Austin is the place for food right now. The city is bursting with culinary talent — some new and some old — and it is a marvelous time to be in the Capital City, partaking in the creativity and entrepreneurial energy. We recently chatted with the 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Award nominees for chef to find out where they get their inspiration, why they think Austin is a food mecca, and who they would invite over for dinner.
Bryce Gilmore Barley Swine [http: /barleyswine.com/] Austin native Bryce Gilmore’s claim to fame could be winning a Food & Wine 2011 Best Chef Award, opening a wildly successful brick and mortar spot after closing shop on his popular Odd Duck trailer, or being nominated as a 2013 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southwest. Or possibly the time he served chicken testicles to renegade restaurateur Tony Bourdain. It is Gilmore’s no fear, no-holding-back attitude paired with his passion for utilizing local ingredients that has garnered him such a coveted reputation around town and nationally. The 30-year-old has plans to reincarnate his Odd Duck venture (although the new version will occupy a spot at Gibson Flats, a mixed-use residential development on South Lamar), while holding steady at Barley Swine, where additional seating has been added to help with crowd control. A graduate of the California Culinary School, Gilmore continues to impress with his creativity and vision. What is your favorite aspect of your job? Cooking is a huge creative outlet for me, and Barley Swine was created to always evolve so I get to stretch the level of creativity every day. And when your co-workers are your friends, it makes things easy and fun. How and why has Austin become a food mecca? I think Austin is a breeding ground for the entrepreneur, which is why so many people start businesses here, not just restaurants. The city and the people are open-minded, so it fuels new businesses, especially businesses doing something different. The food scene has really excelled in the past five years, and I hope it continues to bring young, eager chefs doing something different and exciting to this city. How has your approach to cooking changed in the past year? I think a lot of people don’t realize how collaborative all the chefs are on dish development. There will be aspects of all of us in one dish. We just try to focus on evolving and not just changing. It’s important for us to propel forward with all aspects of the restaurant, food, beverage and service. Where do you find inspiration for your menu? So much of the inspiration comes from the farmers. They do all the work, we just try to not mess up what they’ve grown. The seasons and the farmers continuously drive our menu. It’s also good for creativity. We may be really into a new dish with green garlic, and it may not be available the following week so it’s back to the drawing board. You invite three chefs over for dinner at your home. Who would be at your table and what would you be serving? Chris Kostow from Meadowood in Napa. He has no professional culinary training, and he’s received three Michelin Stars. Culinary school is great, but it won’t make or break you and he’s proof. April Bloomfield. I love her restaurants, and I respect everything she’s done in her career — plus her business partner is Jay-Z. My dad, because there’s no one I respect more than him.
Photo by Bill Sallans
Bryce Gilmore Barley Swine [https: /barleyswine.com/] Austin native Bryce Gilmore’s claim to fame could be winning a Food & Wine 2011 Best Chef Award, opening a wildly successful brick and mortar spot after closing shop on his popular Odd Duck trailer, or being nominated as a 2013 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southwest. Or possibly the time he served chicken testicles to renegade restaurateur Tony Bourdain. It is Gilmore’s no fear, no-holding-back attitude paired with his passion for utilizing local ingredients that has garnered him such a coveted reputation around town and nationally. The 30-year-old has plans to reincarnate his Odd Duck venture (although the new version will occupy a spot at Gibson Flats, a mixed-use residential development on South Lamar), while holding steady at Barley Swine, where additional seating has been added to help with crowd control. A graduate of the California Culinary School, Gilmore continues to impress with his creativity and vision. What is your favorite aspect of your job? Cooking is a huge creative outlet for me, and Barley Swine was created to always evolve so I get to stretch the level of creativity every day. And when your co-workers are your friends, it makes things easy and fun. How and why has Austin become a food mecca? I think Austin is a breeding ground for the entrepreneur, which is why so many people start businesses here, not just restaurants. The city and the people are open-minded, so it fuels new businesses, especially businesses doing something different. The food scene has really excelled in the past five years, and I hope it continues to bring young, eager chefs doing something different and exciting to this city. How has your approach to cooking changed in the past year? I think a lot of people don’t realize how collaborative all the chefs are on dish development. There will be aspects of all of us in one dish. We just try to focus on evolving and not just changing. It’s important for us to propel forward with all aspects of the restaurant, food, beverage and service. Where do you find inspiration for your menu? So much of the inspiration comes from the farmers. They do all the work, we just try to not mess up what they’ve grown. The seasons and the farmers continuously drive our menu. It’s also good for creativity. We may be really into a new dish with green garlic, and it may not be available the following week so it’s back to the drawing board. You invite three chefs over for dinner at your home. Who would be at your table and what would you be serving? Chris Kostow from Meadowood in Napa. He has no professional culinary training, and he’s received three Michelin Stars. Culinary school is great, but it won’t make or break you and he’s proof. April Bloomfield. I love her restaurants, and I respect everything she’s done in her career — plus her business partner is Jay-Z. My dad, because there’s no one I respect more than him.
And that's what an Asian-inspired pizza looks like.Photo courtesy of Sterrato Italian Specialties