is this whole idea of stewardship [as a chef] which is really great to see.  


by Joleen Zanuzoski, Eatery Expert

Kurt Dammeier, Beecher's Handmade Cheese & The Cellar (Flatiron)

Kurt Dammeier brings Oprah's Fave Mac & Cheese to Flatiron
by Joleen Zanuzoski, Eatery Expert

Kurt Dammeier in The Cellar at Beecher's Handmade Cheese  [Photo: Eatery Expert]

You would never guess that Kurt Beecher Dammeier hasn't been working as a food-store entrepreneur and chef all his life. He could talk about cheese and charcuterie for hours and he sure makes a mean aligot. He is high-energy and full of life, tending to his love of food and feeding people on the daily. After selling his grandfather's printing business for some major dough, he could have retired a wealthy man but instead, he began a very delicious second act that started in the Pacific Northwest and this summer, it arrived at 900 Broadway, NYC.

"I was given a second chance to go out and have [another] career. I decided the second chapter would be about

This milk will soon be 650 pounds of Beecher's Flatiron Cheese - we can't wait for it to age! 

[Photo Credit: Eatery Expert]

my passion. The thing that I feel really lucky about is I get to turn my passion into my business without losing my passion for it," muses Dammeier between bites of his deliciously creamy Flagship cheese.

Dammeier's love of cheese started at an early age. "My earliest cheese memory was my Grandfather and Grandmother Dammeier would lay huge chunks of cheese out whenever I visited [them]. I remember chedder, blue, and huge wheels of Stilton just [laying] out and we would just walk by and hack off a piece."

When he was in his teens, he knew the difference between "generic" cheese and "the good stuff." He remembers going to the grocery store with his mother and instead of making a B-line for the Kraft Singles, he wanted the Tillamook Cheese and "not the other stuff." He traveled to Europe after high school and was exposed to "a vast variety of foods. After that, I became a really aggressive home chef in my twenties and thirties." He would throw dinner parties and charm his guests with cheese. "One easy way to look like I knew what I was doing was to put out some great cheeses and people would think I was a gourmet." This was when he was twenty-five years old, when I'm sure most twenty-five year olds were perfecting the art of the grilled cheese, not the high-end gourmet cheese plate.

Assortment of Beecher's Cheeses and Beecher's Crackers, with pickled fennel stems and pickled raisins. [Photo: Eatery Expert]

Dammeier has applied his love of pure food, along with an appreciation for all-natural ingredients into everything from the cheese he is aging to the food education classes he is introducing to elementary schools throughout Seattle and now, New York. Part of the Beecher mission is "to change the way America eats," and it seems to be Dammeier's personal philosophy as well. "[My focus] is about pure food and transparency; [I want] people to care about what it is they're eating and how it [was] made."

It's no secret how his cheese is made because it's on display at both the Pike Place Market outpost of Beecher's Handmade Cheese as well as the Flatiron location. Wheels of aging cheese decorate a wall of the cavernous lounge, The Cellar, which not only serves as a swanky watering hole but a working cheese cellar. The aging cheese remains on the wall until it is ready to be served on one of Dammeier's delicious cheese spreads, or melted to perfection in a vat of Oprah's favorite Mac and Cheese.

Dammeier's empire decorates his chef coat.
[Photo: Eatery Expert]

Before he brought his cheese and charm to New York City in June, Dammeier applied his savvy business sense and artisan passion to what seems like every nook and cranny in and around Seattle. The first purchase that got his feet wet was in 2000 when he bought the thirty-year old gourmet food emporium Pasta & Co. Now with three locations in the Seattle area, it has provided the ideal training ground to become a major player in artisanal food-making.

Not only does he watch over the Pike Place location of Beecher's, he oversees the pig-shaped food truck Maximus/Minimus, a pulled-pork food truck parked throughout Seattle and known for it's long lines and massive flavor. As if that's not enough, he opened the all-natural Bennett's Pure Food Bistro, which draws inspiration from recipes featured in his cookbook, Pure Flavor: 125 Fresh All-American Recipes from the Pacific Northwest.

The Flatiron, NYC location of Beecher's Handmade Cheese is  8,000 square feet of cheese heaven and you must check it out. The Mac and Cheese is an obvious must-try, and head down to The Cellar for happy hour to enjoy your favorite libation. They feature some inventive, quality cocktails including the Stanford White, named after the 125-year-old building that houses Dammeier's latest artisanal palace.

Dammeier is living the bi-coastal life these days, traveling back and forth from Seattle for his son's football season at Mercer Island High School and to experiment with new recipe ideas. "My wife doesn't cook, but she is a really good eater and has a great palate - she gives me the best feedback on my [new] recipes. Most of my recipe development is just experiments on my family."

Follow Kurt Beecher Dammeier on Twitter: @KurtDammeier

Like Kurt Beecher Dammeier on Facebook: Kurt Dammeier Facebook Page

What wEE Recommend at Beecher's Handmade Cheese:

Beecher's World's Best Mac & Cheese: Oprah Winfrey named one of her ultimate favorite things of 2010. Bring the Flatiron flavor into your kitchen, no cheese grater required. This is just one of ten Beecher's Handmade Cheese products that include 4 types of Mac & Cheese, 3 barbeque sauces and 3 types of crackers. And we are told there are more to come in the near future. You can also buy it piping hot and prepared at the cafe or in The Cellar.

The Grilled Cheese Martini: Besides the Stanford White, The Cellar offers this new savory cocktail to those that are in-the-know (now you are). It features grilled-cheese flavored vodka, made by immersing a grilled cheese sandwich into a vat of vodka.  This savor-tini is decorated with house-reduced balsamic and crispy bits of Surryano prosciutto around the rim and the entire concoction is poured over a giant tomato juice ice cube.

We'll say this: It's off-the-menu and you'll either look like the most adventurous epicurean out there, or you will quickly realize you don't like to drink your sandwich. The choice is yours.

The Cellar: It's a hidden gem because who would expect a swanky, cozy lounge under a cheese shop? Dammeier designed it as very communal and inviting because "that's the way I like to eat." The Cellar is the perfect place for happy hour, a first date (or any date, really), large groups, and private events.

Beecher's Marco Polo Reserve Cheese: The Chief of Cheese, Kurt Dammeier, gives a huge selection of cheeses from all around America, which he describes as "the greatest hits of the nation." He didn't want his products to be Seattle-centric, but from all areas of America. We loved the Marco Polo Reserve with it's big, round flavors and green and black Madagascar peppercorns blended with Beecher's creamy Flagship cheese. It won the Gold Medal for Hard Pressed or Repressed Cheddar with Savoury Additives in the World Cheese Awards in the UK in 2007.

Translation: It's really awesome cheese.

Follow Kurt on Twitter: @KurtDammeier

Like Kurt on Facebook: Kurt Dammeier Facebook Page 

Chef Profile: Jehangir Mehta, Graffiti (East Village) & Mehtaphor (TriBeca)

Chef Mehta hard at work!

An Afternoon with Chef Jehangir Mehta

As we entered the Tribeca eatery, Mehtaphor we suddenly stepped into what we felt was the best school on earth - Mehta University .We learned a lot during our time with Chef Jehangir Mehta. We learned about a 1947 – a fantastic beer created by a few Indian students at NYU. We learned about how his background as a pastry chef inspires the food he serves at his restaurants. Here are a few other things we learned:

• Chef Mehta almost did not compete on The Next Iron Chef. Why? His first child was on the way and his participation on the show meant he might have to miss the birth. But the incredible support of his family ultimately led to his decision to compete.  “I decided to ask everyone whose opinion I valued and if only a single person said no I wouldn’t go on the show,” Mehta explained. He finished second to Jose Garces, but ultimately impressed the culinary world.
• He works with children. In fact, he piloted a program which he runs out of Mehtaphor called Gastro-Kids. Anyone ages 4-16 can sign up and learn to cook with Mehta on Friday afternoons.
• He won’t let your glass go empty. Seriously. Every time I finished my 1947 he stopped – almost mid sentence – and went to get me another drink. It was a subtle testament to his good nature and generosity.
  
  

  

     

   Mackeral on a puffed pastry shows off his pastry background

• He caters weddings and events. For a man who seemingly works with every facet of his two restaurants you’d think he wouldn’t find the time but, as his assistant put it, “he works so hard and is so dedicated he can really do anything.”
• He’s passionate about what he does because he does what he loves. I told him about my favorite dish of his – scallops at Graffiti – and he reacted like I handed him a James Beard award.
• This is probably the most important: the man can cook! Check it out for yourself in this video here and see Chef Mehta at work.

As we left Mehtaphor, we realized we had experienced a culinary crash course in hospitality, brilliance and what it takes to become a successful chef. We learned that there aren’t enough chefs or people like him. He has achieved the success to warrant an ego but is as humble as he is talented. Upon visiting his restaurants you’re just as likely to find him at the stove as you are on the phone taking orders or bringing dishes out to waiting patrons. We learned that Chef Mehta is one of our favorite chefs in New York City and we think he’ll be one of yours, too. So check out Graffiti (224 East 10th St. @ 1st Ave.) and Mehtaphor (130 Duane St. @ Church St.)and be sure to tell us how much you loved it.

Follow Chef Mehta on Twitter

Like Chef Mehta on Facebook

Chef Profile: Julian Medina

Medina takes Manhattan, bringing Latin flavor to every corner of NYC
by Joleen Zanuzoski, Eatery Expert 


Chef Julian Medina is a man of many sombreros. Not only has he worked as a successful chef in New York City for sixteen years, but he is a businessman, restaurant consultant, tequila aficionado, husband and father. Let's breakdown the levels of the Medina empire as it currently stands:


UNO: Toloache Bistro Mexicano (Theatre District) - Grasshopper tacos, truffle quesadillas, muy caliente cocktails and Mexican food that's on another level. Translation: the really, really delicious level.


DOS: Toloache Taqueria (Financial District) - The casual & fast alternative to the uptown Toloache. The food is just as delicious but designed to take back to the office and distract you because it is so good. Taco Tuesdays ($2) and Burrito Fridays ($6) really give Wall Street a run for its money.


TRES: Yerba Buena (Lower East Side) - Latin Cuisine with an edge, mixing in flavor profiles and cooking techniques from Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Cocktail list is inventive, the scene is legit and you'll keep coming back.


CUATRO: Yerba Buena Perry (West Village) - We feel like if Desi Arnaz or Gloria Estefan were our best friends , they would wine and dine us at YBP. Very old-school Havana ambiance mixed with modern Latin fare.


CINCO: Coppelia (Chelsea) The newest addition to the empire. Step into this Cuban luncheonette and feast on burgers, sandwiches, fries of all shapes and sizes and desserts that will have your pants size going up in no time. We hear that Bobby Flay has stopped in for take-out to bring back to the nearby Food Network offices and is a big fan of this spicy 14th Street enclave. To add to the awesomeness, Pastry Chef mastermind Pichet Ong lends a hand with the sweet treats, serving up decadent American favorites with a little Latin flare. If you've never understood what Nuevo-Latino comfort food was, check out this 24-hour diner immediately.

Cuban sandwich with yuca fries at Coppelia.  Photo: Coppelia 

SEIS: Toloache 82 (Upper East Side-COMING SOON!) Scheduled for a mid-September opening at 166 East 82nd Street (nr. 3rd Ave.) Medina is bringing his signature flavors to the UES. Does Medina ever siesta?! We think not and we want whatever he is putting in his margarita because it's obviously magical.


SIETE: Tequila (Very exclusive, limited supply, not available yet) So Señor Medina talks to his pals at Herradura distillery in Guadalajara, Mexico and says "Yo, double age some primo reposado for me," and the guys at Herradura distillery say "Why, of course!" Well, that's how we imagine it happening. The result is  a smooth tequila with a complex palate, just the way Chef Medina likes it. This special beverage will be available for a limited time at Toloache and served as their house tequila for margaritas.


This is just a tasting menu of Medina's ventures and we are positive there is much more on the horizon. Between getting in his morning workouts at Equinox, making taquito de huevos (scrambled egg tacos) for his four-year old daughter, or grabbing a late night bite at his favorite taqueria in East Harlem, he is always on the move, always creating something new and bringing tons of Latin flavor to New York.

Frita Cubana Burger at Coppelia.  Photo: Eatery Expert

Q: What do you say to non-native New Yorkers (usually from the West Coast)  that frequently remark that you just can't get good Mexican food in The Big Apple?
Medina: Like in any country, different [regions] have different ways of cooking. Mexicans that usually live in California or other states [in the West] are from the Northwest [areas of] Mexico and the cooking and cuisine is very different. Here on the East Coast, there are more Mexicans from Puebla and around [that region] and their cooking style, techniques and ingredients are different, too.


Q: Where do you go to eat Mexican food?
Medina: Taco Mix in East Harlem (234 East 116th St nr. 3rd Ave.) is a 24-hour taqueria that I have been going to for years. Also, El Paso (1643 Lexington Ave. nr. 104th St.) is another place I go frequently.


Q: What's your favorite "I just got out of the kitchen and I need a drink!" drink?
Medina: I like to drink everything, but Michelada is great and refreshing. It's Mexican beer with lime and hot sauce and a salt and chili pepper rim on the glass.


Q: What ingredients are always in your refrigerator at home?
Medina: Limes, tortillas, cheese and turkey. My daughter really likes the turkey!


Q: Are there any chefs that you admire?
Medina: Daniel Boulud - he maintains the integrity of his cooking and keeps building more restaurants at the same time and I really respect that. Also, Danny Mena (Hecho en Dumbo).
Check it out: Chef Medina grilled up a Frita Cubana Burger & Cuban Sandwich with Yuca Fries. See how he makes his magic in the kitchen!


Follow Chef Medina on Twitter: @ChefMedinaNYC
Like Chef Medina on Facebook: Chef Julian Medina Facebook Page

Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen (Gramercy/Flatiron)

The King of the Greenmarket

Chef Dan Kluger serves up the freshest dishes in Manhattan at ABC Kitchen; Friday, June 3, 2011

Kluger picking up some greens from Windfall Farms for the carrot & avocado salad
Photo credit: Eatery Expert

“So what are we shopping for today, Chef?”

Dan Kluger’s response, punctuated with a big, angelic smile: “Signs of spring.”

This was my first glimpse into the heart of Dan Kluger, executive chef of ABC Kitchen. This heart is showcased throughout his food, and the overall philosophy of the restaurant: [making] "a passionate commitment to offering the freshest organic and local ingredients possible."

Kluger's sincerity, talent and appreciation for sustainable and organic seasonal produce play a large part in his restaurant's success, making it one of the most desirable reservations to be had in town. This can be illustrated in the fact it is nearly impossible to get a table, but also the accolades that are pouring in through the rustic farmhouse doors on East 18^th Street. On May 9, ABC Kitchen took home the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant 2011.Chef Kluger was named Chef of the Year by Time Out New York. And the list goes on.

Along with the expertise of co-creators Chef Jean-George Vongerichten and restaurateur Phil Suarez, Kluger has a strong, dynamic team behind him that shines through each delectable bite no matter if you are dining for brunch (reservations recommended), lunch (reservations highly recommended) or dinner (book one month in advance or dine at 5:30p with Grandma Estelle).

Executive Chef Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen Co-Creators Phil Suarez & Jean-George Vongerichten toast their big James Beard Award win

To market, to market

Chef Kluger could easily send anyone to the market to fetch the ingredients he needs (well, maybe not Jean-George), but he insists on going to the market to build and maintain relationships with the purveyors and farmers. Every Wednesday, Kluger walks a mere block from the restaurant to Union Square Greenmarket to shop for ingredients, as well as the fresh, seasonal flowers that adorn each of the tables. “If it’s not in season, it’s not in the restaurant,” Kluger states as he handles a hollow radish before he tosses it aside.

As we went from stall to stall, he alerts several vendors, many good friends he has worked with for ten-plus years, of dishes that will soon be added to the menu. He forecasts upcoming needs, and gets a feeling from the farmers of what produce will be arriving soon and what’s looking really good in the weeks ahead. It doesn’t get more local than this, folks.

Chef Kluger’s shopping list.
Photo credit: Eatery Expert

“Local food is what we do. How do you run a restaurant based on a Greenmarket that’s a block away and not be here? It’s very much a part of my routine,” says Kluger. We believe him. In fact, he met Jean-George in the UnSq Greenmarket and that is where the ABC Kitchen conversation began.

“I met [Jean-George] at the market on a Wednesday when I was [working at] Core Club. He saw me walking around with tons of bags of produce for the restaurant, and a conversation began about a new concept based on the Greenmarket.” What started as a friendly conversation in the market, turned into a dining experience where you can actually feel the friendships between Kluger and the farmers through the food he has created. The food is friendly and warm but with an edge of sophistication, just like Kluger and his farming friends.

Fiddlehead ferns from Buried Treasure Farm

Photo credit: Eatery Expert

It was a beautiful thing to watch him interact with the purveyors, each one offering a hearty ‘congratulations’ on the restaurant’s big win at the recent James Beard Awards. A piece of that award could be attributed to their stellar ingredients that Kluger selects each week and they know the fruits (or vegetables...or pretzels...or cheeses) of their labor are ending up in Kluger’s talented hands. Along with the farmers, Chef Kluger’s team has a large amount of respect and admiration for their boss. “He's a great person and Chef. He really has made it for himself [and] definitely deserves all of this,” says Ross Mendoza, a sous chef at ABC Kitchen.

Not only does the staff agree on what a culinary gem they have in Chef Kluger, but so do other Manhattan-based restaurateurs and chefs. As he bopped around the market, weeding through French Breakfast radishes and scooping up all the fiddlehead ferns that were available before they went out of season as quickly as they came in, there was another friendly face offering their sincere congratulations to Kluger.

Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery and pizzeria Co. was around one corner with a huge hug and a heartfelt congrats. I was a huge Lahey fan before, considering his book My Bread changed my bread-baking life, but after witnessing the congeniality he had for a fellow chef, particularly when it was that sincere, made me an even bigger fan.

ABC Kitchen's Pretzel dusted calamari with marinara and mustard aioli.
Photo credit: julieqiu.com

As we rounded another corner to pick up huge boxes of Martin’s Handmade Pretzels (Theresa, NY) for the pretzel dusted calamari (picture below), Maury Rubin of City Bakery trotted over to Chef Kluger, offering tons of praise and well-wishes. “Is everyone at the Greenmarket this friendly”, I wondered? Maybe, but in the presence of Kluger, one thing is for sure - everyone bears a smile. He is definitely the star of the market. In fact, there was a point where several people simultaneously came up to Kluger to say congratulations that a hopeful young tourist snapped a picture haphazardly because they didn’t know what else to do. Yes, Chef Dan; you are a star. Please invest in a pair ofJackie O. sunglasses, immediately to ward off your hungry fan base.Oh, and before I forget, I love Maury’s hot chocolate, too.

ABC Kitchen is more than just a trend

No one can deny that food moves in trends. Seasonal, farm-to-table cooking is the trend in food at the moment. There is even a blog by local NYC writer Leeann Lavin called “Master Chefs and Their Gardens,” focusing on “the burgeoning farm-to-table movement, food, and local, delicious ingredients.” Many foodies brand themselves as “locavores,” those that choose to eat local fare whenever possible. However, just because said locavore buys the freshest carrot in all the land, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be deliciously prepared or roasted to perfection.

Roasted carrot and avocado salad.
Photo credit: julieqiu.com

Enter, stage left: the roasted carrot and avocado salad, sprinkled with crunchy seeds, sour cream and citrus. This dish is a true standout, created in unison by Kluger and Vongerichten. “It was definitely a dish we struggled to perfect. Jean- George was heavily involved in getting that one just right. He came in on a Saturday, put the carrots down, and said that was the way they should be. So we got a true recipe down of roasting the carrots perfectly and it ended up working out.” I’d say so - the dish has garnered more press than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love child, and we will be devastated if there is a carrot or avocado shortage in the surrounding area because this dish cannot come off the menu.

Ramps from Buried Treasures Farm

Back at the Greenmarket, Chef Kluger snatches up fifty pounds of ramps, a wild leek, from Buried Treasures Farm (Cooks Falls, NY). These ramps will be the star of the ramp and goat cheese toast. He pickles the stems of the ramp, makes a creamy butter with the leaves and sprinkles Lynnhaven Goat Milk Cheese on top of the ramp butter, along with the pickled stems. We get the sense Kluger is a huge fan of toast, frequently creating different toppings and spreads as the seasons change. We wonder what will be next?

Click to watch Chef Kluger make ABC's Ramp Toast

As we head back to the restaurant with a huge cart of Greenmarket goodies, I am informed this is a “very small load” and during the summer season when corn, tomatoes, strawberries, and other summer finds come to the market, you could very well spot a procession of ABC Kitchen produce carts rolling down Broadway, stuffed to the brim. I don’t know what the next season will bring to Kluger’s kitchen quite yet, but I’m positive I want a reservation to find out.

ABC Kitchen, 35 E 18th St at Broadway (212-475-5829)

The Final Product: Ramp & Goat Cheese Toast - ABC Kitchen

Ramps to Riches! Watch Chef Dan Kluger make ramp toast in the ABC Kitchen

Chef Profile: Joey Campanaro, Little Owl (West Village)

As chef/owner of Little Owl and co-owner of Market Table, Joey Campanaro has established himself as a true culinary giant among the most notable Manhattan restaurants. EE’s Chef Profile Series will give a sneak peek into the minds of the best chefs in NYC. Here’s a look inside Joey’s…

The past few years in NYC, we’ve seen certain foods become trendy or really popular in many restaurants like fondue, pork/the bacon craze, veggies, and now local fare as the highlight of many menus around the city. What do you see to be the next food trend?

Here is my philosophy on trends. Trends are trends. Food isn’t a trend. Food is something we as human beings need to live. Restaurants make food the luxury and the media is what creates trends, not chefs. Bacon is good, its been good forever. Some businesses jump on the media wagon and offer it more and more because of popularity and in hopes to make more money. As far as local sourcing is concerned, it is everyone’s responsibility to our planet to exercise conservation. What I want the media to jump on and eventually restaurants will follow suit with is American comfort food – from cream of broccoli soup to cherry pie. But unfortunately, I think it’s going East Asian, Indian and Thai food seem to be brinking the popular interest.

How much does your Italian-American upbringing come into play when creating your dishes?

The Italian-American in me has a great deal to do with my dish planning thinking but even as a young cook and still today, I am very interested in so many kinds of ingredients and techniques. My favorite cuisine outside of Mediterranean is Japanese.

Where is your favorite late night dinner after you’ve been in the kitchen all night?

After work I like to get a bite to eat and drink at Daddy-o on Bedford Street. It’s between both of my restaurants, Market Table and Little Owl.

What would be your ultimate last meal?

Roasted chicken, lemon pepper broccoli, mac n cheese, green leaf and cucumber salad, garlic bread, jewish apple crumb cake and vanilla ice cream.

What chef do you think is really changing things up right now in the culinary world? Why?

Jonathan Waxman – because he has found his spot at Barbuto and since everything he has already done – for years - is now a TREND and it’s popular. He has great support. He is a great chef and when a chef feels the love the chef can’t be stopped.

What is your favorite after-work cocktail or wine?

Jack and Ginger

What’s your favorite restaurant to order in from?

Republic