I could have talked to Bill for hours about his history and passion. We took a few minutes after discussing his history (posted Wednesday) for some quick fire questions (and some goofing off in the kitchen for the camera, where he showed off how he cooks his one of my favorite dishes at Albert Hall Tavern, the mussels with black garlic and charred rosemary).
(Chef Bill, on the left, goofing off with a trusted
coworker who he worked with years before)
What inspires you about food?
Bill: “Flavor combinations. It’s like chemistry… architecture comes into play to balance using mathematics: Burnt lemons for citrus plus buttery lettuce plus fatty prosciutto and duck cracklings and artichokes… it lingers on the palate. It should be like a roller coaster ride, always up and down, wondering what’s in the next bite. It’s important to play with flavors… smell is a flashback and the palette is the longest memory. Burning wood reminds me of my Grandma in Germany. You never taste the same tomato twice, so you need to change the method to change the flavor to get it right. The staff finds it tough because there are no recipes.”
(On the topic of staff, Bill is looking for people who are as passionate about Albert Hall he is about the place… but is having problems finding and keeping good staff at the restaurant right now. I would have to agree with him on that one, with the staff sometimes being quite lackluster, but Bill mentioned that he has some good people coming in soon, so I’m hopeful… update: huge improvements in waitstaff these past few weeks!)
What is your favorite dish to cook?
“Seafood. Skate is my favorite fish. You can do so much with it and it holds up to flavors well. But most people don’t know it so it doesn’t sell. It depends on my mood, but there are days I want nothing but burgers.”
(Prepping the mussels)
Least favorite?
“Paella. I don’t get it. And I once tried to make a cardamom-crusted filet. Turns out cardamom is really bad on food.”
Favorite to eat?
“Duck confit with blood sausage and beans…pub cassoulette (‘a perfect foil’)…. Branzino whole, because the flavors of the meat stay in the meat… fish and chips (‘fried love’)… comfort food in the summer… fried homemade thin pasta with tomato and squid ink…” (It was obvious he could have gone on and on…)
Hardest thing ever made?
“Baking… I still haven’t finished the German Chocolate Cake. And Paella. Never again.”
Biggest kitchen mistake?
“Vegetable moussaka and Guastovino’s. There were 5 different vegetables, all roasted and seared with a tilt skillet. We would do it by the ton, put a lid on it and put it into the walk-in. It would take half a day to sear the vegetables. I went to the walk-in and when I went to open the lid, there was a layer of mold on top. I wasted an entire day on vegetables.”
(Charring the rosemary… UNDER the pan directly in the fire)
Worst night cooking?
“Valentine’s Day at Summit Restaurant. We were booked solid and had a galley kitchen with a single in and out. It was my first busy night and we were serving a prix fixe. My sous chef got wasted (“he fell off the wagon”) and was sitting across the street with a paper bag in his hand. It was a complex menu that could not be done by one person. It was the one and only night I wanted to cry and I still get the chills thinking about it. But the good days far outweigh the bad.”
Favorite memory?
“My daughter was on the line with me during her 1st year of life. She grew up in the restaurant. I have so many awesome memories of having her there with me.”
What kitchen tool can you not live without?
“Tongs. They are extension of my hands in the kitchen. I’m a big ol’ hot beast without them”
What is the most underrated food?
“Skate. Nobody orders it so I have to eat it so it doesn’t go bad.”
Overrated?
“Filet mignon. Why eat something with no marbling when you can eat something like a braised short rib? It’s wedding food.”
If you weren’t a chef, what would you do?
“It has been years since I thought about that… I couldn’t sit behind a desk. I have too much energy. Probably carpentry. It’s creative and hands on and has an end result. Or design… design and build houses. I like going from concept to execution.”
(The finished mussels)
What is your opinion on celebrity chefs?
“They have a mystique. Many were talented chefs before they were celebrities. But you can make a celebrity chef out of anyone with a good publicist. But it has made the standards and baseline for a good chef go up. The staff has a better idea of what happens in the kitchen and it pushes chefs to be better.”
Do you have advice for someone looking to be a chef?
“Take 6 months off from earning money and find the most different construction job you can find, do it for no money… then consider being a chef. At first, it’s working your ass off, cutting yourself, getting yelled at, not getting paid. It’s like golf. There is a lot of anger but then one good shot keeps you coming back. Come hang out in my kitchen. Train in a real kitchen and work for free to see what it’s really like.”
What is something that customers don’t know that they should about restaurants?
“The truth about the amount of work that goes into it. On the Food Network, they see it quick. It all fits into 30 minutes. They don’t see that I’m here from 7:30am until 1:30am every day.”
Favorite curse word?
“Shit”
Favorite type of meat?
“Lamb”
Where do you eat in NYC?
“Blue Ribbon… The Alley… The Spotted Pig… Minetta… Employees Only… The Frying Pan” (he loves the Frying Pan and has his staff meetings on the top deck)
Best Food City (besides NYC)?
“New Orleans… maybe Chicago”
Favorite smell?
“Bacon… bread is runner up”
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
“On a beach. Cooking and relaxing.”
Last meal?
“Surf and turf”
For my full review of the food at Albert Hall Tavern, see the full post here.
One Response to ““Off the Menu” Part 2: Q&A with Chef Bill Seleno”