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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 up?
Professional surfer.

What was your first job in food?
It was in a hotel/ motel in Geraldton, Australia, there was a restaurant and we also did pub food.

You inadvertently stumbled into the kitchen as a means to supplement your daily surfing habits in Perth,  Australia.  How did growing up on the coast of Australia influence your cooking? I was exposed to a lot of fresh seafood and also a lot of diverse cuisines.

You’ve spent a significant amount of time traveling around the world honing your craft, and many of the dishes on One if By Land’s menu reflect both Asian as well as European flavors.  What cuisines and travel experiences have been the most influential for you? I have always worked in french  restaurants   , here, Australia and in France, but I love flavors from all around the world and that is what I seek out to add to my cooking. I cook with the French technique that  but I aim to make every dish exciting and memorable, so I use flavors and ingredients from around the world.

Prior to your current position at One if by Land, you worked with chef Terrance Brennan at both Artisanal, then Picholine.  What did you learn there and how has working in Brennan’s kitchens shaped your present cooking techniques? Attention to detail. Bringing out the maximum flavor in evrything that is on the plate and to use bold assertive flavors. Also to taste, taste, taste!

After four years as chef de cuisine at Picholine, what compelled you to make the move to One if By Land, Two if by Sea? 
I was ready for a change. I was very happy with what I achieved there, but it was time to take on another challenge.

How do you feel One if By Land has changed since you’ve been there? 
I believe that the food has obviously changed for the better, but as well the service and the hospitality of the staff has improved. We freshened the decor so the room is still the classic but it doesnt look or feel old. The way the kitchen operates on my part, is completely different, the way we work has changed 360 degrees.

What is your favorite dish on the spring menu?
Large local sepia, its grilled a la plancha and served with a pineapple, pink peppercorn salad with thai basil and a pineapple jus.

What is your least favorite (and yes, you must pick one)?...

Not many restaurateurs are as skilled at pulling off a top-notch $4.75 burger (Shake Shack) as they are a $145 haute French tasting menu (Eleven Madison Park). But Danny Meyer has built an enviable empire of 11 winning lowbrow and high-end restaurants.

On a recent evening, the famed Shake Shack burger drew a line that spanned the length of an entire city block. I was en route to Eleven Madison Park, the most opulent feather in Meyer's cap, when the sight of cheese fries and custard at the pickup window nearly lured me off course.

Had I caved, I would've missed one of the most spectacular meals in recent memory.

New Yorkers should be pitching tents outside Eleven Madison Park for executive chef Daniel Humm's cooking. Taste his brilliantly complex foie gras terrine; it arrives draped in a tart dicing of rhubarb, celery and pickled ramps with a crusty foil of Indonesian pepper brioche. He completes this...

To read the complete review at The New York Daily News

By Pastry Chef Patrick Coston
(Serves 8)

Ingredients for the Brioche:
1 lb 12 oz all purpose flour
3.75 oz sugar
½ oz salt
1 vanilla bean-split and scraped
8 eggs
2 oz water
1.75 oz fresh yeast
8 oz unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

Preparation:
1.    Place flour, sugar, salt and vanilla seeds in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attached.
2.    In a separate bowl, add eggs, water, and fresh yeast. Mix with handheld blender until smooth.
3.    Mix the dry ingredients on speed one; add the liquid in three parts - allow to mix for 2-3 minutes between additions.
4.    Continue mixing on speed 1, add the butter in 2 parts and continue to mix until all the butter is dissolved and incorporated.
5.    Place the dough in a large container that has been sprayed with a nonstick spray, wrap the container in plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.
6.    Knead the brioche and divide it into 1 lb 12 oz pieces,  (the recipe will yield approximately twice as much dough as necessary). Place in a 10-inch loaf pan and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes).
7.    Once doubled, bake in a 375-degree oven until well browned on top.  Tap the bottom to ensure the brioche is cooked all the way through - it should sound hollow.
8.    Once cooked, unmold and place on a rack until cool, then wrap in plastic  and place in the refrigerator overnight.

For the Caramel Apples...

What a difference a few tongs can make: the Charm spaghetti server takes the hassle from getting your saucy spaghetti and meatballs from bowl to plate.  Quite the bargain at $1.99, considering the dry cleaning bills you'll be saving from your past spaghetti sauced shirts.  All bets are off, though, when it comes to flying meatballs...

Charm Spaghetti Server

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Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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