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A Chat With Brendan Cox


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I'd like to welcome one of our very own, Chef Brendan Cox, as our next guest here. Brendan is not only a valued member of this website, but also one great chef, currently turning out some of the most elegant work with fish and vegetables in the entire city.

Brendan got his big start by doggedly pursuing a job with Roberto Donna at Galileo, then later left to join Todd Gray at Equinox, becoming Chef de Cuisine there before heading out on his own at Circle Bistro. His interesting bio is here.

Brendan, thanks for joining us in this "official" capacity - there are so many things about you and your work that people should know. For starters, not many people here know that at Saint Mary's College, you were a meat-rejecting, frisbee-throwing, Phish-listening, co-op-frequenting, modern-day hippy, who also happened to play two years of college soccer. Then you had a steak, and apparently switched from soccer to rugby. Do you feel that there's any correlation between your conversion to meat and the switch to a more testosterone-based head-banging athletic endeavor such as rugby? More importantly, who's going to win the World Cup this year?

But most of all, THANK YOU for doing this!

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Obviously sourcing is a great concern when putting out quality fish dishes. Can you speak a little about your sourcing issues? What type of things would you like to get, but cannot?

Now that you have received your fish, what techniques do you use for cooking fish? Care to share any tips with us?

Thanks for spending the time!

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About your burgers ,

what kind of meat are you using , what is the fat % , do you like the burgers you make, can the bun make an ok burger a good burger is it that important or it is just a bun; doesnt matter ?

Thank you for the opportunity Don and Thanks Chef Brendan.

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Do you feel that there's any correlation between your conversion to meat and the switch to a more testosterone-based head-banging athletic endeavor such as rugby? More importantly, who's going to win the World Cup this year?

But most of all, THANK YOU for doing this!

Thank you Don for the forum. I can only say that the meat conversion had more to do with the shedding of significant other rather than sport, however she was pissed about the whole meat thing. I sent her a big mac a couple of weeks later. She hasn't spoken to me since.

Brazil is a favorite, but Argentina and my post US flame out team of the moment, the Dutch, are the ones to watch.

Obviously sourcing is a great concern when putting out quality fish dishes. Can you speak a little about your sourcing issues? What type of things would you like to get, but cannot?

Now that you have received your fish, what techniques do you use for cooking fish? Care to share any tips with us?

Thanks for spending the time!

Fish is a fickle mistress. My favorite protein by far to cook, but finding the right fish can be very difficult. I have a great supplier in Jim Chambers from Prime Seafood for some things, but the rest can be a difficult balancing act, each purveyor has a niche that they do very well in, outside of that it's hit or miss.

Depending on the fish serving it raw or barely cooked is the way I enjoy it the best. Poached in oil, steamed over herbs are great choices, buy a bamboo steamer... Just remember that most fish doesn't benefit from being undercooked, only tuna and wild salmon really do well at rare or medium-rare aim fro just barely cooked through.

About your burgers ,

what kind of meat are you using , what is the fat % , do you like the burgers you make, can the bun make an ok burger a good burger is it that important or it is just a bun; doesnt matter ?

Thank you for the opportunity Don and Thanks Chef Brendan.

I use an 80-20 blend of meat to fat of ground chuck. The only thing we do is beat it in a Hobart to emulsify some fat and keep the thing from falling apart, add salt and pepper and go. I've never even begun to approach that bun question, it may be the best burger question yet and I cannot answer it other than to say in the end its just bread. I think our hamburgers tatse good, shoot, all hamburger is by its nature a tasty thing. In all honesty I'd rather see peole ordering more halibut and rockfish.

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Chef Cox,

How do you feel about preparing a special menu, say four to six courses for a group of "wine nuts" who want something to show off the wines they have but don't want to do the cooking themselves when they get together? Assuming of course, that 1) the restaurant will let them bring in a buntch of fine wines for a readonable corkage fee, and 2) they give you plenty of notice and a free hand to match the menu to the wines that they will be having.

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finding the right fish can be very difficult. I have a great supplier in Jim Chambers from Prime Seafood for some things, but the rest can be a difficult balancing act, each purveyor has a niche that they do very well in, outside of that it's hit or miss.

Without giving away any of your secrets, can you describe how an aspiring chef develops relationships with these purveyors (and did your time at Galileo and Equinox help you with this?) Also, once the relationship is established, what exactly is involved from the time you pick up the phone until the time the fish goes into the pan? How many times a week do you order and take deliveries?

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Thanks for agreeing to chat, Chef. Your wild mushroom salad is the one dish this year that I catch myself daydreaming about.

Do you find it more or less difficult to source good produce than good fish or beef?

I think all chefs form a love hate relationship with popular dishes, this one however never seems to get on my bad side. I've sacrificed a menu slot for the salad pretty much in aeternum, so I hope I still like it some time from now.

Good produce in December is a bitch to find, but overall fish can be the most tempermental.

Chef Cox,

How do you feel about preparing a special menu, say four to six courses for a group of "wine nuts" who want something to show off the wines they have but don't want to do the cooking themselves when they get together? Assuming of course, that 1) the restaurant will let them bring in a buntch of fine wines for a readonable corkage fee, and 2) they give you plenty of notice and a free hand to match the menu to the wines that they will be having.

The one thing I am trying to modify here at the Circle is adding a Degustation menu to the menu itself. I came up doing impromptu tasting menus on an almost daily basis at Equinox and believe that we definitely shine the best with this format. Anyone who wants to have us cook for them is welcome to call or PM me. I generally won't charge a corkage in lieu of an increaesed guranteed service charge, so I can make sure my people are taken care of and the guest is satisfied. If it is a small group one day, so I can order some special ingredients is plenty of notice.

Without giving away any of your secrets, can you describe how an aspiring chef develops relationships with these purveyors (and did your time at Galileo and Equinox help you with this?) Also, once the relationship is established, what exactly is involved from the time you pick up the phone until the time the fish goes into the pan? How many times a week do you order and take deliveries?

There are no secrets. We research, talk to other chefs and just make the call. My time at Equinox led me to the majority of the purveyors we use with the addition of several stellar ones that Barry had contact with when he was at Nora. We get deliveries Mon-Sat for meat and produce and Sunday we get only fish. The farmers are here Five days a week if we need them(it only takes three farms/co-ops to fill the week).

Currently I am beginning a search for Country Hams that may lead to a family vacation to this country ham festival in Kentucky in October.

You'd also be amazed at how well feeding the delivery guys ensures prompt service and an extra set of eyes on your product. Jim from Prime Seafood like sthe occasional hamburgere too...

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Brendan, in your Big 3 restaurants - Galileo, Equinox, and Circle Bistro - it seems like you've always had good chefs and sous-chefs to work with, some well known, others less so. Now you have Barry Koslow behind the scenes at Circle Bistro who must surely put your mind at ease on your nights off. Can you say a few words about Barry?

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Brendan, in your Big 3 restaurants - Galileo, Equinox, and Circle Bistro - it seems like you've always had good chefs and sous-chefs to work with, some well known, others less so. Now you have Barry Koslow behind the scenes at Circle Bistro who must surely put your mind at ease on your nights off. Can you say a few words about Barry?

In short there is little chance there is a better individual in DC kitchens today. I am extremely lucky to have Barry here, his passion and attention to detail are second to none. Besides being the best cook in our kitchen he has a way of teaching everyone here that is direct and highly informed, its just his demeanor. He manages my personality without stabbing me which can be difficult sometimes and is overdue a kitchen of his own. No bullshit, he's really f-ing awesome to cook with.

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I came up doing impromptu tasting menus on an almost daily basis at Equinox and believe that we definitely shine the best with this format.
As someone who benefited from this stage of Brendan's career at Equinox, I definitely say go for it! (And let me know when you do it--I don't hang out on VinoCellar much but I do like a good offline!)
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The last time I was in, I had a magnificent tempura - a mushroom that sounded unfamiliar to me (last two syllables rhymed with geo). Whatever it was, you shrugged it off as being "just a tempura," but a great tempura is a thing of true, albeit transient, beauty: Five minutes after the dish came out, it was a shadow of what it was when it first arrived. What is involved in making and serving a great tempura?

And you're a mushroom hound - do you ever hunt your own? What started you down this path?

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The last time I was in, I had a magnificent tempura - a mushroom that sounded unfamiliar to me (last two syllables rhymed with geo). Whatever it was, you shrugged it off as being "just a tempura," but a great tempura is a thing of true, albeit transient, beauty: Five minutes after the dish came out, it was a shadow of what it was when it first arrived. What is involved in making and serving a great tempura?

And you're a mushroom hound - do you ever hunt your own? What started you down this path?

The mushrooms in questions are called "piopino" they have a real porcini like fragrance and we just started using them. All tempura should be eaten immediately, as soon as the veggie/seafood begins to sit it steams in the "shell" created by the batter, the longer it sits, mucho soggy.

I used to do a beer based tempura but switched to a more asian style for its crispy-ness(sp) and the fact that it coats in a more lacy manner. Just make sure the consistency of the batter is just enough to coat, not "bread" and fry in clean oil.

I haven't had the opportunity to forage with a true mycologist, but a cook of mine in Middleburg had a wicked chicken of the woods growing at the end of the drive. My enjoyment of mushrooms comes from their innate glutamate proteins, that "fifth" taste. Good boomers are at the same time, earthy, funky, herbaceous and a little sweet, because the caramelize so well. I'm lucky that I can source good mushrooms from four or five good sources in Europe and the Pacific NW.

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I'm lucky that I can source good mushrooms from four or five good sources in Europe and the Pacific NW.
Does that mean for the most part that you don't use local mushrooms at Circle Bistro? I don't know that I have ever knowingly consumed a localy grown mushroom in a local restaurant, does that ever happen? To your knowledge would/could the DelMarVa area ever support active harvesting of wild mushrooms.

Thanks for taking time to answer our questions and thanks for all the time you spend making our time at your table memorable. To your health.

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Brendan--

You have been a driving force in some amazing kitchens, your own now included, and the source of such great work everywhere.

When will we get to see the work that is yours and truly yours (not that any feels cheated, what you're doing now is fantastic, it's just that I have the sense that there is something truly great and new bubbling up inside of you just waiting for the chance), and what do you think of your role as a leader of the next generation of rising chefs?

By the way, don't expect me in your restaurant until it is in Charleston and your name is on the door.

--Michael

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:unsure: -->

QUOTE(Mrs. B @ Jun 22 2006, 11:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does that mean for the most part that you don't use local mushrooms at Circle Bistro? I don't know that I have ever knowingly consumed a localy grown mushroom in a local restaurant, does that ever happen? To your knowledge would/could the DelMarVa area ever support active harvesting of wild mushrooms.

Thanks for taking time to answer our questions and thanks for all the time you spend making our time at your table memorable. To your health.

Irwin Mushrooms located in the east Coast Shroom capital of Kennet Square PA is a popular local supplier. There is not a real "gold mine" area for mushroom foraging in the immediate vicinity, and if someone were an enterprising sort they could probably do well to find and harvest mushroom beds in the Shenendoah. Down near Charlottesville, I know there are some folk who forage ramps and morels, but there supplies are limited and rarely make it out of that area.

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Brendan--

You have been a driving force in some amazing kitchens, your own now included, and the source of such great work everywhere.

When will we get to see the work that is yours and truly yours (not that any feels cheated, what you're doing now is fantastic, it's just that I have the sense that there is something truly great and new bubbling up inside of you just waiting for the chance), and what do you think of your role as a leader of the next generation of rising chefs?

By the way, don't expect me in your restaurant until it is in Charleston and your name is on the door.

--Michael

Wow, heady words form Michael. Thank you. I believe that what we do now is limited in terms of scope based on our guests expectations, not necessarily a bad thing but there are avenues we don't have the forum to explore.

I make no secret of the fact that I want to have a space of my own, when it happens is indeterminate. I am currently feeling daunted by the process of procuring funds to open a place let alone where(that SC thing is not a definite, but my wife and I often muse about heading south to where her roots oand many of our friends live. DC is my home and where I feel the most comfortable, but to truly find a singular voice, I think a bit of trepidation and discomfort are a prerequisite.)

I don't style myself as a leader for/in a generation, if I am included in the discourse, then that is very flattering. I am really excited just to be able to add to the growing dialogue between the "next" generation of chefsand our guests. I think it is a natural evolution for those of us who worked in good restaurants to come to the forefront in due time, I'm not a sous vide guy or a 27 course menu guy, I think the best most lasting work the next group of chefs will be an outgrowth of the foundations we are all defined by, rather than a sort of reactionary radicalism. I look upon my time here as a sort of post-graduate period where I define wht I will work towards in the future rather than a finality.

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(dinwiddie @ Jun 22 2006, 08:29 AM) *

Chef Cox,

How do you feel about preparing a special menu, say four to six courses for a group of "wine nuts" who want something to show off the wines they have but don't want to do the cooking themselves when they get together? Assuming of course, that 1) the restaurant will let them bring in a buntch of fine wines for a readonable corkage fee, and 2) they give you plenty of notice and a free hand to match the menu to the wines that they will be having.

The one thing I am trying to modify here at the Circle is adding a Degustation menu to the menu itself. I came up doing impromptu tasting menus on an almost daily basis at Equinox and believe that we definitely shine the best with this format. Anyone who wants to have us cook for them is welcome to call or PM me. I generally won't charge a corkage in lieu of an increaesed guranteed service charge, so I can make sure my people are taken care of and the guest is satisfied. If it is a small group one day, so I can order some special ingredients is plenty of notice.

That's great to hear. While I admit to not knowing you or your establishment, hearing that dinwiddie wants to give your fine cooking a spin definitely picques my interest. Us winos love a great meal, and it'd be even better with a paired up thing. Very cool. I look forward to eventually trying some of your dishes...

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I believe that what we do now is limited in terms of scope based on our guests expectations, not necessarily a bad thing but there are avenues we don't have the forum to explore.
Along those lines, can you discuss some of the challenges of being located in a hotel restaurant. Obviously several of the places that are DR.com favorites are located in hotels, a situation that must provide some security and stability, but at the same time limit in some ways the opportunity to be creative, as well as, to a certain extent, dictate the structure of menus.

I'm also interested in how much of your time is spent on non-restaurant food preparation. Does the hotel meeting/banquet food come out of your kitchen? What size groups do you prepare food for? How does that impact the restaurant?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and for your always interesting regular participation on the site!

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Along those lines, can you discuss some of the challenges of being located in a hotel restaurant. Obviously several of the places that are DR.com favorites are located in hotels, a situation that must provide some security and stability, but at the same time limit in some ways the opportunity to be creative, as well as, to a certain extent, dictate the structure of menus.

I'm also interested in how much of your time is spent on non-restaurant food preparation. Does the hotel meeting/banquet food come out of your kitchen? What size groups do you prepare food for? How does that impact the restaurant?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and for your always interesting regular participation on the site!

Being in a hotel means we have to cater to a diverse clientele. The scope of the menu needs to reflect some "safe" options for business and international travellers. The main hurdle is one of decision making, were we located in a freestanding space we could make changes and improvements in a more expedient manner. Also the corporate structure dictates what promotional plans are going to be. Budgets need to be adhered to and I have to work in a flexibility to allow me to retain good employees.

About a third of our income comes form banquets and meeting spaces. We have ample refrigeration but only three ovens and twelve burners. When we have a 50 a 30 and a full dining room at the same time it is a stretch and it seems like someone ends up getting the short end of the stick. We really try to make our catering not seem like catering, I don't use crescors or other tools for holding food that has been cooked long before, we strive to make every dinner wherever it is located to be fresh and unique. We also serve a lot of chicken/salmon dinners, if that is what people want. We always try to inform both sides when events are occurring, but as a diner I'm sure it is hard to understand why your entree is taking a long time when the dining room is 1/2 full. They cannot see the 60 other people in a room next door.

The other mitigating factor for us is the Kennnedy Center. We do a prodigous amount of theater diners and they have different expectations in terms of timing and menus.

You're a local boy. Where'd you whine to get taken to when you wer 10? What's the old Washington institution -- or greasepit -- you miss most?

My family didn't eat out too terribly often and I was a reallly picky eater, but I miss O'Donnels in Bethesda for Easter/Mother's Day Brunch and Norfolk-style seafood, Hot Shoppes cafeteria for Salisbury Steak(Ma styles talks about the liver and onions). I was definitely a bit unruly and missed out on the trips to La Ferme and James III. I'll get to La Ferme one day when I am all grown up.

We were the house for Christmas, I have really distinct memories of those days and my Grandmother who just passed away would always bring an extra dozen yeast rolls just for me. These rolls were killer good, but tricky, once my mother tried to make them and we ended up playing softball in the backyard with the less than tender outcome.

The traditional Cox family meal on Saturdays was Pizza from Dino's/Now Theo's Pizza in Seven Locks Plaza followed by Battlestar Galactica on the TV. Sunday mornings were usually Scrapple at home.

We still go to Pope's Creek for crabs and the it place for High School dining was Fritzbee's on the Pike.

I also miss the House of Chinese Gourmet that was where the Hooters is now on Rockville Pike, awesome crispy eggplant and the last place I had rerallly good Steamed Vegetable Buns.

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We're not letting you off the hook just yet, mister!

Every chef has their strengths and weaknesses. I see one of your huge strengths being fish - you could be poisonnier anywhere in town, as far as I'm concerned. Your love of fish, in my diner's perspective, surpasses your love of meat, and is only rivaled by your respect for vegetables and mushrooms. Is there a pecking order here with you? Your ability with fish seems to be a huge strength because hardly anyone else in town can cook a decent one, much less a great one. But you can. Thoughts? Do you know of other great poisonniers in the area?

What would you say Roberto Donna's and Todd Gray's big strengths were, both in terms of cooking, and in terms of mentoring you as a sous chef? What one thing would you like to say about these two chefs who perhaps influenced you the most?

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Wow, heady words form Michael. Thank you. I believe that what we do now is limited in terms of scope based on our guests expectations, not necessarily a bad thing but there are avenues we don't have the forum to explore.

I make no secret of the fact that I want to have a space of my own, when it happens is indeterminate. I am currently feeling daunted by the process of procuring funds to open a place let alone where(that SC thing is not a definite, but my wife and I often muse about heading south to where her roots oand many of our friends live. DC is my home and where I feel the most comfortable, but to truly find a singular voice, I think a bit of trepidation and discomfort are a prerequisite.)

I don't style myself as a leader for/in a generation, if I am included in the discourse, then that is very flattering. I am really excited just to be able to add to the growing dialogue between the "next" generation of chefsand our guests. I think it is a natural evolution for those of us who worked in good restaurants to come to the forefront in due time, I'm not a sous vide guy or a 27 course menu guy, I think the best most lasting work the next group of chefs will be an outgrowth of the foundations we are all defined by, rather than a sort of reactionary radicalism. I look upon my time here as a sort of post-graduate period where I define wht I will work towards in the future rather than a finality.

Great answer, Brendan. Thanks.

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I'm not a sous vide guy or a 27 course menu guy, I think the best most lasting work the next group of chefs will be an outgrowth of the foundations we are all defined by, rather than a sort of reactionary radicalism.
I take it you aren't an Adria disciple. Have you cooked in the Alinea/Minibar style in any of your previous gigs?
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Well, I'll tell you what...

I may be a "newbie" as a "foodie," however...

My husband and I dined this evening at your restaurant, and we were very pleased with both the exquisite cuisine and the fantabulous service. (did I make up yet another word?)

My favorite plate was the quail with figs and house-made corn polenta (so delicious!!!) :unsure: All the plates were absolutely devine!

The front of house staff took extra good care of us and ensured a perfect romantic evening that ended all too soon. You work magic at Circle Bistro, Brendan! Kudos!! ;)

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We're not letting you off the hook just yet, mister!

Every chef has their strengths and weaknesses. I see one of your huge strengths being fish - you could be poisonnier anywhere in town, as far as I'm concerned. Your love of fish, in my diner's perspective, surpasses your love of meat, and is only rivaled by your respect for vegetables and mushrooms. Is there a pecking order here with you? Your ability with fish seems to be a huge strength because hardly anyone else in town can cook a decent one, much less a great one. But you can. Thoughts? Do you know of other great poisonniers in the area?

What would you say Roberto Donna's and Todd Gray's big strengths were, both in terms of cooking, and in terms of mentoring you as a sous chef? What one thing would you like to say about these two chefs who perhaps influenced you the most?

Cheers,

Rocks.

The sheer variety of fish and their attendant preparation styles really allow a chef to showcase flavors. Meat is awesome, but often has few options in terms of accoutrements. So fish becomes that "protein platform" that allows us to be the most creative. I think the best poissonnier in town is Barry Koslow our chef de cuisine and his efforts to refine techniques and bring new ones to our kitchen can never be fully repaid. A Black Bass at Eve on my anniversary three weeks ago was a testament to quality and precision of technique.

The dynamic of our kitchen where we are not really locked into a certain style, but develop one through different influences allows for more divere fish preparations. We even went through a long period of using a bamboo steamer, something I hadn't tried before.

Each ingredient is inherently satisfying but fish and vegetables offer the greatest variety for technical exploration.

To clarify, I never was sous at Galileo, merely a line cook. From Roberto's kitchen which was as much Todd's at the time I worked there, I definitely came to appreciate pastas and risottos. Unfettered by radical interpretations, simple, honest these are the hallmarks of great noodles and raviolis, it is about the pasta, not the sauce.

Having worked for Todd for so many years there really would be a list too long to elucidate the ways he influenced me. He never yelled(much, and usually at me) and kept thins intense but still laid back enough that people were comfortable approaching him. Radical seasonality and a push to do the best for our guests, I don't think he ever said no to a customer with a reasonable request, are probably the most lasting hallmarks. That being said, if Todd had never given me a job at the big "G" I'd probably be working at an Olive Garden somewhere.

The other thing about Roberto's cooking, which is fantastic, I think he reallly pushed the idea in chef's minds about regionalism, at least the chef's in DC. Todd follows his lead by being "Mid-Atlantic" regional as opposed to Piemontese

I take it you aren't an Adria disciple. Have you cooked in the Alinea/Minibar style in any of your previous gigs?

I've done fifteen courses for people before, not in the avant garde style but more of a classic degu style. I respect what Adria, Blumenthal and the rest do, it is just not something I wish to pursue for myself. I feel like the molecular gastronomy crowd has lost some of the organic feel to food in the name of "art" or futurism.imapct pour l'impact. Then again maybe I don't "get" it, my wife and kids would never describe me as hip....

In the end I think we will all look back on this movement as one that a chef can mine for ideas or techniques and that it will stand on its own like abstract expressionism does in the art world, outside the "norm"

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I feel like the molecular gastronomy crowd has lost some of the organic feel to food in the name of "art" or futurism.imapct pour l'impact....

In the end I think we will all look back on this movement as one that a chef can mine for ideas or techniques and that it will stand on its own like abstract expressionism does in the art world, outside the "norm"

Brendan, thanks for the chat. This has been great. Here's my question:

I've met extremely smart chefs but I wouldn't draw a line between the word chef and intellectual naturally. That's not intended as an insult. Cooking is a craft, an art, but not necessarily a course in the humanities. You don't have to be familiar with L'Être et le Néant to make a souffle. With that said, you're clearly an intellectual. (Sorry to out you but you used two -isms and a French literary quote in your last reply.)

So what is it about cooking that feeds your intellect? Do you draw your intellectual interests in to the kitchen?

Thanks again.

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Brendan, thanks for the chat. This has been great. Here's my question:

I've met extremely smart chefs but I wouldn't draw a line between the word chef and intellectual naturally. That's not intended as an insult. Cooking is a craft, an art, but not necessarily a course in the humanities. You don't have to be familiar with L'Être et le Néant to make a souffle. With that said, you're clearly an intellectual. (Sorry to out you but you used two -isms and a French literary quote in your last reply.)

So what is it about cooking that feeds your intellect? Do you draw your intellectual interests in to the kitchen?

Thanks again.

Thank you for calling attention to my pseudo intellectual -isms, embarrasing really. This business is populated by dropouts(me), persons of moral ambiguities and unmitigated reprobates for whom the "normal" schoolcraft was not attractive in one way or another. We're not a group of mensa-types, but the best chefs are also adept businesspersons and astute observers who display a vocational acuity in favor of bookish snarkiness.(take that Goldman Sachs)

I have a resevior of useless knowlege and have been recently losing the movie quotes in favor of food combos I perused in books.

Food is just food and cooking is craft, but I really believe that for a dish to be successful you have to know where it came from and why the flavors will work before you even begin to cook it. I think my staff is probably weary of references that I make, so I'll probably leave the quotable Oscar Wilde at home, forever.

Bullshit aside, I probably miss a bit of the scholarship of university that I was to busy partying to really benfit from and so I overcompensate. I am the son of educators and don't want to be seen as uneducated.

By the way you can not read or understand Sartre and become President, of the US, really I've seen it happen....

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Chef - you mentioned that you were a picky eater as a child. What were the major turning points that took you from Point A to Point B (or wherever you are now as a Chef)? Also, are there any foods now that you still won't eat?

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Chef - you mentioned that you were a picky eater as a child. What were the major turning points that took you from Point A to Point B (or wherever you are now as a Chef)? Also, are there any foods now that you still won't eat?

When I became a vegetarian, I had to sort of fend for myself, mom wasn't about to cook special when I was around. I joined a vegetarian health food co-op in college to escape the food plan and that was the major turning point for me. A lot of different ethnic backgrounds contributed to a really cool group of people cooking together. We all put money in at the beginning of the semester and then took turns making grocery trips. If I didn't eat what was available, then I went hungry. When I started cooking professionally I made a commitment to myself that I would try anything that was around or served to me, it was a matter of training my palate. I can honestly say the only thing I absolutely will not eat are eggs. Can't stand them, don't know how it happened, but that's the way it is. I like hollandaise/bernaise/custards, but no straight up eggs. Although I wolfed down the deviled quail egg with caviar at my anniversary dinner at Eve back in May, I guess caviar makes one hell of a condiment.

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Chef Cox:

I'm sorry to say that I've never eaten at Circle Bistro before (it has been high on my list of place to go but the plans never seemed to gel), but want to come in and give it a try. What would you suggest a first-time diner order if he wanted to experience the kitchen in its full splendor? I assume it's not a burger and fries (although I have it on good authority that you make a mean burger and fries)?

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Chef Cox:

I'm sorry to say that I've never eaten at Circle Bistro before (it has been high on my list of place to go but the plans never seemed to gel), but want to come in and give it a try. What would you suggest a first-time diner order if he wanted to experience the kitchen in its full splendor? I assume it's not a burger and fries (although I have it on good authority that you make a mean burger and fries)?

I have to say that the menu changes pretty often. The aforementioned tartare, mushroom salad and trout are pretty stable, but the new rockfish with english pea salpicon and pancetta vinaigrette, the roast duck with peaches and turnips, the softshell crab and then duck confit are personal favorites. We really work hard to stay uber-seasonal so anything that has a short or limited season is also a good place to start.

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Chef Cox,

A while back, I attended a cooking demo you did at CB (it was great). Do you enjoy doing that type of thing? Do you plan to do more in the future?

Chris

Cooking classes have been put on hold for awhile. I'm planning on doing them this coming fall.

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I had dinner at Circle Bistro this week, and came away more convinced than ever of one thing: If you go there for happy hour, and order just from the bar menu, you're cheating yourself.

I sat at the bar, but ordered off the regular dinner menu: For a starter, I got the refreshing and elegant Sweet corn and yellow pepper soup, with Chesapeake crabmeat and basil oil ($7). For my main, I had what was simply one of the great dishes I've had this year: Line-caught Alaskan halibut, with glazed baby corn, Path Valley beets, and arugula pistou ($26). We justifiably revere the famous chefs in this town - Richard, Trabocchi, Ziebold, and a whole host of others are worthy of all the respect and awe we can heap upon them - however, I'd like to propose that nobody, but nobody, can possibly put together a fish dish that was any better than this. It was great! Is it always? Barry came out afterwards and basically said, 'if you come here on a slow night, we have the time to make it perfect.' All I know is this: it WAS perfect.

Thank you Brendan for doing this chat! It's really nice to see your kitchen firing on all cylinders right now.

Cheers!

Rocks.

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I had dinner at Circle Bistro this week, and came away more convinced than ever of one thing: If you go there for happy hour, and order just from the bar menu, you're cheating yourself.

I sat at the bar, but ordered off the regular dinner menu: For a starter, I got the refreshing and elegant Sweet corn and yellow pepper soup, with Chesapeake crabmeat and basil oil ($7). For my main, I had what was simply one of the great dishes I've had this year: Line-caught Alaskan halibut, with glazed baby corn, Path Valley beets, and arugula pistou ($26). We justifiably revere the famous chefs in this town - Richard, Trabocchi, Ziebold, and a whole host of others are worthy of all the respect and awe we can heap upon them - however, I'd like to propose that nobody, but nobody, can possibly put together a fish dish that was any better than this. It was great! Is it always? Barry came out afterwards and basically said, 'if you come here on a slow night, we have the time to make it perfect.' All I know is this: it WAS perfect.

Thank you Brendan for doing this chat! It's really nice to see your kitchen firing on all cylinders right now.

Cheers!

Rocks.

Thank you Don for the kind words. That dish in particular is one I'm proud of for its simplicity, we have a saying in our kitchen, when its fall and winter we work French, when its spring and summer we work Italian, that fish stems directly from the quality of the ingredients, nothing else. Thank you to all the members for your support and your questions and comments, it was a pleasure to have this opportunity.

Ciao,

Brendan

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