A Chat with John Wabeck

[Chef Shogun]

As for deviled eggs? You know if I tell you then I have to make them for Morela.

Let's do this - Do the standard deviled egg style, jack up the deviled bit with some lime and chili, then top with duck carnitas hit with some good BBQ sauce. Scallions. Some pink bubbly, it just might work.

Field trip!! You know this is going to be a standard question to a Q&A chef from now on.

[mdt]

As for deviled eggs? You know if I tell you then I have to make them for Morela.

Let's do this - Do the standard deviled egg style, jack up the deviled bit with some lime and chili, then top with duck carnitas hit with some good BBQ sauce. Scallions. Some pink bubbly, it just might work.

Field trip!! You know this is going to be a standard question to a Q&A chef from now on.

John,

We I be able to get these on my next visit? Pretty please?!

[John W.]

We got hard-cooked eggs. We got BBQ. No duck. I could come up with something else.

Sure. Why not .

[John W.]

Actually I am going to trek to Firefly one of these days.  I'll have to come late so I can catch Chef at the end of a shift and get a chance to chat.

Gillian Clark is going to be at Firefly too?

Here we go.

For the record, I hate being called chef. DIfferent strokes for different folks.

My apologies. Having been trained to use that title as a sign of true respect (and not every chef I've worked with would I call Chef), that's how it was meant.

Is John better?

John is better.

No offense taken.

No calling me chef, no name on my jacket, no name on the menu. I've always been weird about that.

[DonRocks]

With Friday just around the corner, could you talk about the Wine Happy Hour that you're featuring now at the restaurant?

[John W.]

With Friday just around the corner, could you talk about the Wine Happy Hour that you're featuring now at the restaurant?

Yeah that. Today is wine ghost town with the Prince concert tonight.

Shall I declare shill alert?

I taste so much wine and can't possibly take it all. We decided to do a happy hour, around all this stuff. Typically one red and one white. There is a theme every day. Today's theme is:

a) wines that start with Y (see wines that are not yellowtail)

b) wines that are Australian

c) wines that are from Yarra Valley.

The deal is this - It ain't $2 Buds. It ain't 2 for 1 rail drinks. It's quality glasses of wine for a pretty reduced rate. We were pouring Lignier-Michelot Chambolle Musigny 1999 for like $12 and O. Leflaive Mearsault '00 for $10. Normally I'd have to hit someone for twice as much. I think it's a pretty good deal.

I think tomorrow needs to be grand cru bubbles day. You know, for the ladies.

We just started this last week, we'll see how it goes.

[eatdrinkummm]

Mssr. Wabeck,

I'm not sure how you escaped the preliminary "this or that" questioning, but it has become standard for getting to know our respondents on the Q&A . So, please...

Descendants or ALL?

Eat First or China Express?

Lawn Bowling or Badminton?

The Colonel of KFC or Rick Bayless of Burger King?

Pinotage or Spatburgunder?

Sushi or Ceviche?

Ladies WITH Riedel glasses or ladies WITHOUT Riedel glasses?

All right, joking aside. Here's a few your way: (1) If Burgundy was to instantaneously disappear, God forbid, what viticultural area would console you? (2) If you had only three bottles of wine, three ingredients, and three albums with which to prepare a meal on a remote island what would they be?

Thanks for doing the Q&A.

Derek

Edited August 13, 2004 by eatdrinkummm (log)

[morela]

Mssr. Wabeck,

I'm not sure how you escaped the preliminary "this or that" questioning, but it has become standard for getting to know our respondents on the Q&A . So, please...

Dis or Dat

Izod Lacoste or Polo Ralph Lauren?

Dr. Elliot Kupferberg or Dr. Jennifer Melfi?

Argyle or plaid?

Scoop-neck or V-neck?

Hellman's or homemade?

Computer or Sex?

[John W.]

Mssr. Wabeck,

I'm not sure how you escaped the preliminary "this or that" questioning, but it has become standard for getting to know our respondents on the Q&A . So, please...

Descendants or ALL?

Eat First or China Express?

Lawn Bowling or Badminton?

The Colonel of KFC or Rick Bayless of Burger King?

Pinotage or Spatburgunder?

Sushi or Ceviche?

Ladies WITH Riedel glasses or ladies WITHOUT Riedel glasses?

All right, joking aside. Here's a few your way: (1) If Burgundy was to instantaneously disappear, God forbid, what viticultural area would console you? (2) If you had only three bottles of wine, three ingredients, and three albums with which to prepare a meal on a remote island what would they be?

Thanks for doing the Q&A.

Derek

Descendents.

I might need a write-in on the next one, as I've not eaten at either Eat First or China Express. I'd go with Hope Key.

Lawn Bowling, as you could have a beverage whilst playing.

Rick Bayless. The Colonel doesn't have Topolobampo behind him.

Spatburgunder. I've not had a Pinotage that I like.

Sushi. With foie gras on top.

Of course ladies with Riedel glasses.

I could live with either Cote Rotie or Hermitage. Coulee de Serrant would do in a pinch.

Am I by myself on this island?

'94 Coulee de Serrant

'95 de Vogue Musigny

'89 Chave Hermitage

Epoisses

Scallops

Bacon

The Bouncing Souls, self-titled (especially song #14)

The Big Boys, "The Skinny Elvis"

Dillinger Four, "Midwestern Songs of the Americas" (Avril sez they are punk rock)

[John W.]

Mssr. Wabeck,

I'm not sure how you escaped the preliminary "this or that" questioning, but it has become standard for getting to know our respondents on the Q&A . So, please...

Dis or Dat

Izod Lacoste or Polo Ralph Lauren?

Dr. Elliot Kupferberg or Dr. Jennifer Melfi?

Argyle or plaid?

Scoop-neck or V-neck?

Hellman's or homemade?

Computer or Sex?

Izod. But old school sweaters. No golf shirts.

Dr. Melfi. Kupferberg is her mentor right?

Argyle.

V-Neck. (what is this, a fashion show?)

Hellman's. I'd have to charge you a buck for homemade.

What?

[mnebergall]

What time does the happy hour start?

[John W.]

What time does the happy hour start?

4:30, goes 'til 7.

[DonRocks]

John, are you going to toast Julia Child this evening?

[John W.]

John, are you going to toast Julia Child this evening?

Quite.

As soon as I get out of here, I'm going straight for a G+T.

Cuisine is deeply indebted to her.

[morela]

Mssr. Wabeck,

I'm not sure how you escaped the preliminary "this or that" questioning, but it has become standard for getting to know our respondents on the Q&A . So, please...

Dis or Dat

Izod Lacoste or Polo Ralph Lauren?

Dr. Elliot Kupferberg or Dr. Jennifer Melfi?

Argyle or plaid?

Scoop-neck or V-neck?

Hellman's or homemade?

Computer or Sex?

Izod. But old school sweaters. No golf shirts.

Dr. Melfi. Kupferberg is her mentor right?

Argyle.

V-Neck. (what is this, a fashion show?)

Hellman's. I'd have to charge you a buck for homemade.

What?

What I meant was:

Lois Lane or Cat Woman?

Sorry 'bout dat.

Edited August 13, 2004 by morela (log)

[John W.]

Lois Lane.

[Chef Shogun]

I promise this isn't going to become a daily question but what was the happy hour special for today? I was planning on going, but I decided I was too shaggy looking/feeling to be seen in public among polite company (Damn you Gillette Empire! Daaammm youuuu! ::shakes fist:: ). To that end, I have decided I need to boldly Zipcar out, in what promises to be driving rain, to Old Dominion Brewery for tasty growlers.

So, what'd I miss? See you...perhaps tomorrow! For now, though, a bowl of leftover red potatoes/onions in creme fresh and away!

Edited August 13, 2004 by Chef Shogun (log)

[eatdrinkummm]

Mssr. Wabeck,

All right, I sent some softballs last time but its go-time now. I understand you were a music major and, obviosuly, a punk rock affecianado. So I want to know a little more about the intersection of these worlds... I'm on a philosophical bent so follow me... Greil Marcus, one of punk's foremost historian's wrote the following (check out Lipstick Traces for a great book on punk):

Rock 'n Roll is a combination of good ideas dried up by fads, terrible junk, hideous failings in taste and judgment, gullibility and manipulation, moments of unbelievable clarity and invention, pleasure, fun, vulgarity, excess, novelty and utter enervation.

It strikes me that you could simple replace the phrase "Rock $ Roll" with "Modern Cooking in America" and it would ring somewhat true. (Not that I'm really qualified to make this statement anyway) With that said, do you think Culinary America is reaching a point of enervation, where copy follows copy and the whole thing looks like a cookbook from the late 80's? Young chefs feel confident borrowing other Chef's recipes ingredient for ingredient with little if any varation. Is the proliferation of restaurants in D.C. anymore than a second coming of already established scenes from New York and San Fransisco? Green Day vs. Stiff Little Fingers, to borrow from High Fidelity? Y'know what I mean?

Also, to what extent do you think chefs need to adhere to classics, French tradition, etc? Punk was founded on a reversal of predominate aesthetics. Where is the same movement in cooking? Is there any connection. Where are the surreal, the dada cooks? Chefs with

mohawks and saftey pins through their noses, jamming out Angry Sams?

This isn't prescriptive, just a question to provoke thought.

Your's truly,

Derek

Booooyaaaahhh!

[DonRocks]

Ringgg! Ringgg!

"Hello?"

"Rocks, what's up?"

"Nothing, what's going on?"

"We're meeting at Bistrot du Coin tonight."

"What time?"

"We'll be rolling in around 1."

"I'll be in bed by 11."

"Pussy!"

"I can't do it, dude."

"Pussy!"

"I've got to get up in the morning."

"Pussy!"

"All right, I'll stop by for thirty minutes."

"See you there."

Keep your eye on this thread for what really happens when ... John and Derek go to White Castle.

[John W.]

Here we go...Derek, you're up.

[mnebergall]

John:

I stopped by for the wine happy hour last friday and ran into two other eGulleteers. The Champagne was excellent. I wish there was a way you could keep us informed of what wines you plan to pour on a daily basis so that if something interseting came up those that were interested could stop by. It is an innovative program that you have there.

spelling edit

Edited August 17, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[morela]

John,

Is it true that this guy likes Firefly?

Good guy?

[John W.]

John:

I stopped by for the wine happy your last friday and ran into two other eGulleteers. The Champagne was excellent. I wish there was a way you could keep us informed of what wines you plan to pour on a daily basis so that if something interseting came up those that were interested could stop by. It is an innovative program that you have there.

We are figuring out how to do it. Originally we had a calender like you'd see at LuLu's or something, but it's too difficult to send out via e-mail. We're going to sort it out though. Probably do a weekly thing, change it up every so often.

Today is California. Solex (Russian River chard, standard butter and oak) and Joulian Zin (Carmel).

[John W.]

John,

Is it true that this guy likes Firefly?

Good guy?

He was in once. Seemed like a good guy.

We try to keep that stuff on the down low. No "seen at Firefly" type stuff.

[T.Thrasher]

John what are you tasting at this point in the night?