The Kansas City Star
Chef Colby Garrelts of Bluestem, an upscale progressive-American bistro in Westport, received his third James Beard nomination for Best Chef of the Midwest last week.
The equivalent of a culinary Oscar, winners will be announced at a ceremony in New York City on May 4 at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center. Award co-hosts include Emeril Lagasse, Iron chef Cat Cora and actor Stanley Tucci.
Other nominees include Minneapolis chefs Isaac Becker of 112 Eatery, Tim McKee of La Belle Vie and Alexander Roberts of Restaurant Alma, as well as Gerard Craft of Niche in St. Louis.
On the eve of his restaurant’s fifth anniversary, The Star caught up with the 34-year-old Garrelts to chat about his favorite food Web sites, the chefs he admires most and the impact a big win might have on his career.
Signature dish: Torchon de foie gras. (To watch Garrelts prepare the seasonal version pictured nelow, go to www.kansascity.com.)
Colby Garrelts’ signature dish: torchon de foie gras, apple butter, amarena cherry, peanut and brioche bread pudding.Favorite pig-out food: Probably fried chicken. I pretty much grew up on it. Growing up, there was a restaurant called Boots and Coates that was located at 103rd. It’s gone. Now I go to Stroud’s. Or once a year, usually around the Super Bowl, my dad and his friends do a fried chicken cookoff.
Favorite food Web site: I talk a lot on forums on www.egullet.com. As far as researching recipes, if I’m stuck on something and need direction I like www.epicurious.com or www.ideasinfood.com.
Favorite American chef idol: I tend to pay attention to the guys who are younger than me. I watch Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park and Graham Elliot Bowles at Graham Elliot Restaurant in Chicago. Sean Brock of McCrady’s in Charleston does molecular comfort food, if that makes any sense. I follow him because he raises his own pigs and farms everything he uses in the restaurant. He’s fascinating because those two worlds don’t always mix. He does sous-vide pork (a method of cooking with pressure at low temperatures) with cowpeas and a sauce out of cornbread.
I wouldn’t say I have an idol, though. I really try to stay away from the hot people because usually people start emulating instead of thinking outside the box. I want to be one of those younger people. I want to continue to grow.
Where do you most want to eat/drink when you’re in New York City? If you can believe it, I’ve never eaten at Mario Batali’s Babbo.
Have you ever met Mario? I was at a party with him once and had a beer with him, but I don’t think that he’d remember me. I also want to try for Milk & Honey, an old-goober lounge that is trendy. (Milk & Honey, www.mlkhny.com /newyork, is located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and restricts entrance to referrals or appointment only.)
You mean like an underground speakeasy-style club? Yeah, there’s a big movement out there right now like (Kansas City mixologist) Ryan Maybee’s trying to do with Manifesto (a speakeasy club that has yet to open).
Will you write an acceptance speech for the James Beard awards? Yes, I am. This time I’m going to. If I win I’m going to take Megan (his wife, co/owner and an accomplished pastry chef in her own right) up with me. This award is not really a chef award; it’s an award for the restaurant.
What does it mean to be nominated by your peers for such a prestigious award? It’s huge. It’s been a goal. It seemed a very unattainable goal at one point, but we have plotted out certain goals and done our best to reach them. I’d like to win because then I can focus more on the business end of it. This is, by far, not our last restaurant. Hopefully it’s just our first restaurant. Also, I’ve been approached and I think I might do a book.
Original article found here: www.kansascity.com/living/food/story
No comments:
Post a Comment