BETA | NEW YORK

September 21, 2007

Grilled!

We asked Michael Anthony, Damon Wise and 12 other “rising talents” to pick a question out of a frying pan…and answer it no matter what. Frank Bruni may have come up.

By Matt Rodbard

StarChefs.com held its second annual New York Rising Stars Revue awards at Mansion on Sept. 18 to honor fifteen of this year's best new faces of food and drink in New York…less a female representative (cough). To honor the culinary muscle and mind in the room, we decided to do what we know best: grill each of the finalists on topics ranging from molecular gastronomy and grisly kitchen mishaps to kitchen tours and Frank Bruni (Picholine’s former Chef de Cuisine had a bit to say about that). All questions were pulled randomly out of a sauté pan. We spoke with: Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern), Craig Hopson (One if by Land, Two if by Sea), Masato Shimizu (15 East), Damon Wise (Craft), Doug Psaltis (Country), Daniel Eardley (Chestnut), Akhtar Nawab (The E.U.), Chris Lee (Gilt), Yosuke Suga (L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon), Bill Corbett (Formerly of Anthos), Tim Butler (Alto), Eric Hara (David Burke & Donatella), Chris Santos (Stanton Social) and Jim Meehan (Pegu Club; PDT). ONTO THE GRILLING—> ©2007 Metromix.com

Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern

METROMIX: Do you watch cooking shows on TV? Whose is your favorite? ANTHONY: Daisy Martinez rocks! She cooks like she is cooking for her family at home and tells jokes about her kids along the way. It’s the only show I watch. She could make rice and beans every episode and it would still be entertaining. She came into the restaurant recently, and I told her so. METROMIX: What do you think about there being ZERO women represented in this group of rising chefs? ANTHONY: I didn’t want to answers this one on the panel discussion the

other day. I think that it is somewhat odd, in light of the fact that the restaurant industry is so maternally driven. Our whole culinary history starts with a woman, Julia Child, and it’s perpetuated by people like Marcella Hazan. And personally speaking, as a spiritual guide you have Alice Waters. I don’t think it’s a major issue because it’s just one year and one competition. If you look at our restaurant, we have six women working on the hot line, and they will all be in charge of kitchens in the future.

Calamari and carrots

Craig Hopson, One if by Land, Two if by Sea; formerly of Picholine

METROMIX: What do you think about Frank Bruni? HOPSON: I read him every week, more or less. I think he’s valid, but kind off…uhhhh…there’s a hell of a difference between one three-star restaurant and another three-star restaurant. Maybe there is a system? METROMIX: Have you been able to crack the code? Are there trends or regional cuisines that he is more into? HOPSON: I think he defiantly enjoys Italian food. His first couple of years are better than now. He seems to have lost track of a couple of things. METROMIX: Do you know what he looks like? HOPSON: Yep. I saw him on the other side of the room in our restaurant. I think he knows he’s made every time, which is why it really surprises me when restaurants screw him up. It’s hilarious to read about bad service, because any restaurant worth a New York Times review should be on the ball about these things, especially new restaurants. It’s no secret that he is going to come in three months after you are open.

Frog wings tempura with celery kimchee

Masato Shimizu, 15 East

METROMIX: What is your guilty-pleasure snack? SHIMIZU: I love a Snickers. When I was a kid in Japan I would watch the commercials that said, “If you are hungry, eat a Snickers.”

Slow-poached madako octopus with sea salt

Damon Wise, Craft

METROMIX: What do you think of blogs and Web sites scrutinizing the NYC scene…by the minute? WISE: I think people focus too much on them. I think that they can ruin the business of a restaurant because people focus too much on the negative messages. METROMIX: What do you think of blogs covering new restaurants with plywood covering the windows? WISE: It depends on what you consider a blog. If you take something like Grub Street, it’s informative. Not really. METROMIX: Worst kitchen injury? WISE: I worked at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia and they closed the restaurant for a weekend to do

some renovations and the whole team had to come back to do a bunch of work for service and the first knife stroke I took I cut the tip of my thumb off. Check out this one [showing off wicked scar].

Pork confit sandwich, cherry pepper marmalade, crispy pork rinds and Widmer's Wisconsin six-year cheddar

Doug Psaltis, Country at The Carlton Hotel

METROMIX: Worst current dining trend? PSALTIS: Molecular gastronomy. I think we are getting too far away from our roots with food that is unidentifiable. We need to get back to educating our staff and clients about what classical food is. I think that it is ironic that we go to grocery stores and read food labels and beg for a drink that doesn’t have a million chemicals in it, while molecular gastronomic chefs are using chemicals inside of their cuisine. It’s ironic that we celebrate heirloom, organic, local but at the same time celebrate dishes with chemicals. METROMIX: What was the last great celebrity spotting in your restaurant? PSALTIS: This is a tough one. Will Smith. He eats! The only restrictions on his diet were pork and beets, and he wanted a luxury item, like truffles. It’s fantastic to find somebody who can sit down and enjoy a three-to-four-hour experience. Jada and him are big fans of white truffles, so they had a few courses with that.

Daniel Eardley, Chestnut

METROMIX: Have you ever thrown anybody out of your restaurant? EARDLEY: No, I haven’t. Do I wish I have, absolutely! Kill ‘em with kindness, that is the motto. METROMIX: What do you do when a table has drunk 10 bottles of wine? EARDLEY: People don’t get too rowdy at our restaurant. We have walked people home. There are a lot of neighborhood types there, so it’s close.

Corn flan tamale, salsa verde, chorizo and achiote oil

Akhtar Nawab, The E.U.

METROMIX: What do you think about your publicist? Isn’t their job tough? NAWAB: I have a lot of respect for our publicist [note: standing next to him]. I think they have a very difficult job because they have to go out and get stories that are interesting. They also have to know their clients really well, because some stories work better with different clients. We work with Becca PR; they are great. METROMIX: How do you stay in shape? NAWAB: Am I in shape? I go jogging as often as possible and try for two miles a day. I taste all my food, but am very cautious about what I eat. METROMIX: Any secrets? NAWAB: Moderation and balance. Though I eat all day, every day.

Chris Lee, Gilt

METROMIX: Who is your favorite New York critic? LEE: Let me see…who reviewed me well [laughing]. Good critics are people who really enjoy food. Steve Cuozzo from the New York Post enjoys food. Bob Lape from Crain’s enjoys food as well. Frank Bruni is…he’s good at his job, but he scrutinizes, because he’s the guy who sets the bar. But you always have to make him happy. I think the bloggers enjoy what they do. Like when the guy form Eater came in, he had a great time. He writes from his heart.

Bratwurst in a pretzel roll with fennel kraut and Belgian beer Wisconsin four-cheese sauce

Yosuke Suga, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

METROMIX: Are chefs the new rock stars? SUGA: I don’t think so because normally, rock stars make big money. Chefs, I don’t think so.

Eel and rougie foie gras terrine

Bill Corbett, Formerly of Anthos

METROMIX: What do you think about Tony Bourdain? CORBETT: I like him. I think he’s a straight shooter. I’m probably the only vegetarian that likes him. He talks a lot of trash about vegetarians, but I think he is on-point with a lot of it. Like vegetarians eating grass and not being very exciting. He is right. METROMIX: I like his point about vegetarian elitism, especially when you look at impoverished nations using an entire cow to feed a family for a month… CORBETT: To be a vegetarian is a very privileged, First World thing. It’s arrogant at times, so I like it when he bashes vegetarians. METROMIX: What do you think about kitchen tours? CORBETT: I think it’s great for a customer to come back and see you, and I think if you aren’t proud enough to show off your kitchen, you shouldn’t be in it. I used to work at wd-50 and lots of chefs used to come through like Ferrán Adriá, Heston Blumenthal, all the New York chefs.

Sesame in sesame

Tim Butler, Alto

METROMIX: What do you think about your publicist? Isn’t their job tough? BUTLER: Our publicists do a great job…they get to eat out a lot [laughing]. There are issues if your publicist overhypes you. But at the end of the day, food is food is food. METROMIX: Worst kitchen injury? BUTLER: I haven’t really had a kitchen injury [while knocking on wood]. At Aquavit I once saw a Japanese guy cut his thumb off.

Meyer lemon Wisconsin ricotta tart, ice cream sandwich style

Eric Hara, David Burke & Donatella

METROMIX: Do watch cooking shows on TV? Whose is your favorite? HARA: I watched Emeril when I was very young. I watced the Galloping Gourmet…he did the old-school classics. METROMIX: What do you think about kitchen tours? HARA: It’s fine. We do it. We have a very small kitchen at DBD, and I’ve had David bring in 15 kids in the middle of service, doing 240 covers. METROMIX: What do you do then? HARA: You stop talking and cursing. Almost stop cooking.

PB&J: Foie gras torchon with Australian macadamia butter, brioche and strawberry jam

Chris Santos, Stanton Social

METROMIX: How do you stay in shape? SANTOS: I box, and take it very seriously. This isn’t box-aerobics. I spar alongside pros at Gleason’s Gym. I generally fight the littler guys, which serves a purpose for both of us. They get to box somebody who is heavier and hits harder, and when I get hit, it’s not from somebody my own size.

Maine crab cake corn dog

Jim Meehan, Pegu Club; PDT

METROMIX: Who is your mentor? MEEHAN: Audrey Saunders. I opened Pegu Club two years ago and she taught me much of everything I know about what is good in the world of cocktails. She taught me how to stir. Stirring is an essential technique. METROMIX: Is stirring about presentation, or does it actually make a drink taste better? MEEHAN: By stirring a drink, rather than shaking, you don’t get the little ice crystals in the drink so the dilution is a little more even. Traditionally, spirituous drinks are stirred, and drinks with citrus are shaken.