Chef Q&A - Restaurant Girl: Best Food Blog & Restaurant Guide

A New & Improved Nick And Toni’s in the Hamptons for 2013

Posted on May 22, 2013 in Chef Q&A

It’s one thing for a Hamptons restaurant to draw crowds during the height of the summer season. But the 25-year-old Nick and Toni’s is a veritable institution year round, attracting both local, loyal clientele, and a steady stream of celebrities as varied as Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg and Martha Stewart.

Q & A with Edi & the Wolf & The Third Man’s Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban

Posted on May 16, 2013 in Chef Q&A

There aren’t really a whole lot of Austrian restaurants in the city. That’s what makes Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban such ambassadors of the cuisine. Ever since opening their first restaurant, Seäsonal, in 2008, the pair has refused to be pigeonholed; consistently showcasing Germanic dishes that go well beyond sausage, fried potatoes and Weiner Schnitzel.

Q & A with Traif & Xixa’s Jason Marcus

Posted on May 9, 2013 in Chef Q&A

A Jewish chef cooking pork and shellfish in East Williamsburg, one of the largest Hasidic neighborhoods in the city, may seem like little more than a running gag. Especially when he calls that restaurant Traif. And yes, the cheeky irony may initially attract visitors this corner of Brooklyn (the colorful space festooned with heart-studded piggies is also good for a laugh). But Jason Marcus’ thoughtful brand of cooking guarantees their return, long after the joke has worn off.

Q & A with Arlington Club’s Laurent Tourondel

Posted on May 1, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Laurent Tourondel may be a native of France, but his brand has become synonymous with American classics. Think burgers, fries and milkshakes at LT Burger in Bryant Park, and juicy sirloins and rib eyes at BLT Steak. Though he parted ways with E Squared Hospitality and the BLT empire a few years ago, he just recently returned with his own brand of steakhouse at Arlington Club and he’s taken his famous Gruyere popovers with him.

Q & A with Flatiron Lounge & Clover Club’s Julie Reiner

Posted on Apr 18, 2013 in Chef Q&A

It’s often said that there aren’t enough women working in professional kitchens. And the same seems to be true of behind the bar. But when it comes to real top of the line mixologists, there are few bigger names in the business than Julie Reiner – and that’s male or female. Owner and beverage director of the jazzy, ten-year-old Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan (which serves intricately layered drinks listed under “Whiskey,” “Brandy,” “Rum,” “Gin,” “Tequila,” and “Vodka”), and the pre-Prohibition era Clover Club in Brooklyn (known for its assortment of Sours and Daisies, Collins and Fizzes, Punches and Royales), Reiner is often credited with revitalizing the golden age of the cocktail, making American classics with fresh juices, handcrafted syrups and infusions, and seasonal ingredients.

Q & A with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s John Stage

Posted on Apr 5, 2013 in Chef Q&A

When you think of the great BBQ capitals of America, like Texas, North Carolina or Tennessee, you’ll notice that East Coast states never make the list. Yet John Stage, founder of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, has spent the last 25 years working magic with a smoker, producing some of tenderest brisket, tastiest pulled pork, and most lip-smacking ribs you’re likely to find North of the Mason-Dixon line.

Q & A with Back Forty’s Peter Hoffman

Posted on Mar 19, 2013 in Chef Q&A

When Peter Hoffman opened his seminal, farm-to-table restaurant Savoy in 1990, terms like “local,” “seasonal,” and “sustainable” had yet to become part of the dining lexicon. Now, you’d be hard pressed to find a Manhattan chef that doesn’t make regular runs to the Union Square Greenmarket, or a Brooklyn eatery that fails to cite the origins of its Heritage pork, free-range eggs, and artisanal wedges of farmstead cheese. And although Hoffman shuttered Savoy in 2011, he remains resolute in his mission to eliminate out of season, overly processed ingredients from his restaurant menus.

Q & A with Salvation Taco’s April Bloomfield

Posted on Mar 5, 2013 in Chef Q&A

The term “Gastropub” gets thrown around pretty freely nowadays. It generally refers to bars that serve food far superior to the expected handful of beer nuts, meat pie, or run-of-the-mill burger. But the concept didn’t get much play outside of England until 2004, when British chef April Bloomfield burst onto the NYC scene with The Spotted Pig.

Q & A with Louro’s Chef David Santos

Posted on Feb 19, 2013 in Chef Q&A

There are some chefs that would much prefer to hole up in the kitchen with their sauces than interact with their customers. And that’s cool… it’s just not David Santos. On the contrary, the gregarious, heart on his sleeve chef is the kind of guy who invites patrons (and strangers at that!) into his home for supper club meals. Now, you can get a taste of Santos’s cooking, a unique mix of Portuguese, American and other globally inspired cuisines in one.

Q & A with The Marrow’s Harold Dieterle

Posted on Jan 29, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Way back in 2006, Harold Dieterle was the first to win a little culinary competition called Top Chef. But for anyone familiar with his refined cooking style, drama-free demeanor and unfaltering work ethic, it came as no surprise when he quickly proved himself outside the confines of the show. Lately, Dieterle has food folks chattering over his newest restaurant, The Marrow, with Brooklyn residents bemoaning the fact that it didn’t open in Hotel 718 as originally planned.

Q & A with Pork Slope’s Dale Talde

Posted on Jan 14, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Considering he’s currently one of the most buzzed about chefs in Brooklyn, it’s hard to believe that Dale Talde was told to pack his knives and go, twice, on Bravo’s reality cooking show, Top Chef. But for fans and customers that have come to know and love him for his outgoing personality, down-to-earth restaurants, and unique fusion dishes like Pretzel Pork and Chive Dumplings and Crispy Oyster and Bacon Pad Thai, a TV show title doesn’t mean much.

Q & A with China Latina’s Julieta Ballesteros

Posted on Jan 4, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Consistently hailed as one of the top Mexican chefs in NYC, Julieta Ballesteros has worked hard to prove that real Mexican cuisine isn’t about nachos, burritos, and excess amounts of sour cream and shredded cheese.

Q & A with Maison Premiere’s Chef Jared Stafford-Hill

Posted on Dec 28, 2012 in Chef Q&A

What a difference five years have made in the life of Jared Stafford-Hill. When we last checked in with him back in 2008, he had just...

Q & A with La Villette’s Chef Christophe Bonnegrace

Posted on Dec 14, 2012 in Chef Q&A

At age 14, Provence-born chef Christophe Bonnegrace was convinced his cooking career was over before it had started. His first job, as an...

Q & A with Tavern on the Green’s New Chef Katy Sparks

Posted on Dec 3, 2012 in Chef Q&A

Katy Sparks may be a farm girl at heart, but that hasn’t stopped her from making her mark at some of the most revered four-star restaurants in New York City.

Q & A with Il Buco Alimentari’s Chef Justin Smillie

Posted on Oct 4, 2012 in Chef Q&A

It’s been quite a year for chef Justin Smillie, whose cooking at Il Buco Alimentari E Vineria has garnered plenty of attention and packed tables night after night. This NoHo market-cum-restaurant-cum-wine-bar manages to be everything to everyone. From the crusty, Italian breads baked in house, to the salumi dried and aged in the basement, and pastas, made impeccably fresh daily.