Chef @ Home: Michael Hargrove

MICHAEL HARGROVE
Currently: BVS@Home Chef and building his own restaurant dream
Most recently: Sous Chef, Jefferson Club; Executive Chef, Primo

If you were one of the lucky guests to attend our Victorian Speakeasy, you’ve had the pleasure of tasting some of Michael’s food. I was first introduced to his talent and passion when he was working for Bim Dietrich at Primo. Utilizing his love of local foods, Micahel creates simple dishes that are both elegant and rustic at the same time. When he creates a menu, he puts his whole heart into it – which is why I am thrilled to have him on board as our BVS@Home Chef.

Favorite Meal at Home: Chicken & dumplings

Favorite Snack Food: Tacos

Favorite drink/beverage: Knob Creek & water

Any wind-down habits? If it’s been a long hard day, just setting alone in a dark quiet room

Favorite place to eat – locally: Basa, Maido, 732 social, Bunzs

Are you native to Louisville? Born and raised

Favorite thing about Louisville: It’s a one horse town with a million people

Who you look up to in life: My grandfather

Who you look up to in cooking: Marco Pierre White, Albert Roux, Heston Blumenthal, Gabrielle Hamilton, April Bloomfield, Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, Nate Appleman

Chef @ Home – Annette Saco

ANNETTE SACO – Owner/Chef
Le Gallo Rosso Restaurant
1325 Bardstown Rd
502.473.0015

Guest Chef for June’s Supper Speakeasy (originally to be held in April)

I have had the amazing fortune to both dine at Le Gallo Rosso and become great friends with the chef, Annette. I first dined at the restaurant in late 2006 and continued to bring a new friend with me almost every week to this lovely hidden gem I had discovered – hidden in one of the more popular areas of Bardstown Rd., right next door to The Bristol.  Next month, LGR celebrates 3 yrs in business and they have a lot to celebrate! Recent renovations have incorported the enitre building, with beautilful Italian inspired fresco designs by Jan Rawlings and the long awaited return of wine! And with the best, traditional Italian menu in the city, a tiramisu to die for and flanked with what may be one of Louisville’s best short wine lists – prepared primarily with Vintner’s Select Wines and only an $11 markup per bottle – you really can’t go wrong. Stop by and say hi to Annette, she’d love to see you!

Favorite Meal at Home:
Breaded Pork chops with mash and corn

Favorite Snack Food:
ice cream

Favorite drink/beverage:
Naked fruit drinks

Any wind-down habits?
Get in my pj’s and have a cup of coffee or tea

Favorite place to eat – locally:
Mayan cafe, Toast, small chinese joints

Are you native to Louisville?
No, from Cleveland Ohio. I came down for my first chef position.

Favorite thing about Louisville:
Friendly and out going people, love the small town feel

Who you look up to in life:
MY MOM

Who you look up to in cooking:
My mom and Emeril, Iron Chef group

chef(s) @ home – Ethan Ray and Sarah McGregor-Ray

ETHAN RAY – Chef Tournant
SARAH McGREGOR – Pastry Chef
Currently: The Oakroom

For months now, Ethan and I had been talking about collaborating on one of the BVS Supper Speakeasys and I am thankful we are finally bringing it to fruition this Monday, March 23rd. And, as and added delight, he was able to bring his partner – both at work and home – Sarah, to the table as well. I admit, I haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know Sarah as well, but Ethan has always amazed me with his knowledge and enthusiasm for his chosen profession. But it’s really his thrill to experiment and push the boundaries of expectations that are most exciting. Those who have had the pleasure of trying his (and Sarah’s) creations at The Oakroom in The Seelbach, and those who attend the Speakeasy, will know just what I mean.

Favorite snack food:

All-natural cheetos, fritos, hummus and pita, any kind of sandwich with a fried egg on top, tater tots, graham crackers and milk (Sarah), jazzed-up ramen.

Favorite drink/beverage:

Bourbon and ginger ale, gin and tonic, craft beers, funky red blends, big reds.

Any wind-down habits?

See above. In all truth, we’re both love Barret Bar… Mike Downs is one of our favorite bartenders in town and probably the one we see the most often.

Favorite place to eat besides your own –

Locally: Lynn‘s Paradise Café(for breakfast), North End Café(for breakfast – we crave both the corned beef hash), Proof, Mojito, Café Mimosa (RIP)

Globally: Sepia, Moto, Hot Doug’s, Tru – all in Chicago.

Are you native to Louisville? If not, where are you from? What brought you here?

We both moved here for school. Sarah graduated with an pastry degree from Sullivan in 2006, and Ethan graduated with a culinary degree in 2004. Sarah was born and raised in Florida for the majority of her life, then moved to Burkesville, KY with family, before moving to Louisville to attend school. Ethan was born and raised in Michigan, but spent most of his formative years in Berea, KY before moving to Louisville for his educational pursuits.

Favorite thing about Louisville:

It’s got a lot of small town charm, with the amenities of larger cities.

Who you look up to in life:

The predictable answer… Our parents.

Who you look up to in cooking:

Sarah – Sam Mason – the first chef who’s work I truly fell in love with. Gale Gand and Rick Tramanto – for continued pursuit of excellence and zero compromise for mediocrity. Alex Stupak – for his work in progressing and innovating the pastry world. Ben Roche – he’s an incredibly cool person. Michael Laiskonis – If there’s one chef I’d like to work under, he’s at the top of my list. Julie Child – for the TV shows and learning growing up.

Ethan – In savory cuisine: Grant Achatz, Thomas Keller, Sean Brock, Todd Richards, Michel Bras, Rick Tramanto, Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, Laurent Gras, Jose Andres, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Tetsuya Wakuda. In pastry: Sam Mason, Alex Stupak, Jordan Kahn, Michael Laiskonis, Ben Roche, Gale Gand, Johnny Iuzzini.

Anything else you’d like to share?
We’re expecting! We have baby boy on the way – due around Derby. We’re probably the only cooks in town who will be actually allowed to have Derby weekend off… I mean, that is if the whole predicted due-date is as predicted. Those of you with kids know what the odds of that are.

Chef @ Home – Stephen Dennison

Stephen Dennison and his smirk

STEPHEN DENNISON
Chef/Mixologist
Currently: Bartender, Z’s Fusion
Previously: Varanese

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Stephen, you know his trademark smirk. Creative and daring, he’s always on the cutting edge of both food and beverage. He is among only a handful in Louisville that are setting the bar in molecular dining and being a self-proclaimed “young turk” chef as he is always willing to create beautiful dishes and drinks in unexpected ways. Stay tuned for more from this guy… we’ll be lucky enough to have a Supper Speakeasy, featuring his talent in the next few months… stay tuned for the details! In the meantime, be sure to visit him at the bar at Z’s Fusion.

Fave snack food: Cheese and crackers. And whatever else grabs my attention in the fridge. Pickles, fruit, charcuterie, etc…

Fave Drink: Depends on my mood. V8, Oolong tea, Hendrix gin, fine bourbons in a snifter, cafe au lait

Wind down habits: playing on my computer, writing and brainstorming new ideas

Fave place to eat: Red Pepper/ Jade Palace, 211 Clover Ln , Limestone, Tacos Toreados to begin with. I am dying to visit The Carnegie Deli in NYC.

Native?: Yes, but spent 8 years working in Orlando , Fl. I moved back home to spend more time around my family.

Fave thing about Louisville: The kindness and generosity of spirit Louisvillians have. We always seem to band together and help each other out when bad things happen. You just don’t see that everywhere.

Look up to in life: My mother. A great woman who did it her way!

Look up to in cooking: Ferran Adria and the staff at elBulli. They constantly look at food and beverage through the eyes of children, bringing a sense of amazement and excitement to the world.

Thoughts?: 2008 was a fantastic year. I met and worked with many fantastic people. I truly am looking forward to what 2009 will bring!

Chef @ Home – Jeff Jarfi

In a town like Louisville, we love our food, which in turn, means we love our chefs. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get to know some of our favorites –  as well as some who seem to stay behind the scenes – and appreciate them in a very real way?” So, ‘Chefs @ Home’ was born and I am thrilled to have Chef Jeff Jarfi as our inaugural feature. Be sure to stop on by our next Nibble & Sip at Jarfi’s on Bardstown on Thursday, Aug 21, 6pm.  And if you haven;t checked out the bar at Jarfi’s yet, you really should. Moroccan Marinated Olives, Flatbread ans housemade chips adorn the bar to enjoy with your beverage of choice as well as a superb 1/2 price Sushi Mondays.  If you haven’t been yet, we’ve now given your three good reasons to stop by – what are you waiting for?

Favorite Meal at Home: Spaghetti with Moroccan Meatballs (ground beef, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, olive oil mixed with egg yolk)

Favorite Snack Food: Popcorn

Favorite drink/beverage: Hot mint tea – very sweet

Any wind-down habits? You know, when you leave the restaurant, what do you
do to relax? Drink wine while channel surfing the news programs

Favorite place to eat besides your own:
locally: locally owned restaurants – great variety & value
globally: Tru in Chicago

Are you native to Louisville? If not, where are you from? What brought you
here? Originally from Morocco, lived in Paris, New York and Atlanta, working for
Buckhead Live. Came to Louisville to work as Food & Beverage Director for the  Brown Hotel

Favorite thing about Louisville: All things Derby

Who you look up to in life: Martha Stewart & Donald Trump

Who you look up to in cooking: Todd English

Free share: My favorite charity is working with Home of the Innocents and one of my favorite cooking experiences is when I cooked with Patrick Hughes in his new kitchen from Extreme Makeover