The purpose of The Taggart Table is to engage, educate and entertain the restaurant consumer. At the same time, the restaurant management and staff will strengthen their commitment to the new, as well as the frequent, regular consuming patrons.
The Taggart Table will enhance the relationship between all parties involved, effortlessly and creatively.
Along the way, it is my ambition to make both restaurant personnel and restaurant consumers more aware of the efforts and challenges of Long Island Cares, the Harry Chapin
Food Bank.
www.licares.org
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Chef Craig Attwood Talks About Mario Batali, Jacques Pepin, and Other Culinary Creatives at the Taggart Table
Chef Craig Attwood, grew up on the South Shore of Long Island in Lindenhurst, near the water, near the boats, with plenty of fish and shellfish all around. He began cooking at the young age of 8, learning from his family, and a neighbor. Later he became a fan of Julia Child, where he would reproduce her recipes. Jacques Pepin, was also an early influence.
He went on to go to culinary school and while he was there, he interned and worked at the Judson Grill in the New York Theater District, which earned three stars from The New York Times in 1998.
He has worked in numerous well recognized restaurants in Manhattan, such as Indigo, Veritas (sous chef), and Pico Chef de Cuisine. Executive Chef Dominic and then at Aretsky's Patroon (160 E 46th St.) before moving out to the East End to work at Jedediah Hawkins House (Executive Chef) on the North Fork and East Hampton Point (Executive Chef) for four years before arriving at Page 63 Main in the Spring of 2016.
Learn more and enjoy
Craig’s culinary efforts at
Page Restaurant
63 Main Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
(631) 725-1810
http://www.page63main.com
Chef Craig Attwood has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table.....
The Taggart Table: So, what was breakfast today?
Craig Attwood: Egg whites turkey avocado swiss. I’m trying to live a little bit longer.
Taggart: Family roots, ancestors?
Craig: Irish & English
Taggart: When there is creative endeavors and inspiration in the family, I wonder where it comes from. Sometimes I think it’s inherited. Any creative family stuff to share? Current or in the past? Read about N. C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth, very talented painters/artists.
(father and son).
Craig: I wonder too where it comes from LOL. Well my father was a cop and my mother had an Esthetician business. But my father was very handy and would BBQ in the summer. Plus we had a garden in the summer. My mother was a good cook.
I have an older cousin who is very creative. Can build anything, carves wood, paints. Is at burning man every year.
Taggart: If I pick you up in 10 minutes, for lunch, where do we go?
Craig: Probably Harbor Market, (184 Division St, Sag Harbor) the quality is very good. If it was summer maybe head out to Montauk .
Taggart: You grew up in Lindenhurst. Any creative youthful memories there?
Craig: I enjoyed Art class as a kid but mostly played sports and spent summers at the beach on the boat, swimming fishing, boogie boarding. As a teen most of my friends skateboarded. We built ramps and caused havoc around the neighborhood. You know typical of growing up in the 90’s in Long Island.
Taggart: Where was the early training in your career?
Craig: My first job was at 13 washing dishes at an italian restaurant. Then I moved up to prep, I did whatever they needed, peeled tons of garlic and cut vegetables, shredded cheese. By 16, I was cooking the usual Long Island fair of chicken francaise and steamed mussels. I enjoyed working and having money at that age.
Taggart: At a young age, did you know you wanted to be a chef? If you were not a chef, what would you be doing?
Craig: I didn’t know I wanted to be a chef until i was 17. I enjoyed cooking and realized parts of it came natural. I orginally wanted to become a marine biologist, because of my love for the ocean. If I listened to family, I probably would be a Suffolk Cop right now. Working for the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau. Not a bad choice.
Taggart: What was the interest or the appeal to come to the East End?
Craig: It’s so beautiful out here, the bay, the beaches, the farms. Locals are great people
Taggart: Any favorite soups? Favorite Veggies?
Craig: Maybe a parsnip puree with some poached oysters. I love them all. I look forward to the seasons. Asparagus in the Spring, tomatoes, eggplant zucchini in the summer, Fall squash, turnips. brussel sprouts.
Taggart: Favorite cheeses? Favorite spices?
Craig: I could eat cheese all day. Manchego, goats of any kind. triple creme, I’m not a big fan of Velveeta. Thats about it.
Taggart: Any favorite seafood or shellfish? Plenty to pick from on Long Island.
Craig: Probably black seabass, striped bass, roasted oysters and Skate is one of my favorites.
Taggart: Name a few popular dishes on your menu.
Craig: Right now im doing a charred octopus with spagetti squash, spanish chorizo, olives with preserved lemon vinaigrette. Skate with braised savoy cabbage, chanterelles, bacon, yukon golds and cider-mustard emulsion. squash gnocchi, duck meatballs, cranberries, turnips
Taggart: Why is everyone taking pictures of their food? (A chef’s perspective)
Craig: Are we talking chefs or customers? Customers I would say because food is very interesting and plates are beautiful. Its an art. Chefs, because they are proud of their work and want to build their business by sending out pics on facebook and instagram.
Taggart: Do you spend leisure time in NY? Restaurants? Theatre? Museums, Galleries?
Craig: Mostly restaurants, I enjoy checking new ones and the classics I have never been to.There are so many.
Taggart: What's your favorite area of New York or Long Island?
(besides the East End)
Craig: I do like the Great South Bay and Fire Island. Upstate NY, Hudson Valley has some beautiful towns and great restaurants.
Taggart: With time, I think many chefs present and past, have influenced and inspired the American culinary atmosphere.
Craig: Yes but I don’t think its going in the right direction. Young cooks do not want to put the time in. They can’t take direction very well. It needs to go back.
Taggart: What is your favorite vacation spot?
Craig: i was recently in California. San Francisco, Napa, Sonoma. I’ve been there a few times. Also, I went to Cartagena, Colombia 10 years ago for a wedding and it was amazing, the food, the people, beaches. I would like to see more of South America
Taggart: Name a few creative and inspirational heros:
Craig: Probably Chef Monti from High School. Boces pushed me in the right direction. Chef Scott Bryan taught me technique and how it all makes sense and comes together. Then Eric Rupert, Jose Andres, Massimo Bottura.
Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Craig: Being lazy and not taking the extra step to make something great. Also working dirty.
Taggart: The Long Island restaurant atmosphere has come a long way. Serious variety, serious choices, and serious competition. Sad to see some come and go. I wish there was less fast food.
Craig: It’s impossible to run a restaurant the right way and to make money. You need to have great investors who are on the same page. Some healthy fast food would be nice. Maybe something Mediterranean.
Taggart: What do you do for fun away from cooking?
Craig: Hanging with my kids, beach, boat, fishing. Spontaneous day trips.
Taggart: Who in the food world do you most admire?
Craig: The chef/owners who open restaurants on their own and work there asses off.
Taggart: Favorite foods to cook with?
Craig: Spices, herbs, Middle Eastern, Asian
Taggart: What do you like to eat when you’re at home?
Craig: Easy comfort food. Fish tacos. Ethnic food ive never cooked before.
Taggart: Are there any foods you just don’t like?
Craig: Not really, weird slimy stuff.
Taggart: Backyard veggies are enjoyable. I hope the term “Farm to Table” and “Organic” is accurately used.
Craig: I try to buy as much as I can from farms. But we live in Long Island and its seasonal. Very hard to do it year round. I buy the best ingredients I can.
Taggart: Favorite cookbooks?
Craig: The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller, Alinea a Joel Robuchon with some classics. The Book of Spices by Frederic Rosengarten.
Taggart: Any books that you may write?
Craig: Maybe something about mental illness and drug addition in kitchens and some first hand stories, or really good 10 minute meals for busy families. Real stuff not food network B.S
Taggart: The Hargrave winery was the first on Long Island in 1973, and some thought it would not work, risks and opticals were plenty. They were not even farmers. According to the Long Island Wine Council, there are now over 50 wineries located on Long Island. Trailblazers and visionaries... yes?
Craig: I love the North Fork wine country. Some great people making wines over there. Jamesport Vineyards, Macari, McCall, Sparkling Point, Paumonok are a few favorites. On the South Fork, Channing Daughters and Wolfer. They keep getting better.
Taggart: What do you most love about your job/career?
Craig: I enjoy being creative, making new dishes. Working with my staff and seeing customers happy.
Taggart: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Craig: My children and how great they are, despite all that they have been through.
Taggart: Many famous folks love Sag Harbor, and your efforts. Any fun food moments with a celebrity?
Craig: I did have a drink in Back Page with Keith Hernandez.
That was awesome. Such a great guy. A few years back I cooked with Jacque Pepin for his book show with D'Artagnan.
Taggart: Any TV chef(s) that you admire?
Craig: I think Mario Batali does a great job and is all about cooking. He is a great chef. Also Tom Colicchio.
Taggart: Gordon Ramsey...entertainment, or helpful knowledge?
Craig: I think both. His orginal Hells Kitchen BBC is great.
Taggart: Do you give cooking demos or do cooking events? Location is not an issue.
Craig: Yes I’ve done a bunch of them. Its alot of fun. Interacting with people and teaching them about restaurants and dishes.
Taggart: I spent time, years ago with Harry Chapin at his house. Would you do a cooking demo for Long Island Cares? Location is not important.
Craig: Of course.
Taggart: What else is there that readers might be interested in. What do people not know about you that you wish they did?
Craig: I think most people think being a chef is some sort of a glamorous job. But you spend alot of time prepping, making sure your staff shows up, making sure your product is delivered. Most chefs are under paid. They work there asses off, to get your staff to put out a consistent prouduct every night is not easy. You can’t cook every dish unless you have 10 seats.
Taggart: What’s next on your creative agenda? Teaching the young can be rewarding.
Craig: I wouldn’t mind that some day. I have some time. left. maybe another 10 years.
Taggart: Craig, thank you for giving me this rewarding and informative opportunity.
Craig: Thank you. It was my pleasure.
Taggart: Let’s wrap up with a good dinner. Where do we go? Italian? Seafood? Steakhouse?
(Long Island/Metro area)
Craig: Long Island, maybe Trattoria in St. James. (532 N Country Rd, St James)
or The Lakehouse. (135 Maple Ave, Bay Shore). In NYC, I would like to go to
Sushi Inoue (381 Lenox Ave) or Del Posto (85 10th Ave) haven’t been yet.
Chef Craig Attwood, grew up on the South Shore of Long Island in Lindenhurst, near the water, near the boats, with plenty of fish and shellfish all around. He began cooking at the young age of 8, learning from his family, and a neighbor. Later he became a fan of Julia Child, where he would reproduce her recipes. Jacques Pepin, was also an early influence.
He went on to go to culinary school and while he was there, he interned and worked at the Judson Grill in the New York Theater District, which earned three stars from The New York Times in 1998.
He has worked in numerous well recognized restaurants in Manhattan, such as Indigo, Veritas (sous chef), and Pico Chef de Cuisine. Executive Chef Dominic and then at Aretsky's Patroon (160 E 46th St.) before moving out to the East End to work at Jedediah Hawkins House (Executive Chef) on the North Fork and East Hampton Point (Executive Chef) for four years before arriving at Page 63 Main in the Spring of 2016.
Learn more and enjoy
Craig’s culinary efforts at
Page Restaurant
63 Main Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
(631) 725-1810
http://www.page63main.com
Chef Craig Attwood has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table.....
The Taggart Table: So, what was breakfast today?
Craig Attwood: Egg whites turkey avocado swiss. I’m trying to live a little bit longer.
Taggart: Family roots, ancestors?
Craig: Irish & English
Taggart: When there is creative endeavors and inspiration in the family, I wonder where it comes from. Sometimes I think it’s inherited. Any creative family stuff to share? Current or in the past? Read about N. C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth, very talented painters/artists.
(father and son).
Craig: I wonder too where it comes from LOL. Well my father was a cop and my mother had an Esthetician business. But my father was very handy and would BBQ in the summer. Plus we had a garden in the summer. My mother was a good cook.
I have an older cousin who is very creative. Can build anything, carves wood, paints. Is at burning man every year.
Taggart: If I pick you up in 10 minutes, for lunch, where do we go?
Craig: Probably Harbor Market, (184 Division St, Sag Harbor) the quality is very good. If it was summer maybe head out to Montauk .
Taggart: You grew up in Lindenhurst. Any creative youthful memories there?
Craig: I enjoyed Art class as a kid but mostly played sports and spent summers at the beach on the boat, swimming fishing, boogie boarding. As a teen most of my friends skateboarded. We built ramps and caused havoc around the neighborhood. You know typical of growing up in the 90’s in Long Island.
Taggart: Where was the early training in your career?
Craig: My first job was at 13 washing dishes at an italian restaurant. Then I moved up to prep, I did whatever they needed, peeled tons of garlic and cut vegetables, shredded cheese. By 16, I was cooking the usual Long Island fair of chicken francaise and steamed mussels. I enjoyed working and having money at that age.
Taggart: At a young age, did you know you wanted to be a chef? If you were not a chef, what would you be doing?
Craig: I didn’t know I wanted to be a chef until i was 17. I enjoyed cooking and realized parts of it came natural. I orginally wanted to become a marine biologist, because of my love for the ocean. If I listened to family, I probably would be a Suffolk Cop right now. Working for the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau. Not a bad choice.
Taggart: What was the interest or the appeal to come to the East End?
Craig: It’s so beautiful out here, the bay, the beaches, the farms. Locals are great people
Taggart: Any favorite soups? Favorite Veggies?
Craig: Maybe a parsnip puree with some poached oysters. I love them all. I look forward to the seasons. Asparagus in the Spring, tomatoes, eggplant zucchini in the summer, Fall squash, turnips. brussel sprouts.
Taggart: Favorite cheeses? Favorite spices?
Craig: I could eat cheese all day. Manchego, goats of any kind. triple creme, I’m not a big fan of Velveeta. Thats about it.
Taggart: Any favorite seafood or shellfish? Plenty to pick from on Long Island.
Craig: Probably black seabass, striped bass, roasted oysters and Skate is one of my favorites.
Taggart: Name a few popular dishes on your menu.
Craig: Right now im doing a charred octopus with spagetti squash, spanish chorizo, olives with preserved lemon vinaigrette. Skate with braised savoy cabbage, chanterelles, bacon, yukon golds and cider-mustard emulsion. squash gnocchi, duck meatballs, cranberries, turnips
Taggart: Why is everyone taking pictures of their food? (A chef’s perspective)
Craig: Are we talking chefs or customers? Customers I would say because food is very interesting and plates are beautiful. Its an art. Chefs, because they are proud of their work and want to build their business by sending out pics on facebook and instagram.
Taggart: Do you spend leisure time in NY? Restaurants? Theatre? Museums, Galleries?
Craig: Mostly restaurants, I enjoy checking new ones and the classics I have never been to.There are so many.
Taggart: What's your favorite area of New York or Long Island?
(besides the East End)
Craig: I do like the Great South Bay and Fire Island. Upstate NY, Hudson Valley has some beautiful towns and great restaurants.
Taggart: With time, I think many chefs present and past, have influenced and inspired the American culinary atmosphere.
Craig: Yes but I don’t think its going in the right direction. Young cooks do not want to put the time in. They can’t take direction very well. It needs to go back.
Taggart: What is your favorite vacation spot?
Craig: i was recently in California. San Francisco, Napa, Sonoma. I’ve been there a few times. Also, I went to Cartagena, Colombia 10 years ago for a wedding and it was amazing, the food, the people, beaches. I would like to see more of South America
Taggart: Name a few creative and inspirational heros:
Craig: Probably Chef Monti from High School. Boces pushed me in the right direction. Chef Scott Bryan taught me technique and how it all makes sense and comes together. Then Eric Rupert, Jose Andres, Massimo Bottura.
Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Craig: Being lazy and not taking the extra step to make something great. Also working dirty.
Taggart: The Long Island restaurant atmosphere has come a long way. Serious variety, serious choices, and serious competition. Sad to see some come and go. I wish there was less fast food.
Craig: It’s impossible to run a restaurant the right way and to make money. You need to have great investors who are on the same page. Some healthy fast food would be nice. Maybe something Mediterranean.
Taggart: What do you do for fun away from cooking?
Craig: Hanging with my kids, beach, boat, fishing. Spontaneous day trips.
Taggart: Who in the food world do you most admire?
Craig: The chef/owners who open restaurants on their own and work there asses off.
Taggart: Favorite foods to cook with?
Craig: Spices, herbs, Middle Eastern, Asian
Taggart: What do you like to eat when you’re at home?
Craig: Easy comfort food. Fish tacos. Ethnic food ive never cooked before.
Taggart: Are there any foods you just don’t like?
Craig: Not really, weird slimy stuff.
Taggart: Backyard veggies are enjoyable. I hope the term “Farm to Table” and “Organic” is accurately used.
Craig: I try to buy as much as I can from farms. But we live in Long Island and its seasonal. Very hard to do it year round. I buy the best ingredients I can.
Taggart: Favorite cookbooks?
Craig: The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller, Alinea a Joel Robuchon with some classics. The Book of Spices by Frederic Rosengarten.
Taggart: Any books that you may write?
Craig: Maybe something about mental illness and drug addition in kitchens and some first hand stories, or really good 10 minute meals for busy families. Real stuff not food network B.S
Taggart: The Hargrave winery was the first on Long Island in 1973, and some thought it would not work, risks and opticals were plenty. They were not even farmers. According to the Long Island Wine Council, there are now over 50 wineries located on Long Island. Trailblazers and visionaries... yes?
Craig: I love the North Fork wine country. Some great people making wines over there. Jamesport Vineyards, Macari, McCall, Sparkling Point, Paumonok are a few favorites. On the South Fork, Channing Daughters and Wolfer. They keep getting better.
Taggart: What do you most love about your job/career?
Craig: I enjoy being creative, making new dishes. Working with my staff and seeing customers happy.
Taggart: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Craig: My children and how great they are, despite all that they have been through.
Taggart: Many famous folks love Sag Harbor, and your efforts. Any fun food moments with a celebrity?
Craig: I did have a drink in Back Page with Keith Hernandez.
That was awesome. Such a great guy. A few years back I cooked with Jacque Pepin for his book show with D'Artagnan.
Taggart: Any TV chef(s) that you admire?
Craig: I think Mario Batali does a great job and is all about cooking. He is a great chef. Also Tom Colicchio.
Taggart: Gordon Ramsey...entertainment, or helpful knowledge?
Craig: I think both. His orginal Hells Kitchen BBC is great.
Taggart: Do you give cooking demos or do cooking events? Location is not an issue.
Craig: Yes I’ve done a bunch of them. Its alot of fun. Interacting with people and teaching them about restaurants and dishes.
Taggart: I spent time, years ago with Harry Chapin at his house. Would you do a cooking demo for Long Island Cares? Location is not important.
Craig: Of course.
Taggart: What else is there that readers might be interested in. What do people not know about you that you wish they did?
Craig: I think most people think being a chef is some sort of a glamorous job. But you spend alot of time prepping, making sure your staff shows up, making sure your product is delivered. Most chefs are under paid. They work there asses off, to get your staff to put out a consistent prouduct every night is not easy. You can’t cook every dish unless you have 10 seats.
Taggart: What’s next on your creative agenda? Teaching the young can be rewarding.
Craig: I wouldn’t mind that some day. I have some time. left. maybe another 10 years.
Taggart: Craig, thank you for giving me this rewarding and informative opportunity.
Craig: Thank you. It was my pleasure.
Taggart: Let’s wrap up with a good dinner. Where do we go? Italian? Seafood? Steakhouse?
(Long Island/Metro area)
Craig: Long Island, maybe Trattoria in St. James. (532 N Country Rd, St James)
or The Lakehouse. (135 Maple Ave, Bay Shore). In NYC, I would like to go to
Sushi Inoue (381 Lenox Ave) or Del Posto (85 10th Ave) haven’t been yet.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Talking with Chef Adam Goldgell from Stags Tap House in Huntington...at The Taggart Table
Chef Adam Goldgell was born in Queens and grew up in kitchens. He is no stranger to the competitive New York Metro, Long Island restaurant atmosphere. He has made eight appearances on the Food Network. Seven have been with Robert Irvine.
His younger days, he worked with his dad in his family’s gourmet sandwich shop in Brooklyn, as well as a 200-seat cafe in Tribeca. Adam went on to own and operate The New York Fun Factory, one of the largest special events production companies on the East Coast. Before that, he studied with a Ringling Brothers entertainer, and performed magic and hypnosis.
Adam then attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to hone his craft. The New York Times awarded Goldgell three stars during his tenure as executive chef at Sugo, in Long Beach. He has since worked in some of the country’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, including Long Island’s four-star Panama Hatties in Huntington, NY.
Learn more about Adam at:
Chef Adam Goldgell has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table.....
Taggart: When there are creative endeavors and inspiration in the family, I wonder where it comes from. Sometimes I think it's inherited. Any ultra-creative family members?
Adam: My grandfather was a painter and a photographer. I think if he was born in a different time he may have pursued that as a career, but he became a pharmacist. He enjoyed painting and shooting pictures his whole life. My dad was also a creative guy. If you track his career as a businessman, he did some very outrageous stuff. One of the many examples was having a closeout store. Like an Odd-Job – staffed by bodybuilders – called Mister Goliath. His tag line was 'Bargains with Muscle.” This was even cleverer then it appeared on the surface. My dad had guts. I miss him.
Taggart: You had early career training in Brooklyn. Tell us about that.
Adam: My dad opened a gourmet sandwich shop several years earlier in Brooklyn Heights. He sold it and then nine years later got it back when the buyer defaulted on his note. My dad was doing other things and so I inherited the shop when I was 18.
Taggart: What made you switch from the entertainment business to food?
Adam: I spent years performing and then built an entertainment company producing acts for corporate events, birthdays, etc. I built up the business with my ex-wife. We went south and decided to sell the business. I retired for seven years, got divorced, laid low and then decided to go in a new direction. I went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). That changed everything. I fell in love again with something. The way I felt when I was eight years old buying my first magic trick. The knowledge available was endless. The skills you could learn were priceless. There are no bounds for my creativity. I was excited to wake up in the morning and learn more. It's still true 16 years later. Food is the history of this planet. What people eat and how they celebrate. It never ends. So much to cook, so little time.
Taggart: Favorite cheeses?
Adam: I would stand at the Fairway cheese counter sampling and talking to the Fromage manager for hours. I feel a bit guilty with all the free sampling over the years. I may have contributed to their recent bankruptcy. I like assertive, fragrant French cheeses like Pont-l'Évêque. I also like Botrytis cheeses. Those are your blues with the mold running through it. The more assertive, the better.
Taggart: Favorite spices?
Adam: Funny, I was at my spice guy’s store the other day. Spice House in Hicksville. A well-placed spice is like a black key on the piano. A note can bring a dish from good to great. I have an average of 50 spices in my kitchen. No favorite spice. Like colors in a color chart. They all have their use.
Taggart: Favorite seafood? Plenty to choose from on Long Island.
Adam: S.T.A.G.S Tap House
(https://www.facebook.com/stagstaphouse/?fref=ts ),
the place we’re about to open in Huntington, is down the block from the Cold Spring Harbor Trout Hatchery. Their brook trout will be on the menu. It's a mild and mellow fish. Very clean tasting. I love local black fish. I am also going to try to get baby trout for specials. They are really tasty.
(https://www.facebook.com/stagstaphouse/?fref=ts ),
the place we’re about to open in Huntington, is down the block from the Cold Spring Harbor Trout Hatchery. Their brook trout will be on the menu. It's a mild and mellow fish. Very clean tasting. I love local black fish. I am also going to try to get baby trout for specials. They are really tasty.
Taggart: The words “Farm to Table” and “Organic” are hot right now. Are they accurately used?
Adam: S.T.A.G.S has allowed me a real opportunity to delve into the world of local and organic. It’s hard to believe Long Island once had the most bountiful and diverse farming communities in the world. Among its million dollar homes and Burger Kings if you look in the cracks you can still find working farms, beehives, ducks, eggs, chickens, fish hatcheries, rabbits, all sorts of vegetables, wineries, breweries, etc. We will a have a staff member at S.T.A.G.S doing daily shopping for us. Eating local and buying organic takes work, but if you’re willing to do the legwork the results are unmatched. S.T.A.G.S will be an example of that work. A day old egg from a Raleigh Farm in Kings Park is 100 times a different party than a four-month-old supermarket egg. The beards are demanding it, the nouveau hippie, granola-eating gym-going world is demanding it. I hope it continues to evolve that way. Everything tastes better.
Taggart: Why is everyone taking food pictures?
Adam: I'm really not sure why people do that. Unless something is really spectacular, I never take a shot. Food I cook? I take shots. That's just for keeping records in case I want to make it again.
Taggart: Name a few dishes on your current menu?
Adam: We are going to have an Iberico Baby Back Ribs. I'm excited about it. It’s made with a guava chili glaze. Also, a dish called Grandma Ann’s Casserole, based on my favorite dish as a kid. Made with ground beef and potato chips served in the same style dish my grandmother served it in to me 40 years ago. I got a lot of surprises like that. S.T.A.G.S is going to be special.
Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Adam: Cruelty ticks me off the most. Kitchens can be rough, pressure-filled places. Your job as a leader is to make sure your staff is treated with respect. Part of that is making sure your staff is safe. Kitchens are also dangerous places. You want to try to avoid people getting hurt. If one of my people gets hurt, their kids get hurt. My job is to create a safe environment, filled with respect, and allow people to thrive.
Taggart: Whom in the food world do you admire most?
Adam: The best meal I ever had in a restaurant was at Bouley, in the mid 1990's when David Bouley was cooking himself. If your name is on the door, you need to be cooking in that kitchen. If you go see “The King and I,” other people may do a fine job, but there’s only one Yul Brenner. You can't call it in. If you want a restaurant to represent you, you need to be there cooking. Period. There is so much tweaking and adjusting and that can't be completely done remotely. It could be ok, but rarely, rarely ethereal.
Taggart: What do you love most about your job?
Adam: I still get excited when I get vegetables that are still warm from the earth. I still get excited about prepping something, or researching a dish and seeing the final result on the plate. I enjoy creating a kitchen culture that is peaceful and a fun place to work. There is a lot I really enjoy. I generally enjoy most days. But as far as a career choice, it’s a great one if you love it. If you’re cooking for the money you’re an idiot. There are much easier ways to make a living. Like pick anything else. Cooking is passion driven. If you’re not doing it for that reason you are a big dummy.
Taggart: You have had some impressive TV appearances. Any nerves? Which were difficult?
Adam: TV is fun for me. I had a great time doing Restaurant Express for eight episodes. That was a show starring Robert Irvine. So they thought… until they met me. I spent a few months in LA and Vegas. It was great fun. Met a lot of neat people. I also did Chopped and a few other miscellaneous things. The most important thing people need to know is doing Food TV is that it has almost nothing to do with cooking. It's shtick entertainment. I happen to cook, but I have a large personality that plays on TV... that’s it. My skill level as a chef has nothing to do with TV shows. There were people on my show that were excellent chefs and got kicked off early. There were others that had zero talent that stuck around. It's about what producers feel the audience wants to see. Don't ever confuse Reality TV with reality.
308 Main Street Huntington, NY 11743
(631) 923-2060
http://www.stagstaphouse.com
thetaggarttable@gmail.com
516 356 1205
Monday, January 18, 2016
Chef Colin Ambrose talks about
"Carrot-Palooza", "The Basil Brothers"
and his Veggie Garden at the Taggart Table…
Chef Colin Ambrose was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, grew up in Winnetka Ill. High school, New Trier East, was a little north of Chicago. Colin’s dad was a grain trader on the Chicago Board of Trade. After graduating from Utah State, in Logan, UT, Colin contributed to the start up at trade publication, Topshelf, a restaurant/beverage magazine and later as a magazine sales manager for Hearst in the advertising department for Connoisseur Magazine in New York. Later, in the mid 90’s, Colin worked on stagiaire at the famous Aureole Restaurant, in New York, run by Charlie Palmer, as well as Vida in Los Angeles, Bayona in New Orleans, Aqua in San Francisco and finally Union Square Café in Manhattan.
Colin Ambrose is an East End restaurateur well known for taking little-known coffee shops and turning them into celebrated dining destinations. Though his original restaurant, Estia (Amagansett 1991-2006), has been sold, he still retains Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor. Colin has appeared in many national publications, including: Newsday, Bon Appetit, Red Book, Family Circle, and The New York Times. Colin is also a favorite with Long Island’s East End papers and magazines, with The East Hampton Star, The Southampton Press, and Hamptons Magazine featuring him regularly. He has been interviewed on The Today Show with Katie Couric, appeared alongside Sara Moulton on her live show on the Food Network, and taped a spot for ABC’s Rebecca’s Garden. Finally, Colin has also been featured on National Public Radio. He has also been an active member of New York’s first C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) at Quail Hill farm since 1993 and the James Beard Foundation since he was invited to cook there in 1996, he has returned to cook with other chefs (Charlie Trotter and Charlie Palmer) since that time.,
Many of Mr. Ambrose's ingredients have come from an organic garden (the land donated by Lorne Michaels) behind his restaurant in Amagansett, and run by him and a few other notable chefs. They earned their nickname “The Basil Brothers” because of their devotion to fresh herbs. The garden serviced Mr. Ambrose, Chef Gerry Hayden, Dennis McNeil, Charlie Palmer and Rick Moonen until 1998. These garden products are responsible for many of Mr. Ambrose's creative dishes, including the often-ordered two-hour salad, made from greens picked two hours or less before they are served at Estia. In 1999, when Mr. Ambrose opened his second Estia’s location, he began a chefs garden on the Sag Harbor property just outside the kitchen door that continues to contribute to his creativity and his menus today.
Food and art trades hands, at Estia’s, developing unique and special friendships. Today, both Estia locations (Sag Harbor and Estia’s Back Porch Café in Darien CT.) have become a place to feed all cultural sensibilities, with many creative connections, in seaside communities filled with cultural creatives.
Estia's Little Kitchen opened and remodeled in 1999, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner year round.
“You know a restaurant is good when you see Top Chef Master Kerry Heffernan at a table.” ...Kate W. (...Yelp review)
Chicago, IL
Richard J. Scholem of The New York Times states that "Mr. Ambrose is a creative East End chef toiling in a very modest milieu."
Learn more about Colin at
http://estias.com/weblog/
Estia's Little Kitchen
1615 Sag Harbor
Bridgehampton Turnpike
Sag Harbor, New York 11963
http://estias.com
and
Estia's Back Porch Cafe
1020 Post Road
Darien, Connecticut 06820
http://estiascafe.com
Chef Colin Ambrose has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table…
The Taggart Table: So, what was breakfast today?
Colin Ambrose: Steel cut oatmeal with raisins and a cup of green tea from my favorite baker the Kneaded Bread in Portchester NY. I visit the bakery at least 3 mornings a week to purvey my breads for Estia’s Back Porch Café, the bread is fantastic, the experience is priceless for me.
Taggart: Family roots, ancestors?
Colin: My Grandfathers made profound impressions on me at an early age, 2 very different men committed to their communities and their families. Jules Andre, my Mothers father escaped from Russia in the 1930’s and made his way to New York to open the cities first ski shop “Andre”. He was intelligent, handsome, sophisticated and a successful small businessman. I’ve always wanted to be like him.
My fathers Dad, Dr. Stephen H. Ambrose was a country Doctor. He was tough as nails, had an unpenetrable exterior, worked whenever it was necessary, served his community so well that the medical center at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater is named after him. Grandpa Doctor scared the crap out of me most of the time. As a family man, he was my hero, his garden was endless and I was allowed to spend my days there, no rules, no requirements, often harvesting for my Grandmother (both of my Grandmothers were excellent cooks). Stephen H. Ambrose was an American born in Southern Illinois, a veteran of World War 2, a real mans man.
Taggart: When there is creative endeavors and inspiration in the family, I wonder where it comes from. Sometimes I think it’s inherited. Any creative family stuff to share? Current or in the past? Read about N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth. All very talented painters/artists. (Father, Son and Grandson).
Colin: The women in my life, as a boy were nurturing, they made dinner not because it was trendy or fun but because it was their honor to do so. Everything I ate as a boy was perfect, we wanted for nothing. It was honest food that my family enjoyed together, cooked from scratch. In my Grandmother Andre’s Montclair New Jersey kitchen the basics included borscht and black bread from Frank & Eddie’s, her favorite market in the village. In Whitewater my Grandma “Cee Cee” balanced my Grandfather’s tough exterior with laughter however, her kitchen was a production facility, often serving lunch for 12 or more on the porch. These are my favorite food memories, harvesting tomatoes for her then watching her organize a meal for all to enjoy. My mother brought influence from both of them into our kitchen on Abbotsford Road in Winnetka, she would make Hustpot (Dutch cuisine, mashed potatoes infused with creamy roasted carrots and shredded beef) one night and meatloaf the next, always on the table at 6:15pm, hot and delicious.
Taggart: If I pick you up in 10 minutes, for lunch, where do we go?
Colin: Harbor Market, Paul Del Favero is an old friend and possibly the best chef in my neighborhood.
Taggart: You grew up outside of Chicago and graduated from Utah State University, majoring in Advertising Design. Any creative reminiscing there?
Colin: Scouting was big for me, I was in the Boy Scout program until Senior year in High School. I was regularly chosen to organize meals for campouts and often got carried away, choosing to roast turkey’s in Weber grills on river banks.
In my sophomore year, at USU my girlfriend Dayna was an excellent cook, that’s when I was put into action as a sous chef and started to learn.
Taggart: Where was the early training in your career?
Colin: Buying my first restaurant Estia in Amagansett was a business decision made based on my knowledge of front of the house operations (I’d been a bar manager and focused on successful restaurant operations at Top Shelf). After the first season ended and the chef was clearly making more income than I, it became clear to me that I needed to learn to cook. A phone call to Charlie Palmer whom I’d met at a San Pelligrino event at the opening of Daniel in 1999, opened the door to my first stagiaire, I was training in New York’s top kitchen as a visiting owner, I think it confused everyone, but Charlie and me.
Taggart: At a young age, did you know you wanted to be a chef? If you were not a chef, what would you be doing?
Colin: I knew I didn’t want to do the same thing everyday. I knew I didn’t want to wear a tie and that it was good for me to have calloused hands. Just prior to my first Estia purchase, my Dad offered to partner with me on a 200 acre farm in Northern Wisconsin, he was suggesting raising goats for cheese. I considered it, but quickly realized that my new bride Jessica would be much happier with easy access to a beach.
Taggart: What was the interest or the appeal to come to New York, and the East End?
Colin: My new bride, she’s always been happy on the East End (except in March).
Taggart: Tell us about “Carrot-Palooza“
Colin: Interest in the idea of growing better, sweeter carrots. Also a goal of bringing the chef and farmers in my area together at the Little Kitchen.
Taggart: Any favorite soups? Favorite Veggies?
Colin: Love arugula, Cioppino Verde. (A stew of fish and shellfish cooked in this case, usually with arugula puree, wine, spices, and herbs.)
http://estias.com/weblog/category/recipes
Taggart: You do use pesto? Lots of fresh basil in your area.
Colin: Arugula pesto, love it with bread and goat cheese.
Taggart: Favorite cheeses? Favorite spices?
Colin: Coach Farm Goat Cheese, Miles and Lillian Cahn were regulars for years in Amagansett and taught my children and me to love goats and their cheeses.
Taggart: Any favorite seafood or shellfish? Plenty to pick from on Long Island.
Colin: Flounder, little neck clams, bay scallops.
Taggart: Name a few popular dishes on your menu.
Colin: Potato crusted flounder, inspired by Charlie Palmer's great scallop sandwich.
Taggart: Why is everyone taking
pictures of their food? (A chef’s perspective)
Colin: Because they’re nervous and crave attention.
Taggart: Do you spend leisure time in NY? Restaurants? Theatre?
Museums, Galleries?
Colin: Yes, I love New York restaurants, leisure time is a problem for me, but I have time to work on that. Blue Hill is sublime. (75 Washington Place)
Taggart: Whats your favorite area of New York or Long Island? (besides the East End)
Colin: Lately I’m drawn to Hudson, NY.
Taggart: With time, I think you have influenced and inspired the American culinary atmosphere.
Colin: That’s very nice of you to say. Can I put that on my headstone?
Taggart: What is your favorite vacation spot?
Colin: Anywhere that I go with Jessica and my kids that allows me to wander through markets, farms and restaurants while they giggle on a beach.
Taggart: Name a few creative and inspirational heros:
Colin: (The late) Gerry Hayden, Jules Andre, Dan Rizzie, Dan Barber, Eric Fischl, Ernie Banks.
Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Colin: Cooks who stand still, cooks who smoke on my dime, dishwashers who only wash dishes.
Taggart: The Long Island restaurant atmosphere has come a long way. Serious variety, serious choices, and serious competition. Sad to see some come and go. I wish there was less fast food.
Colin: It requires a long range view.
Taggart: What do you do for fun away from cooking?
Colin: On the water with a fly rod in my hand, in my garden digging cold soil, I love to make compost too.
Taggart: Who in the food world do you most admire?
Colin: Dan Gibson at Grazing Acres, (in Hudson NY) Melissa Kelly at Primo (in Rockland Maine,) Vivian Howard, at The Chef and The Farmer, (in Kinston North Carolina) Sean Brock, at Husk (in Charleston. South Carolina and Nashville, Tenn). Joe Realmuto, at Honest Man Group, (East Hampton, NY). Jason Weiner, at Almond (NYC and Bridgehampton) …. These people walk the walk, they know their farmers, they love them and would walk into battle with them to protect the soil.
Taggart: Favorite foods to cook with?
Colin: Roasted garlic puree
Taggart: What do you like to eat when you’re at home?
Colin: My daughter Lyman makes an excellent salad with roasted red kuri squash and mustard vinaigrette and her sister, Whittier learned to make Apple Crostata (an Italian baked tart or pie) from our good friend Claudia Flemming. Mansell my photographer, shoots the food porn, we have fun in the kitchen at home, check out my blog at
Estias.com.
See Claudia Flemming's Apple Crostata:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000002546313/claudia-flemings-apple-crumb-crostata-.html
also:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015738-apple-crumb-crostata
Taggart: Are there any foods you just don’t like?
Colin: Not really, I can only eat a nibble of fois gras, too rich for my blood, I have the gout.
Taggart: Backyard tomatoes are enjoyable. I hope the term “Farm to Table” and “Organic” is accurately used.
Colin: I’m not crazy about any of those terms.
Taggart: Favorite cookbooks?
Colin: Heritage by Sean Brock, it tells great farmers stories. I like farmers, so that said, everyone should read Dan Barber’s “Third Plate” and Scott Chaskey’s “Seed time”
Taggart: Any books that you may write?
Colin: May write, have written, never sold. It’s a process, someday it may happen. I’m a story teller and food is my storyline.
Taggart: The Hargrave winery was the first on Long Island in 1973, and some thought it would not work, risks and opticals were plenty. They were not even farmers. According to the Long Island Wine Council, there are now over 50 wineries located on Long Island. Trailblazers and visionaries… yes?
Colin: Christian Wolffer and Walter Channing. Two of my favorite customers, they did what few will ever try and succeeded. I loved their visits to my Little Kitchen and miss them everyday.
Taggart: What do you most love about your job/career?
Colin: That it’s not a job/career. I will be in service with food and beverage everyday for the rest of my life, it makes me feel useful.
Taggart: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Colin: I was told that I’d been chosen for Slow Food's “Snail of Approval" award the other day. Project Most in East Hampton, gave me and farmer/poet, Scott Chaskey the "Golden Trowel" award last year on a stage as we stood side by side, both awards very nice. My children smile and I just melt, my wife tells me she loves me and I just don’t know what to say, we’ve been together for over 25 years and I’ve been trouble for almost the entire experience, (Note to my daughters: do not marry a chef)
Taggart: Many famous folks love your place, and your efforts. Any fun food moments with a celebrity?
Colin: My old friend Mel Brooks often came for dinner with his lovely bride Anne, he called her "Mrs. B." Everytime they arrived, Mel would enter the kitchen to inspect and he’d say “Where’s Mrs. B’s cutting board and knife?”. She was allergic to all things allium (A plant in the onion family.) He cared deeply for her and that taught me how to care for my customers to the very base of their diet, I’m in the detail business.
Taggart: Any TV chef(s) that you admire?
Colin: Bobby Flay is a good pal. He works hard at every piece of his empire, especially staying thin, and that’s not easy. Bobby is an excellent golfer, and a well rounded guy. He taught me to roast corn and It’s been a primary element of my place since that day in 1994.
Taggart: Gordon Ramsey…entertainment, or helpful knowledge?
Colin: Not for me, I like to help my people to be happy and comfortable. I often remind the staff that they will be more productive if they slow down. I don’t get that from watching his TV shows.
Taggart: Do you give cooking demos or do cooking events? Location is not an issue.
Colin: Yes, it’s fun. I learned to cook and smile from Sara Moulton, she’s fabulous. I appeared live on her show "Cooking Live" a TV network production in 1997.
Taggart: I spent time, years ago with Harry Chapin at his house. Would you do a cooking demo for Long Island Cares? Location is not important.
Colin: Yes, happy to help.
Taggart: What else is there that readers might be interested in. What do people not know about you that you wish they did?
Colin: I like to make movies about vegetables and gardening, the Carrot Palooza
project was first,
http://estias.com/weblog/colin-ambroses-from-seed-to-plate-series-1-the-carrot/
just recently added a “3 Sisters” video to my blog, beets are next.
Taggart: What’s next on your creative agenda?
Colin: Burritos
Taggart: Colin, thank you for giving me this rewarding and informative opportunity.
Colin: Most helpful for me to, if I don’t get asked, I can’t tell food stories.
Taggart: Let’s wrap up with a good dinner. Where do we go? Italian? Seafood? Steakhouse (Long Island/Metro area)
Colin: Maloney and Porcelli (37 E 50th St, NYC), ask for my close friend Aaron he’ll knock your socks off with a killer steak. I also like The Little Owl, (90 Bedford St. NYC) Joey’s on top of his game, if you’re in Montauk visit Jeremy at EXNE, (East By Northeast: 51 Edgemere St, Montauk) Jeremy is a rock star.
The Taggart Table
thetaggarttable@gmail.com
516 356 1205
"Carrot-Palooza", "The Basil Brothers"
and his Veggie Garden at the Taggart Table…
Chef Colin Ambrose was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, grew up in Winnetka Ill. High school, New Trier East, was a little north of Chicago. Colin’s dad was a grain trader on the Chicago Board of Trade. After graduating from Utah State, in Logan, UT, Colin contributed to the start up at trade publication, Topshelf, a restaurant/beverage magazine and later as a magazine sales manager for Hearst in the advertising department for Connoisseur Magazine in New York. Later, in the mid 90’s, Colin worked on stagiaire at the famous Aureole Restaurant, in New York, run by Charlie Palmer, as well as Vida in Los Angeles, Bayona in New Orleans, Aqua in San Francisco and finally Union Square Café in Manhattan.
Colin Ambrose is an East End restaurateur well known for taking little-known coffee shops and turning them into celebrated dining destinations. Though his original restaurant, Estia (Amagansett 1991-2006), has been sold, he still retains Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor. Colin has appeared in many national publications, including: Newsday, Bon Appetit, Red Book, Family Circle, and The New York Times. Colin is also a favorite with Long Island’s East End papers and magazines, with The East Hampton Star, The Southampton Press, and Hamptons Magazine featuring him regularly. He has been interviewed on The Today Show with Katie Couric, appeared alongside Sara Moulton on her live show on the Food Network, and taped a spot for ABC’s Rebecca’s Garden. Finally, Colin has also been featured on National Public Radio. He has also been an active member of New York’s first C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) at Quail Hill farm since 1993 and the James Beard Foundation since he was invited to cook there in 1996, he has returned to cook with other chefs (Charlie Trotter and Charlie Palmer) since that time.,
Many of Mr. Ambrose's ingredients have come from an organic garden (the land donated by Lorne Michaels) behind his restaurant in Amagansett, and run by him and a few other notable chefs. They earned their nickname “The Basil Brothers” because of their devotion to fresh herbs. The garden serviced Mr. Ambrose, Chef Gerry Hayden, Dennis McNeil, Charlie Palmer and Rick Moonen until 1998. These garden products are responsible for many of Mr. Ambrose's creative dishes, including the often-ordered two-hour salad, made from greens picked two hours or less before they are served at Estia. In 1999, when Mr. Ambrose opened his second Estia’s location, he began a chefs garden on the Sag Harbor property just outside the kitchen door that continues to contribute to his creativity and his menus today.
Food and art trades hands, at Estia’s, developing unique and special friendships. Today, both Estia locations (Sag Harbor and Estia’s Back Porch Café in Darien CT.) have become a place to feed all cultural sensibilities, with many creative connections, in seaside communities filled with cultural creatives.
Estia's Little Kitchen opened and remodeled in 1999, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner year round.
“You know a restaurant is good when you see Top Chef Master Kerry Heffernan at a table.” ...Kate W. (...Yelp review)
Chicago, IL
Richard J. Scholem of The New York Times states that "Mr. Ambrose is a creative East End chef toiling in a very modest milieu."
Learn more about Colin at
http://estias.com/weblog/
Estia's Little Kitchen
1615 Sag Harbor
Bridgehampton Turnpike
Sag Harbor, New York 11963
http://estias.com
and
Estia's Back Porch Cafe
1020 Post Road
Darien, Connecticut 06820
http://estiascafe.com
Chef Colin Ambrose has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table…
The Taggart Table: So, what was breakfast today?
Colin Ambrose: Steel cut oatmeal with raisins and a cup of green tea from my favorite baker the Kneaded Bread in Portchester NY. I visit the bakery at least 3 mornings a week to purvey my breads for Estia’s Back Porch Café, the bread is fantastic, the experience is priceless for me.
Taggart: Family roots, ancestors?
Colin: My Grandfathers made profound impressions on me at an early age, 2 very different men committed to their communities and their families. Jules Andre, my Mothers father escaped from Russia in the 1930’s and made his way to New York to open the cities first ski shop “Andre”. He was intelligent, handsome, sophisticated and a successful small businessman. I’ve always wanted to be like him.
My fathers Dad, Dr. Stephen H. Ambrose was a country Doctor. He was tough as nails, had an unpenetrable exterior, worked whenever it was necessary, served his community so well that the medical center at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater is named after him. Grandpa Doctor scared the crap out of me most of the time. As a family man, he was my hero, his garden was endless and I was allowed to spend my days there, no rules, no requirements, often harvesting for my Grandmother (both of my Grandmothers were excellent cooks). Stephen H. Ambrose was an American born in Southern Illinois, a veteran of World War 2, a real mans man.
Taggart: When there is creative endeavors and inspiration in the family, I wonder where it comes from. Sometimes I think it’s inherited. Any creative family stuff to share? Current or in the past? Read about N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth. All very talented painters/artists. (Father, Son and Grandson).
Colin: The women in my life, as a boy were nurturing, they made dinner not because it was trendy or fun but because it was their honor to do so. Everything I ate as a boy was perfect, we wanted for nothing. It was honest food that my family enjoyed together, cooked from scratch. In my Grandmother Andre’s Montclair New Jersey kitchen the basics included borscht and black bread from Frank & Eddie’s, her favorite market in the village. In Whitewater my Grandma “Cee Cee” balanced my Grandfather’s tough exterior with laughter however, her kitchen was a production facility, often serving lunch for 12 or more on the porch. These are my favorite food memories, harvesting tomatoes for her then watching her organize a meal for all to enjoy. My mother brought influence from both of them into our kitchen on Abbotsford Road in Winnetka, she would make Hustpot (Dutch cuisine, mashed potatoes infused with creamy roasted carrots and shredded beef) one night and meatloaf the next, always on the table at 6:15pm, hot and delicious.
Taggart: If I pick you up in 10 minutes, for lunch, where do we go?
Colin: Harbor Market, Paul Del Favero is an old friend and possibly the best chef in my neighborhood.
Taggart: You grew up outside of Chicago and graduated from Utah State University, majoring in Advertising Design. Any creative reminiscing there?
Colin: Scouting was big for me, I was in the Boy Scout program until Senior year in High School. I was regularly chosen to organize meals for campouts and often got carried away, choosing to roast turkey’s in Weber grills on river banks.
In my sophomore year, at USU my girlfriend Dayna was an excellent cook, that’s when I was put into action as a sous chef and started to learn.
Taggart: Where was the early training in your career?
Colin: Buying my first restaurant Estia in Amagansett was a business decision made based on my knowledge of front of the house operations (I’d been a bar manager and focused on successful restaurant operations at Top Shelf). After the first season ended and the chef was clearly making more income than I, it became clear to me that I needed to learn to cook. A phone call to Charlie Palmer whom I’d met at a San Pelligrino event at the opening of Daniel in 1999, opened the door to my first stagiaire, I was training in New York’s top kitchen as a visiting owner, I think it confused everyone, but Charlie and me.
Taggart: At a young age, did you know you wanted to be a chef? If you were not a chef, what would you be doing?
Colin: I knew I didn’t want to do the same thing everyday. I knew I didn’t want to wear a tie and that it was good for me to have calloused hands. Just prior to my first Estia purchase, my Dad offered to partner with me on a 200 acre farm in Northern Wisconsin, he was suggesting raising goats for cheese. I considered it, but quickly realized that my new bride Jessica would be much happier with easy access to a beach.
Taggart: What was the interest or the appeal to come to New York, and the East End?
Colin: My new bride, she’s always been happy on the East End (except in March).
Taggart: Tell us about “Carrot-Palooza“
Colin: Interest in the idea of growing better, sweeter carrots. Also a goal of bringing the chef and farmers in my area together at the Little Kitchen.
Taggart: Any favorite soups? Favorite Veggies?
Colin: Love arugula, Cioppino Verde. (A stew of fish and shellfish cooked in this case, usually with arugula puree, wine, spices, and herbs.)
http://estias.com/weblog/category/recipes
Taggart: You do use pesto? Lots of fresh basil in your area.
Colin: Arugula pesto, love it with bread and goat cheese.
Taggart: Favorite cheeses? Favorite spices?
Colin: Coach Farm Goat Cheese, Miles and Lillian Cahn were regulars for years in Amagansett and taught my children and me to love goats and their cheeses.
Taggart: Any favorite seafood or shellfish? Plenty to pick from on Long Island.
Colin: Flounder, little neck clams, bay scallops.
Taggart: Name a few popular dishes on your menu.
Colin: Potato crusted flounder, inspired by Charlie Palmer's great scallop sandwich.
Taggart: Why is everyone taking
pictures of their food? (A chef’s perspective)
Colin: Because they’re nervous and crave attention.
Taggart: Do you spend leisure time in NY? Restaurants? Theatre?
Museums, Galleries?
Colin: Yes, I love New York restaurants, leisure time is a problem for me, but I have time to work on that. Blue Hill is sublime. (75 Washington Place)
Taggart: Whats your favorite area of New York or Long Island? (besides the East End)
Colin: Lately I’m drawn to Hudson, NY.
Taggart: With time, I think you have influenced and inspired the American culinary atmosphere.
Colin: That’s very nice of you to say. Can I put that on my headstone?
Taggart: What is your favorite vacation spot?
Colin: Anywhere that I go with Jessica and my kids that allows me to wander through markets, farms and restaurants while they giggle on a beach.
Taggart: Name a few creative and inspirational heros:
Colin: (The late) Gerry Hayden, Jules Andre, Dan Rizzie, Dan Barber, Eric Fischl, Ernie Banks.
Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Colin: Cooks who stand still, cooks who smoke on my dime, dishwashers who only wash dishes.
Taggart: The Long Island restaurant atmosphere has come a long way. Serious variety, serious choices, and serious competition. Sad to see some come and go. I wish there was less fast food.
Colin: It requires a long range view.
Taggart: What do you do for fun away from cooking?
Colin: On the water with a fly rod in my hand, in my garden digging cold soil, I love to make compost too.
Taggart: Who in the food world do you most admire?
Colin: Dan Gibson at Grazing Acres, (in Hudson NY) Melissa Kelly at Primo (in Rockland Maine,) Vivian Howard, at The Chef and The Farmer, (in Kinston North Carolina) Sean Brock, at Husk (in Charleston. South Carolina and Nashville, Tenn). Joe Realmuto, at Honest Man Group, (East Hampton, NY). Jason Weiner, at Almond (NYC and Bridgehampton) …. These people walk the walk, they know their farmers, they love them and would walk into battle with them to protect the soil.
Taggart: Favorite foods to cook with?
Colin: Roasted garlic puree
Taggart: What do you like to eat when you’re at home?
Colin: My daughter Lyman makes an excellent salad with roasted red kuri squash and mustard vinaigrette and her sister, Whittier learned to make Apple Crostata (an Italian baked tart or pie) from our good friend Claudia Flemming. Mansell my photographer, shoots the food porn, we have fun in the kitchen at home, check out my blog at
Estias.com.
See Claudia Flemming's Apple Crostata:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000002546313/claudia-flemings-apple-crumb-crostata-.html
also:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015738-apple-crumb-crostata
Taggart: Are there any foods you just don’t like?
Colin: Not really, I can only eat a nibble of fois gras, too rich for my blood, I have the gout.
Taggart: Backyard tomatoes are enjoyable. I hope the term “Farm to Table” and “Organic” is accurately used.
Colin: I’m not crazy about any of those terms.
Taggart: Favorite cookbooks?
Colin: Heritage by Sean Brock, it tells great farmers stories. I like farmers, so that said, everyone should read Dan Barber’s “Third Plate” and Scott Chaskey’s “Seed time”
Taggart: Any books that you may write?
Colin: May write, have written, never sold. It’s a process, someday it may happen. I’m a story teller and food is my storyline.
Taggart: The Hargrave winery was the first on Long Island in 1973, and some thought it would not work, risks and opticals were plenty. They were not even farmers. According to the Long Island Wine Council, there are now over 50 wineries located on Long Island. Trailblazers and visionaries… yes?
Colin: Christian Wolffer and Walter Channing. Two of my favorite customers, they did what few will ever try and succeeded. I loved their visits to my Little Kitchen and miss them everyday.
Taggart: What do you most love about your job/career?
Colin: That it’s not a job/career. I will be in service with food and beverage everyday for the rest of my life, it makes me feel useful.
Taggart: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Colin: I was told that I’d been chosen for Slow Food's “Snail of Approval" award the other day. Project Most in East Hampton, gave me and farmer/poet, Scott Chaskey the "Golden Trowel" award last year on a stage as we stood side by side, both awards very nice. My children smile and I just melt, my wife tells me she loves me and I just don’t know what to say, we’ve been together for over 25 years and I’ve been trouble for almost the entire experience, (Note to my daughters: do not marry a chef)
Taggart: Many famous folks love your place, and your efforts. Any fun food moments with a celebrity?
Colin: My old friend Mel Brooks often came for dinner with his lovely bride Anne, he called her "Mrs. B." Everytime they arrived, Mel would enter the kitchen to inspect and he’d say “Where’s Mrs. B’s cutting board and knife?”. She was allergic to all things allium (A plant in the onion family.) He cared deeply for her and that taught me how to care for my customers to the very base of their diet, I’m in the detail business.
Taggart: Any TV chef(s) that you admire?
Colin: Bobby Flay is a good pal. He works hard at every piece of his empire, especially staying thin, and that’s not easy. Bobby is an excellent golfer, and a well rounded guy. He taught me to roast corn and It’s been a primary element of my place since that day in 1994.
Taggart: Gordon Ramsey…entertainment, or helpful knowledge?
Colin: Not for me, I like to help my people to be happy and comfortable. I often remind the staff that they will be more productive if they slow down. I don’t get that from watching his TV shows.
Taggart: Do you give cooking demos or do cooking events? Location is not an issue.
Colin: Yes, it’s fun. I learned to cook and smile from Sara Moulton, she’s fabulous. I appeared live on her show "Cooking Live" a TV network production in 1997.
Taggart: I spent time, years ago with Harry Chapin at his house. Would you do a cooking demo for Long Island Cares? Location is not important.
Colin: Yes, happy to help.
Taggart: What else is there that readers might be interested in. What do people not know about you that you wish they did?
Colin: I like to make movies about vegetables and gardening, the Carrot Palooza
project was first,
http://estias.com/weblog/colin-ambroses-from-seed-to-plate-series-1-the-carrot/
just recently added a “3 Sisters” video to my blog, beets are next.
http://estias.com/weblog/the-3-sisters-garden-corn-beans-squash
Learn more about Colin's interest in carrots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwrww3VyUR0
Learn more about Colin's interest in carrots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwrww3VyUR0
Taggart: What’s next on your creative agenda?
Colin: Burritos
Taggart: Colin, thank you for giving me this rewarding and informative opportunity.
Colin: Most helpful for me to, if I don’t get asked, I can’t tell food stories.
Taggart: Let’s wrap up with a good dinner. Where do we go? Italian? Seafood? Steakhouse (Long Island/Metro area)
Colin: Maloney and Porcelli (37 E 50th St, NYC), ask for my close friend Aaron he’ll knock your socks off with a killer steak. I also like The Little Owl, (90 Bedford St. NYC) Joey’s on top of his game, if you’re in Montauk visit Jeremy at EXNE, (East By Northeast: 51 Edgemere St, Montauk) Jeremy is a rock star.
The Taggart Table
thetaggarttable@gmail.com
516 356 1205
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