restaurantgirl

With the 2008 James Beard Awards on the imminent horizon, we thought it would be an opportune time to check in with the foundation's newest president, Susan Ungaro.  Though Kim Cattrall from Sex and the City will dropping in to host the awards ceremony on June 8th, another woman runs the illustrious show year-round.  For twelve years, Ms. Ungaro served as the editor in chief for the award-winning women's magazine, Family Circle. An award winner herself, she has earned particular notice for her work from the William Paterson Legacy Awards and president Reagan's Office of Consumer Affairs.  Since having accepted the position of president at the James Beard Foundation two years ago, Ungaro has significantly revived its reputation and scholarship program.  Under her supervision, the James Beard's Greenwich Village townhouse has become a dynamic and prominent hub for over 200 visiting chefs, where New Yorkers have the unique opportunity to sample the cooking of chefs from all over the world.   

What did you want to be when you grew up?
My mom recently gave me an autobiographical essay I wrote when I was twelve. I was surprised to see that I wanted to be a nun and a comedian until I realized that The Flying Nun was a popular and funny TV show back then. No, I didn’t dream of running a foundation when I was younger. I did win the Betty Crocker Award in High School and worked my way through college at McDonald’s where I started an employee newsletter for the franchise. So I certainly know what it’s like to sweat over a grill and manage customer service. When I graduated from college, I ended up working at Family Circle magazine for over two decades and spent many days deciding on the best article ideas, photos and cover lines for food and diet stories. Will a chocolate cupcake outsell an apple pie? (The answer is yes!)  So in many ways, my previous experiences are helping me run the James Beard Foundation.

What excites you most about the world of food?
Every day something new is happening. Whether it is the opportunity to taste a visiting chef’s imaginative way with something as simple as sorbet or learning about the latest news in the constant churn of the restaurant world.  I am also totally inspired by the great good will and extraordinary creative talents of chefs, restaurateurs and winemakers today. They are not only true artists, but they are also very giving people.

How did you become involved with the James Beard Foundation?
As editor of Family Circle, I certainly understood the power of winning a James Beard Award and appreciated Beard’s legacy as the godfather of American Cookery. Little did I imagine that after leaving the world of publishing that I would be approached to head up this amazing organization. Barbara Fairchild, editor of Bon Appetit, was a colleague who had judged the magazine world’s ASME Awards with me numerous times. When she heard that I was interested in running a foundation after leaving Family Circle, she recommended me. And the rest, as they say, is history.

As president of the JBF, what have been your most rewarding moments?
Presenting the 2007 JBF Awards at Lincoln Center! The staff and I are incredibly proud of the fact that we successfully moved our Gala Awards to Avery Fisher Hall last year and debuted our Media Awards at the Hudson Theater. It was a gutsy move but one we felt was right for what are clearly considered the “Oscars” of the food and media industry. We are totally psyched for 2008 and so are all the nominees.

What has changed since you became president?
I’d like to think that we’ve taken what was clearly a diamond of the food world and just polished it and reset it to make the next 20 years even brighter. As many visitors to the Beard House know, we redecorated the place and improved the experience for both visiting chefs and dinner guests, created some new programs like Beard on Books which brings authors to the Beard House at least once a month, redesigned our website and re-energized our scholarship program. We’re very proud of the fact that since 2001, we’ve awarded over $1.7 million in scholarships to deserving high school students and mid-life career-changers.

Is there an international JBF presence?...

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)?...

Pastry chef Alex Stupak is a master of innovative designs and textures, making him no stranger to the molecular gastronomy taking place at wd~50.  In a kitchen where science takes dishes to a whole new level, Alex has relied on experimentation and a precise sense of balance to perfect the creations that continue to delight and awe customers.  At the youthful age of twenty-six, chef Alex Stupak had earned the pastry chef position at one of most innovative and praised restaurants in America, Alinea.  There, Stupak worked alongside famed chef Grant Achatz, distinguishing himself with provocative creations and cutting-edge techniques. Alex reverses expectations with a cherry-covered chocolate, a dish of smooth chocolate mousse encapsulated by a blood-red cherry gel.

Single/Married/Divorced
Married.  My wife is the pastry sous chef at Babbo.

What was your first job in food?
A dishwasher at a tiny café in my home town.

You were a pioneer of the molecular gastronomy on the pastry scene. What first compelled you to experiment with unconventional flavors and cutting edge methods?
I am completely self taught as a pastry chef, so any methodology or technique had to originate from experimentation, that, plus the fact that conventionality bores me.

Which tools do you always keep on hand in the kitchen?
A retractable razor, a note pad, and my offset spatula.

What’s your take on classic desserts like apple pie and key lime pie?
I leave them alone.  I believe in perfecting classics, not altering them.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a pastry chef in such top restaurants as Alinea in Chicago and currently at wd~50?
Working at places that pride themselves in their creativity leaves you no choice but to be creative.  There's immense pressure.  I get the impression people think this is fun.

What’s your favorite dessert on the spring pastry menu?
Rhubarb with olive oil and yogurt.  It's exciting because my Sous Chef, Rosio Sanchez, created it.  It's amazing to watch her blossom.

What’s your least favorite dessert on the menu?...
 

Pastry chef Karen DeMasco has distinguished herself not with subversive creations or unconventional methods, but with exemplary, classic desserts.  Trends may come and go, but Karen's elemental style that embraces seasonal fruits has sustained her ever-evolving career and a seven-year run at Craft.  Karen first honed her techniques at Gramercy Tavern, and then Della Femina, where she was well-received by the New York Times. She was then lured by chef Tom Colicchio to helm the pastry department at Craft, and later Craftbar.   

At Craft, Karen’s signature desserts include gingerbread with roasted pear and crème fraiche, and chocolate cake with malted milk ice cream.  But hurry to have a "choose your own adventure" dessert, as she will soon be departing.  Officially ending her tenure with Craft and Craftbar this May, Karen plans to spend the summer finishing her cookbook and working on her own restaurant project to unveil in 2009.  DeMasco is a pastry chef on the rise and we await her imminent solo debut.   

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Married, for 10 years this year.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A truck driver, that didn’t really work out.

What was your first job in food?
Waitressing at Sand’s Delicatessen in Shaker Heights, Ohio during high school.

After spending time working in NYC restaurants (One if by Land, Gramercy Tavern), you moved to Portland, ME to work as pastry chef at Fore Street Restaurant. How was the transition from bustling NYC to a more tranquil lifestyle in Maine?
I loved it- we lived in a beautiful (and cheap) apartment on the east end of Portland overlooking Casco Bay and I walked to work every day. I learned how to ski and mountain bike, and made lots of good friends.

You clearly missed NYC soon, as you moved back not long after to become the pastry chef at Della Femina. What propelled that move?
My husband, Bobby, had a great opportunity to open his own business here (which is Pierless Fish- a wholesale seafood purveyor). It was a little scary, because it is a very comfortable lifestyle up there, but we both missed New York restaurants- and there were a lot more opportunities for me here as well. Looking back, I think we made a great decision.

Your current position rests within Tom Colicchio’s Craft-iness, assuming head manager of Craft and Craftbar’s pastry kitchens. How did this opportunity come about?
I had worked for Tom and Claudia Fleming at Gramercy Tavern before moving to Maine and I absolutely loved it. When I first moved back from Maine, I went back to Gramercy while I waited for Della Femina to open. Later, when I heard that Tom was going to open a restaurant I jumped at the chance to be considered. Tom hired me based mostly on Claudia’s recommendation, and it all grew from there. Craftbar opened next, and we sent the desserts from my pastry kitchen. Later, ‘wichcraft opened. We would carry all of the trays of pastries over each morning. In the beginning, they were all in a row along 19th street. That was great.

Tom Colicchio has made himself a notable icon, through both his restaurant accomplishments as well as Top Chef appearances. How is it working for such a critical Top judge?...
Tom is not a micromanager. He lets all of us make our own mistakes and figure out how to deal with them. Over the years, I have been able to pretty much do my own thing. That being said, he has an uncanny ability to spot the one thing in the kitchen that really did not come out right that day, and I have quite a complex about it. I always try to have him taste something else that is great after that happens. He doesn’t do it often, but when he tells me he doesn’t like something, I change it immediately.

Managing two pastry kitchens is tough when you can only be at one place at one time. How do you juggle the responsibilities?
At Craftbar, the desserts are plated by the garde manger. This has had its ups and downs, but the chef, Lauren Hirschberg, does a great job overseeing it. He cares about each plate that leaves the kitchen- desserts included. I have to trust him because I cannot be there most of the time. I spend my time at Craft, where we do all of the craftbar production along with everything for Craft.

As of late, we’ve seen a lot of shifting in pastry towards more savory flavors. What’s your take on this trendy transition?
I like desserts that are not overly sweet, but personally, I will leave the bacon to the hot line.

Nancy Olson has traveled a long way from her hometown in Napoleon, North Dakota to her current mainstay as executive pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern.  With its unwavering devotion to bucolic compositions, this Danny Meyer haunt surely reeps the benefits of Olson's rural upbringing.  Nancy's father raised cattle, while her mother made jams and jellies from seasonal produce grown on their farm.  Her upbringing planted shaped a pastry career focused on the freshest, farm-grown ingredients.

At Gramercy Tavern, Nancy's signature desserts include the Grand Marnier mascarpone with a blood orange salad and a coconut tapioca with passion fruit caramel and cilantro syrup.  

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Single – but attached to the most wonderful, supportive man!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
For a long time I really wanted to be a teacher. As a chef, I am constantly teaching my team in the kitchen, so I’m lucky that the two professions tie in together really well.

What was your first job in food?
My very first job doing anything with food was working at a supermarket deli during college. One of my responsibilities was cleaning and changing the oil for the chicken fryer – I went home after every shift smelling like fried chicken!

Growing up in North Dakota, you learned cooking from your mother and grandmother.  What favorite recipes do you attribute to your childhood?
Some of the desserts I created for Gramercy Tavern are inspired by my childhood, but rather than any specific recipe, I attribute more my attitude towards baking to my mother and grandmother. While my grandmother passed away before she could teach me how to bake, I remember we would always leave her home carrying loads of treats. She made huge batches of traditional German-Russian American pastries: kuchen, honey cookies, schlitz kuechla, fleischkuechla, ice knipfels, pumpkin blachinda, caramel rolls, rosettes, spritz and pfeffernusse cookies, raisin bread, potato buns, and kolacky. My mom followed suit and is a tremendous baker, so I definitely associate baking and pastries with family and love. I feel strongly that baking is an extension of my emotions – a way to say, “Here’s my heart on a plate.”

You began experimenting with pastry at The Fargo Country Club in ND. What were some of your best creations?...

Most pastry chefs tweak their menu once a year.  Richard Leach entirely dramatically reconceives his every three months.  At Park Avenue Spring, this seasonal American restaurant gets a full makeover every time the temperatures change.  But Richard has been embracing the seasons well before his position at PAS.  He spent time in pastry at Aureole and Lespinasse, which earned him the James Beard Award in 1997 for Pastry Chef of the Year. In 2001, Leach published his cookbook Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple, which invited amateur bakers to create his delicate desserts at home.   

From the launch of Park Avenue Autumn this past fall 2007, then onto Winter and now into Park Avenue Spring, Leach has given guests an array of festive desserts to end on the perfect seasonal note.  Signature desserts of this season include the crème fraîche cheesecake in phyllo, raspberries & hibiscus flower milk and the chocolate brûlée and parfait, with malted milk, kinako & chocolate crumbs.

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
I am married with two boys.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I liked music and wanted to become a drummer.

What was your first job in food?
I started working around food as a dishwasher when I was fourteen. It was a small family-run Armenian restaurant. When there was nothing to be cleaned, I would help out with the food prep. So when the alcoholic chef got fired, the owner asked me if I wanted to give it a try. I was sixteen and would work after school as the night chef. The owner would cook at lunch and then I would come in do all the butchering, prep and service while he waited on the customers. We would do anywhere from 30 to 120 a night. Good fun.

You’ve worked in many prominent kitchens, including Lespinasse and La Cote Basque.  What was your most memorable experience?
The most memorable time was definitely when I first became the pastry chef at Aureole. I was 24 and figuring the whole thing out on my own. I created my own style there and really started to draw a lot of press towards it. I developed a strong reputation there, which launched my career in pastry.

Having worked in two decidedly French restaurants, do you think you take a French approach to pastries?
I always thought of Lespinasse as more global than French; Kunz has many influences from all over. My desserts are kind of mix of things too, so it worked. As for La Cote Basque, they were interested in doing something new.

You worked at Park Avenue Café before its dramatic transformation to a seasonal restaurant that literally changes both its décor and menu four times a year. What was that transition like for you, and how has it changed the desserts you create?
The Park Avenue project has been really interesting because the concept fits in so well with the style I have developed. Each season, there are so many great fruits to feature, it has been great to review my best ideas from over the years and highlight some great dishes. Also, I now make new breads every season which has been a welcomed change. In the past, menu changes have always been worked in gradually throughout a season, but now we do it all on the same day, which involves a great deal of training for both the cooks as well as the waitstaff.

You published a book entitled “Sweet Seasons,” long before the transformation of the restaurant. Tell us how you became so fascinated with designing according to the season even before it was fashionable?
Following the seasons is the way I learned to cook and is also the way I like to eat. I always associate certain foods with specific times of the year. It just makes sense; fruits and vegetables peak at different times of the year.

What’s your favorite dessert in the book?...

With the recent debut of Dovetail on the Upper West Side, pastry chef Vera Tong dazzled both critics and diners with her truly inspired approach to classic desserts.  Prior to Dovetail, Vera Tong worked in the kitchen at Compass, where she first met chef John Fraser.  The two team up again at this highly received contemporary American restaurant where she not only has conceived an exemplary pastry menu, but also bakes the white cheddar cornbread that launch guests into dinner every evening.  Vera's signature brioche pudding with bacon brittle will be making an encore on the spring menu, as will new additions, including a chocolate and coffee parfait, glazed pineapple crumble and a peanut butter frozen cheesecake.

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Single

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Just a cook

How did you get into food?
My grandfather was a cook and so was my dad.

What was your first job in food?
Dunkin Donuts!!

What was it like working with chef Patti Jackson at Le Madri and how did she play a role in your focus on pastry arts?
I was actually a savory intern. I thought she was amazing…she made a wedding cake in less than an hour which included slicing, filling, fondant, and flowers!!!!  She is definitely a mentor. You always knew when Patti was in the kitchen and when she wasn’t.

You seem to take a decidedly classical approach to dessert.  How would define your approach?
I just believe in making good food…Something inventive is great, but only if it is delicious. Classics are classics for a reason.

You met John Fraser at Compass and subsequently made the move to Dovetail with him.  How did you develop a kinship with him and what propelled the two of you to team up again at his new restaurant? 
We have the same approach when it comes to food. I think that he’s a great chef and I’ve learned a lot from him. When he told me he was opening Dovetail, I told him I would be there for him without a doubt.

Do you always see eye to eye with each other? 
Almost always; it is rare for a pastry chef and chef to get along so well.

How do you feel about the recent battery of positive restaurant reviews you’ve received?
It has been overwhelming.  We’ve all worked really hard.  I am so grateful.

What's your favorite dessert on the pastry menu right now?...

Chef and co-owner Mike Price is so attached to Market Table that even he got married in this 40-seat market-cum-restaurant.   Who better to cook for the occasion than chef Joey Campanaro (The Little Owl)?  Regulars who pack into this Greenwich Village eatery even came by to watch the ceremony through the floor-to-ceiling windows.  Dinner highlights included Market Table's signature gnocchi with braised short ribs and crab cakes.  Before launching Market Table, he trained at the CIA and then went on to work for restaurateurs Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams at the Mermaid Inn and The Harrison.  Now Price plays the part of butcher, baker as well as chef.  His seasonal American spring menu will feature a salad of fava beans, pecorino and mint and an English pea risotto. 

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Recently married March 2, 2008 to my amazing wife Amy.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I've always wanted to cook.  I started at home around the age of five cooking plain rice, helping my mother, etc.  My grandfather was a butcher and my grandmother was dietitian, and the other side of my family raised animals and grew crops on the family farm, so food is in my blood.

What was your first job in food?
My first food job was as a dishwasher at The Maryland Way Restaurant at the Holiday Inn in Solomons, Maryland.

After working at NYC's Symphony Café, you moved to Miami to open upscale seafood restaurant Fish. How did the restaurant scene in Miami differ from NYC?...

It was definitely a smaller scene at least back then.  Nobody went out to eat until about 7 or 7:30 so we would set up the line, go to the beach, have a cocktail, and then go cook.  It was great!

Having grown up near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, have you ever had a desire to go back and open a crab shack?
I've always wanted to open a place like that, and came close once, but it didn't work out.  Maybe I'll revisit the idea in a few years when/if I get some property down there.

You recently opened Market Table, a seasonal American restaurant that brings market ingredients to the table.  How did you develop your idea of blending a market and a restaurant?...

Chef Ben Pollinger is not another seasonal American chef boasting organic ingredients from local farmers: he's doing his own part to provide the ingredients himself.  With a 500 square foot organic garden, Ben is as enthusiastic about his spring plants as the spring dishes on the menu at Oceana, a well-respected seafood restaurant in midtown. 

His mantra: “It’s all about relationships: the relationship between the farmer and the soil, the relationship between the fresh ingredients and preparing techniques; most importantly, the relationship between the dining experience and those enjoying it.”

At Oceana, Ben creates a global cuisine melding international flavors and techniques to create an eclectic menu of seafood dishes. Signature dishes include the steamed grouper with lotus root, yu choy, young coconut, wood ear mushrooms & black bean sauce, and  seared Hawaiian opah with hearts of palm, Oakwood shitakes, water spinach and wasabi creme fraiche.  

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Happily married with two kids.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A lawyer.  I was always argumentative.

What was your first job in food?
I was a cook in my dormitory cafeteria while studying economics at Boston University.  My first day I cooked several hundred frozen hamburger patties.   I graduated to cooking eggs to order on Sunday morning for 750 people.

You spent time in Monte-Carlo working as a stagier for Alain Ducasse and Frank Cerutti at Le Louis XV. What did you learn most from these two important culinary figures?
Lightness, purity of flavor, organization and an incessant drive for perfection.

Do you have a desire to work again outside of the US?...
It’s always great to be immersed in another culture and learn new things about how other people live and eat. I recently cooked on a trip to Iceland and was very much inspired by the ingredients, what I ate and experienced there.

You spent time working at Tabla and Union Square Cafe, both Danny Meyer restaurants, and two very different cuisines.  Was the transference difficult from Indian cuisine to American/Italian?
No.  Both restaurants had American ingredients and classical technique at their roots,  I already had a good understanding of American and Italian flavors before coming to Tabla.

We heard you have a 500 square foot organic garden. What are you excited to grow for the spring?

Chef Todd Mitgang recently made his solo debut at Crave Ceviche Bar in midtown East.  At the youthful age of 27, Mitgang saw instant success, long waits and already has plans to expand his eatery into a neighboring space.  Before his popularity at Crave, Mitgang studied at FCI, then landed his first job out of school at Soho's Kittichai, where he was positioned as Chef de Cuisine. 

At Crave, Mitgang devotes his undivided attention to ceviches, curing an impressive selection of raw fish in unusual marinades, far beyond the usual lime and lemon juices.  He adds extra crunch with whimsical accessories, including charred popcorn.  Intensely fruity sangrias and a playful wine list, categorizing the wines by inviting descriptions like "toasted brioche," add to this chef's restaurant's lure.  With an ever-changing menu that rigorously bows to the seasons, his winter specialty dishes include a yellow fin tuna with a quail egg, swiss chard, and beet juice yuzu as well as a golden pear fluke with pistachio brown rice and pomegranate maple schlag.

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Taken

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always new I wanted to do something creative, although “chefdom” never came to mind.

What was your first job in food?
It was a place called Dursos, a gourmet Italian deli out in Long Island.  They had me handling prepared foods and butchering organic chickens. I barely knew how to handle a cleaver! It is a miracle I still have all fingers intact.

Having been raised in a family that you say dined on “iceberg lettuce and grilled chicken,” where did you find culinary inspiration as a kid?...