Chef Harold Dieterle, Perilla & Kin Shop

Chef Harold Dieterle

Q&A with Chef Harold Dieterle

by Sarah Mintz, Contributing Writer

Commuting up and down Sixth Avenue is where you will find Chef Harold Dieterle most days of the week as he splits his time between his two restaurants, Perilla and Kin Shop. As if maintaining two unique ventures isn't enough, Harold is working hard on a third project expected to open in Brooklyn early this year. He took a few minutes out of his crazy day to tell us more about this venture, along with his thoughts about being on Top Chef and why he loves working with sawtooth so much.

If you could describe Perilla in one word, what would it be?                       

Neighborhood-y – does that work?

Describe your ideal Perilla meal.                       

Spicy Duck Meatballs, perhaps the Hanger Steak and a side of the Farro Risotto.   

Spicy Duck Meatballs at Perilla

       

Biggest celebrity you met in the restaurant?                        

We like to keep things quiet if a celebrity comes in.  

Besides Perilla, what's your favorite restaurant in NYC?                        

Can I say Kin Shop? I love Dovetail on the Upper West Side.        

How do you split your time between Perilla and Kin Shop?                       

About 50/50. It’s nice having them only a few minutes away from one another.       

You and Chef Angela Sosa seem to have quite the difference of sports opinions on Twitter. How did you two become so close?                        

Even though there are so many restaurants and chefs in the city it’s surprisingly a small world. He’s a good guy.      

What was it like being on Top Chef? It must feel like a lifetime ago!                         

It sure does. It was a good opportunity and it certainly helped me take that next step.

Favorite non-kitchen gadget?                       

Hmm. That’s a tough one. I’m a big Puma sneaker guy. I also love the signed photo we have at Kin Shop of the Beastie Boys.

What's your biggest kitchen mess-up?

I sliced my thumb pretty bad back in 1998. I was deboning some steak and the knife just slipped right down to the bone. Of course I did the smart thing and cauterized the wound on the flat-top grill. After finishing service I went to the ER and had to get 32 stitches.        

What's the hardest ingredient to work with?                        

Bad ingredients. If you don’t start with quality product you already have an uphill battle.      

 

Massaman Curry Braised Goat with fried shallots, purple yams,
mustard greens and peanuts at Kin Shop. 

Any interesting ingredient you've been incorporating lately?

I love sunchokes and have been using them a lot at Perilla lately. They are great raw or roasted. Sawtooth is an ingredient I use as well. It’s ten times better than cilantro and I use it in curry pastes.    

   

What three ingredients can you not live without?                       

Salt, crab, and mozzarella cheese.

Food trend you hate most?                       

I like burgers and pizza, but I’m tired of the trend. It’s a little overdone at this point. 

       

Is there anything you won't eat?                        

I’m not a fan of raw bell peppers.

If you walked out to compete in Iron Chef, what secret ingredient would make you happiest to see pulled out?                       

Crab would be a lot fun. I like King Crab the most, but I’ll eat and cook with Dungeness, Blue, Snow, Stone, and Peekytoe as well.

Fill in the blank:  "When I meet people at a party and I tell them I'm a chef, they always...."                        

If they don’t say something about Top Chef, Perilla, or Kin Shop the next question is usually “Where?”.

What's next?                               

I’ll be opening The Marrow with my business partner, Alicia Nosenzo, in Hotel 718 – it’s in Downtown Brooklyn. It’ll open sometime in early 2012.

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wEE recommend Perilla for: Date Night, West Village Wine List, Delicious Brunch with the girls, Something on the Menu for Everyone

wEE recommend Kin Shop for: Great lunch deal downtown, Thai dinner in the Village, Asian restaurant with great beer/wine list. 

wEE Love Valentine's Day Edition

The EE team has been getting a ton of Valentine's Day queries lately from singles, new couples and the hot and heavy lova-lovahs. There are perfect places all around Manhattan for every stage of your relationship. Whether it be 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years - wEE got you covered! 

Apotheke 

Three Weeks - Cocktails & Conversation 

There is no need to sit down to a 8-course tasting menu if you're not even sure you can get through 8 weeks with this person. Obviously, this relationship is as fresh as veggies at the greenmarket. Show that special someone that you're sweet on them without going overboard. 

Apotheke 9 Doyers Street (nr. Bowery) A cocktail from this speakeasy/den of vice might be just what Cupid ordered to take your relationship to the next level. Enjoy live jazz on Tuesday night (this is every Tuesday, FYI) as you sip one of their heavenly elixers like The Deal Closer (Cucumber, vodka, local Chinatown aphrodisiacs, mint, lime & vanilla essence). 

Ward III111 Reade Street (nr. Chambers St.) The guys at

Ward III

Ward III certainly know how to seduce their ladies... or so we've heard. On Valentine's Day, they will feature three gourmet chocolates accompanied by Scotch and Bourbon whiskey to match. ($20) As the night continues, create your own cocktail with the things you know and love in your libation. Select your spirit, texture, spice, flavor and fruit and your drink will be made just the way you want it. The options are endless - If you want a effervescent gin martini with rosemary and ginger that is savory and has a hint of lime, this is entirely possible.

Wine & Roses

Wine & Roses 286 Columbus Avenue (nr. West 73rd St.) Romantic, dim lighting, a selection of over
100 bottles of wine and 24 by the glass, and delicious small plates, how could you go wrong? They don't accept reservations, but try to snag a corner booth to get cozy and enjoy your date. Wallet-friendly as well, which is always a plus.

Three Months - No Dives Allowed - Take 'em to Dinner! 

The John Dory Oyster Bar

Staying monogamous for three months is significant, so don't even think of taking your date anywhere with paper napkins and sawdust on the floor. However, this doesn't mean you need to drop a paycheck and be delinquent on your rent, either. Here are some classy, casual-elegant (yes, that's a thing) recommendations that are sure to please.

Fedora 239 W. 4th Street (nr. Charles Street) Chef Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly is bringing that loving feeling to his Valentine's Day menu with a 6-course menu ($80) featuring heavenly dishes such as tuna tartare with salmon roe and smoked cream. For dessert, enjoy a decadent chocolate pudding with peanuts and salted caramel. Pair this with mixologist Brian Bartel's Cherry Lane cocktail (Sparkling Brut Rose, sweet & dry vermouth, brandied cherry juice and Fedora orange bitters) and you've got a night to remember. 

The John Dory Oyster Bar 1196 Broadway (nr. 29th St.) Nothing says romance like Hama Hama oysters with champagne sorbet, or venison wrapped in lardo with smoked oyster jus. April Bloomfield really brings it at the Dory with a $75 Valentine's Day prix fixe. If you are not partaking in the optional wine pairing, make sure to pair one of your courses with their delicious Negroni - it's the best in town. After dinner, head to the lounge in the Ace Hotel for a nightcap on one those big cozy couches. 

Takashi

Takashi 456 Hudson Street (nr. Barrow St.) It doesn't get better than feeding your Valentine ribeye or beef tongue with chopsticks and washing it down with cold, crisp sake. Make sure to try the fonduta, Takashi's take on Japanese grilled meats and veggies that you grill up and of course, feed to each other. Well, that part is optional, but you get the idea.

Three Years - Rekindle the Romance & Get Creative 

At this point, you two are pretty comfortable with each other and the days of wining and dining are over, but Valentine's Day calls for something a little extra special. Get out of your couple's funk and check out these fun, inventive dinners and events that are sure to bring that spontaneous spark back into your relationship. 

Museum  of  Sex

Marc Forgione 134 Reade Street (nr. Hudson St.) This warm, rustic restaurant with a kitchen helmed by the newest Iron Chef, Marc Forgione is offering a Valentine's Day Aphrodisiac 7-course Tasting Menu ($125) - with sexy dishes that are sure to set the mood, how could you go wrong with lobster on a bed of Israeli couscous drizzled with a bacon & egg sabione? Or how about tuna and passionfruit with a black truffle vinaigrette? This sure sounds like a feast that only Cupid could conjure up. Call 212-941-9401 to book your table for two.

Museum of Sex - Oralfix Aphrodisiac Elixir Bar 233 Fifth Avenue (nr. 27th Street) Not for the faint of heart, check out current exhibits like "The Sex Lives of Animals" and "Action: Sex and the Moving Image" then head downstairs to the elixir bar to sample aphrodisiacs that have been around for over 3,000 years to affect libido, fertility, potency, and attraction for centuries. With cocktails like the Frida Calor (Mezcal, tamarind, white cacao and a love potion) and small plates like truffles, lemon love bars, and figs and prosciutto we think this excursion is just what the love doctor ordered. 

Saxon + Parole

Saxon + Parole 316 Bowery (nr. Bleecker St.) The restaurant will be filled with romantic-al accoutrements to set the mood for your five-course menu ($90) that includes a seafood tower (we're guessing oysters will be a feature), sweet potato tortellini and warm cinnamon sugar doughnuts with vanilla cream and chocolate sauce. After dinner, head into the Madam Geneva bar for a complimentary Punch Drunk Love cocktail and enjoy sultry cabaret music by in-house
entertainment for the evening. 

Chef George Mendes, Aldea (Flatiron)

Bringing Mama Mendes' Flavor to Flatiron - Chef George Mendes tells us what makes Aldea extra special 

By Sarah Mintz, Contributing Writer
January 12, 2012

Chef and Owner of the highly acclaimed restaurant Aldea, George Mendes has reinvented Portuguese cuisine and quickly become one of the most regarded chefs in New York. Having spent years under the eyes of Chef David Bouley, Martin Berasategui, and Alain Ducasse in countries across the world, Mendes has taken these experiences and essentially created his own cuisine. Using Portugal and Spain as his starting point, he then adds in his memories of growing up under Portuguese parents, personal flair, global inspirations, and seasonal ingredients to create the menu you will find at Aldea. It's quite a precise and delicious recipe for success.

If you could describe Aldea in one word, what would it be?

Spontaneous.

Describe your ideal Aldea meal.

Chefs tasting menu. It is where express my interpretation of my favorite meal...usually starting with a flurry of canapés, then right into one of my favorite things, foie gras. I draw a lot of inspiration from the sea, the rich flavors of sea urchin, beautifully cooked scallops, paired with heirloom vegetables, and usually ending with my spin on a classic Portuguese dish, Arroz de Pato.

Arroz de Pato
Photo credit: Sip, Chat, Chow

Biggest celebrity you met in the restaurant?

Jay-Z and Beyoncé

Do you find a lot of people coming in who have never tried Portuguese cuisine before? What do you tell them?

Yes, of course. We are one of the only Portuguese restaurants in NYC, so most people who live here are not exposed to that style of cooking.  What do I tell them?  Same thing I tell everyone, “Enjoy.”

Besides Aldea, what's your favorite restaurant in NYC?

Le Bernardin.

Who takes credit for you pursuing your love of Portuguese cuisine, mom or dad?

Both.

What was it like learning from the likes of Alain Ducasse, Alain Passard, and David Bouley?

Intense, awe-inspiring, a lot of hard work. They instilled a work ethic that continues to this day.

Are you still involved with Wallse in any respect?

Friendship.

What was the tipping point to leave Toqueville when you did?

I left to open ALDEA.

 What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

A sharp knife.

Favorite non-kitchen gadget?

My iPhone

Do you sometimes forget you work in an open kitchen?

Yes, the work is very focused, and intense. If a waiter happens to pick up the wrong food, or a cook makes a mistake, the whole chef’s counter will get an earful.

What's your biggest kitchen mess-up?

I sent pork to a vegetarian.

What's the hardest ingredient to work with?

People.

Any interesting ingredients you've been incorporating lately?

Burdock Root.

What three ingredients can you not live without?

Olive oil, butter and water.

What dish do you do best?

Shrimp “alhinho”, it is a take on a Portuguese classic, the sauce is very intense, and is sublime.  It has been on the menu since I opened.

Shrimp alhinho
Photo credit: Foodspotting

Food trend you hate most?

All of them.

Guilty food pleasure?

Kit-Kats and Gatorade.

Is there anything you won't eat?

Shad Roe, disgusting.

What's the last book you read?

Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and The Man Who Reinvented Food. The man is genius.

What do you cook on your day off? What is your favorite go-to dish when cooking for yourself or loved ones?

I do not cook on my day off.  I live in New York and love to see what other chefs and friends are doing.  For the most part, we are a tight community that supports one another.

We are blessed by a vibrant food culture with world renowned chefs in NYC. What is your favorite aspect of being a chef in NY?

The sense of camaraderie.

If you walked out to compete in Iron Chef, what secret ingredient would make you happiest to see pulled out?

Garlic!

Where is your next vacation?

All my trips are work related in the foreseeable future, but Portugal is the one I am most excited about.

Fill in the blank:  "When I meet people at a party and I tell them I'm a chef, they always...."

I never tell people I am a chef.

What did you do for New Years?

 Worked at ALDEA.

Favorite music group?

Led Zepplin.

Sea urchin toast
Photo credit: Quest of a Gourmand

Will you ever take the sea urchin toast off the menu?

Never.

What's next?

Constant improvements to ALDEA.

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