185102 Wed Feb 08 05:47:48 -0800 2006 34 15 Pennsylvania 0 992055 I have been meaning to post this query for some time. It seems to me most great food cities (NYC, SF, NO) are very chef driven. Yet many Philly restaurants imho seem to focus on vibe, entertainment, and often dissapointing chow. I believe thewre are some amazing chefs here in philly and I wanted to pose the question. Who are the Best Chefs in Philly? I had a few names in mind. Have Fun with this thread. Lacroix Vetri Perrier Garces (sp) C. Lee Wed Feb 08 05:47:48 -0800 2006 0 NEFoodie 1 992061 Jean Marie... Hands down. Wed Feb 08 09:56:17 -0800 2006 992055 0 xtian 1 992064 David Ansill Peter Gilmore (close enough to Philly) Wed Feb 08 10:32:03 -0800 2006 992055 0 JanR 2 992067 Interesting, Where is Peter Gilmore chef these days? I lived in Philly a few years back and he was at Le Bec Fin. Creative Guy. I would love to sample his cuisine next time in town. Other Names Fritz Blank at Deux Cheminee Guillermo Pernot at Pasion Wed Feb 08 10:59:41 -0800 2006 992064 0 Jason 3 992069 Since 2001, he has his own place in West Chester: Gilmore's (byob in a lovely townhouse). Terrific, but you have to book over a month in advance for a weekend. Weekdays are easier I hear. Wed Feb 08 11:17:46 -0800 2006 992067 0 JanR 4 992347 One need to distinguish what makes a "great chef" Does it mean creativity alone, or would it mean an ability to create out of the circumstances given to them, ie kitchen, staff, contraints on food control. One need to remember that the audience many times dictates the "creativity of a chef" One does not cook on an Island within itself. To me a great chef does not always have to be creative for creatives sake alone. I also believe that a great chef needs to stand the test of time, be able to cultivate talent, and be able to cook head to head with other "great chefs" Since I have worked with or I am aquainted with the following chefs I will give a short list and why. no particular order 1. Martin Hammon- one of the most overlooked chefs in the city. JML and the Fountain Room would not have their status without him. It is a fact. But an unkown one. Martin has written menus so well, that many people have bitten off of him and have not even realized it. 2. Shola_ Meiticulous in nature, and is not willing to compromise at all. He is the master of the 10 person table. 3. Marc Vetri- He has taken a restuarant and has made it into a dinning destination for the entire country. He never takes his eye off the ball, and he sticks to his guns no matter what the trends are, and he knows food like the back of his hand. 4. David Ansil- One of the only restuarants i can go to and order everything and love it. 5. Daniel Stern- Was able to regain Georges Stars back, and his food is a point on high quality, he knows what he is talking about, and has worked with the best. 6. Jean Marie Lacroix- He is the master of culitivating talent. ie Tony Clark, Martin, Franco, He has an eye for what is tasteful, and he always has great standards of excellence. He has an uncanny ablity to morph into what the guest wants, and he pulls the best out of his staff. 7. George- Much respect for someone who has held the torch in an independant restuarant for this long. Crazy standards of excellence. His food is classic, but it is important that it is well done. Which it is. 8. Morimoto- he has the creativity that goes far beyond classic sushi standards, but he is very grounded in quality technique and he will shine in NYC. Hope to see more of: Brain Sykora, Francesco, Tony Clark. Best pastry Chefs: Freddy Ortega- LAcroix, And Bobby Bennet 8. 2. Wed Feb 15 23:26:34 -0800 2006 992069 0 mjr 5 992389 Thank you for this wonderful and very positive posting. It was a pleasure to read -and reread - it. Fri Feb 17 12:09:55 -0800 2006 992347 0 Sylvia G 3 992075 Peter Gilmore has a hugely successful place in west chester, he's been mentioned in Gourmet and Bon Appetit' and you need to book well in advance for weekends. weekdays there are usually some openings available. Wed Feb 08 13:49:36 -0800 2006 992067 0 chefboy 1 992066 I would add Guillermo Pernot at Pasion to that list Wed Feb 08 10:53:19 -0800 2006 992055 0 Ray 1 992086 I heart Jean-Marie. And Christopher Lee. And (...gasp) Morimoto--despite the fact that he is a celebrity chef. I have had several memorable meals from his kitchen. Can't understand the hype about Pasion. During my 2 visits, the only thing I really loved was the ceviche. Great thread! Wed Feb 08 18:40:31 -0800 2006 992055 0 foodsnob 2 992097 Hands Down JML!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thu Feb 09 07:33:11 -0800 2006 992086 0 JenneyG 1 992087 Shola!!! Wed Feb 08 20:21:43 -0800 2006 992055 0 JohnnyT 1 992089 David Ansill Wed Feb 08 22:08:46 -0800 2006 992055 0 John 1 992090 Nunzio Patron (along with his head chef Luca Sena). My game dinner last week: - quail over baby peas in a wine reduction - partridge over spinach in a different wine reduction - duck breast over risotto - two pastas - pheasant arrabiata over pappardelle, and gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce - saddle of venison over brocolli rabe with blueberries, huckleberries and wild bertries in a wine reduction - large cheese platter - 2001 Domaine de la Solitude chateauneuf du pape - 1996 Opus One - limoncello only made it halfway through the venison, with a perfunctory tasting of the cheese. Wed Feb 08 22:39:33 -0800 2006 992055 0 Mike 2 992200 Nunzio Patruno was great at Monte Carlo. When I went to his place soon after they opened I wasn't as impressed. Your dinner sounds much more like the old Nunzio. Sun Feb 12 13:52:23 -0800 2006 992090 0 Leonidas 3 992220 Interesting list. It is amusing how Bryan Sikora did not make the cut. Or have all the rats left the ship as it was sinking. I feel Jean Marie Lacroix is in a different league of the elite Philly Chefs. Mon Feb 13 09:19:45 -0800 2006 992200 0 Christine 4 992223 As a Rat, I can only say in my defense that Mr. Sikora hasn't been cooking in Philadelphia for a little while now. Mon Feb 13 10:23:59 -0800 2006 992220 0 Leonidas 1 992098 Adan Saavedra of Paloma. Continues to fly under the radar because of location. Dined there a 1/2 dozen times, with amazing results every time. If you haven't been, go.........now! Thu Feb 09 08:16:01 -0800 2006 992055 0 The Notorious G.R.E.G. 1 992099 Adan Saavedra of Paloma. Continues to fly under the radar because of location. Dined there a 1/2 dozen times, with amazing results every time. If you haven't been, go.........now! Thu Feb 09 08:19:11 -0800 2006 992055 0 The Notorious G.R.E.G. 2 992121 just ate there for the first time and i was impressed by his culinary skills.I second your recommendation that people try his restaurant . Thu Feb 09 12:06:58 -0800 2006 992099 0 travlnmike 1 992127 Its a no win question, everyone just picks thier favourites or friends based on recent meals and the ambition of the operation. In any sample group, one could certainly pick the "best" but with more stringent qualifiers such as "Is anyone cooking anything interesting in philly these days? " The only answers are Vetri and Chris Lee. Lacroix certainly has a good rep as does perrier, hamman, ect ect but the food is uninteresting. I am wondering if it is a true talent question or a popularity question. that greatly changes the results. Thu Feb 09 12:43:00 -0800 2006 992055 0 Susiemaki 2 992133 One can assume that everyone's choices are based on recent dining experiences, etc. but an a more teling Part #2 of the question would have been ", and Why?". I stick with LaCroix, not because I dine on his food very often, but much more so because of how he personally has added value to the Philadelphia restaurant scene. In full disclosure I am biased because my husband apprenticed under JML, but the fact is that so many of the chefs labeled as 'up and coming" at one time or another in this city have worked in JML's kitchen. He runs a tight, tight ship, expects nothing but the best, and yet is adored by almost everyone who has worked with him. And even more so, because I think it takes a very confident chef to run a kitchen that frequently has a chef's table of guests dining in it, or a private wine tasting group invited to peer over the saucier's shoulder as dinner preparations are underway. .and on top of that, his food IS among the best fine dining in Philadelphia. I'd love to hear others' reasons. Thu Feb 09 13:38:58 -0800 2006 992127 0 xtian 3 992148 Could you name the "up and coming" chefs in philly who are doing notable things and have worked under JML ? I am not questioning that there are, I am just curious who they are as I am not aware of any recently. I too worked under JML in Pastry at the 4 seasons. I am thinking... Tony Clark Frak Martorella Bruce Lim Martin Hamman David Jansen I wouldnt consider those names "up and coming" those were his direct subordinates and fairly high profile at the time plust that was over 5 years ago.....and they all cook the same food. The same can be said of Perrier... Peter Gilmore Greg Gable Ben Diaz Mike Kanter again............they all cook the same food pre and post LBF. Thu Feb 09 16:21:06 -0800 2006 992133 0 Susiemaki 4 992348 I agree and disagree with you. I agree with you that the food is a lot the same But The Former Chefs mentioned Tony, David, Got their style from Martin. Wed Feb 15 23:32:45 -0800 2006 992148 0 mjr 2 992134 "The only answers are Vetri and Chris Lee" In response: Isn't "interesting" also a matter of personal experience? Maybe the best chefs are the ones that are able to please many w/o sacrificing artistry. Maybe artistry is overrated. Maybe comfort and accessability is underrated. You deemed only two Philly chefs worthy of your nomination which I find narrow, pretentious and shortsighted. Isn't Chowhound the anti-foodie forum? Thu Feb 09 13:40:24 -0800 2006 992127 0 The Notorious G.R.E.G. 3 992147 Apologies for the perception of pretense, you misunderstand what i said, if you read it again, you notice that the answer I gave was to my Re-phrased question not the Initial question. In my trying to understand whether it was a popularity question or a creativity question, my answer was that if it was creativity (Unique and Novel), Those were the two I would pick. This isnt a question per-se of how much the chef's food cost's so the issue of comfort and acessibility is irrelevant I would think. Fact is any discussion of the "best" Chefs where the underlying attitude is that "Artistry is Overrated" strikes me as rather odd. After all what is a chef if he lacks "creativity". Thu Feb 09 16:10:54 -0800 2006 992134 0 Susiemaki 4 992169 Well, I guess I take a "populist" viewpoint on dining. For me, I have a history of being extremely disappointed with meals by chefs who were lauded for their creativity and less so for their cuisine. When I hear descriptions of food/restaurants that include the words "experimental", "daring" or even sometimes "novel", I am often turned-off. I hear what you are saying, I just disagree with the criteria. I tend to value taste, ingredients, consistency......the ability to get quality with every visit, over creativity and artistry. I don't think they are mutually exclusive though. Creativity and taste can coexist, but often creativity is overvalued......in my opinion. Yikes. Sorry for my rambling.....and sorry for the confrontational response! Fri Feb 10 09:53:44 -0800 2006 992147 0 The Notorious G.R.E.G. 4 992201 Two different notions of what a Chef is: for most of recorded history, quality of execution was a paramount consideration. The whole Chef as Auteur thing is a development of the last few decades. Personally, give me honest craft over imagination any day. I'm glad Ferran Adria exists, but his would not be the food I would choose to feed on each night. Shola, now... Sun Feb 12 14:02:00 -0800 2006 992147 0 Leonidas 5 992207 Shola, now... I have heard his name before. Where does he cook now? Anyone been? Thanks. Sun Feb 12 17:25:08 -0800 2006 992201 0 Jason 6 992217 That Steak Nazi at Jim's Steaks. He is a true Chef 1-He ccook a mean steak sandwich (Whiz Wit) 2-Confidence in his artistry and product 3-consistency....this is the key to successful tenure 4-visibly appealing product aka "food porn" 5- Taste is King here I nominate the talk African fellow at Jim;s Steaks (I am afraid to ask his name) Mon Feb 13 02:02:07 -0800 2006 992207 0 Steakhouse Joe 6 992224 Shola is StudioKitchen. Mon Feb 13 10:25:36 -0800 2006 992207 0 Leonidas 2 992185 Which restaurant is associated with Chris Lee? Sat Feb 11 12:40:08 -0800 2006 992127 0 susan 3 992202 Striped Bass Sun Feb 12 14:02:58 -0800 2006 992185 0 Leonidas 1 992174 Ignoring the semantic digression, here are some people who are terrific: Jose Garces at Amada Mark Vetri Shola Olunloyo at Studio Kitchen Mike Solomonov at Marigold Chris Scarduzzio at Brasserie Perrier Sonjia Bidegain Specter for pastry at Matyson Daniel Stern at Gayle I guess you should consider Monsieurs Lacroix and Perrier for their establishment and presence. If the message board is going to degenerate into a bar-stool debate over who has a better curveball, Morimoto or Tony Clark, then we're all in trouble. The only criteria that matter when dining is the food and the company. Those listed above understand that and all the corresponding pleasures they deliver are towards said ends. Fri Feb 10 16:02:07 -0800 2006 992055 0 Gus Ornstein 2 992183 Gus, Well Said...Remember Hounds It's about the chow. And he/she who orchestrates and cooks it!!!!!!! Sat Feb 11 05:42:54 -0800 2006 992174 0 cft12@verizon.net