A Chat With Tom Power

[Nadya]

In different social settings people are always facinated that I am a chef and invariably ask me what kind of food I serve or even better what my specialty is.  I always respond American food.  Most people don't know what that means and some of them start asking about cheeseburgers.

That's when I change the subject. 

I am ever so glad you mentioned this. This issue of how American food is (mis)perceived by non-industry folks both here and abroad is a bit of a pet cause (and peeve) for me, and it came up a few weeks ago in a Q&A with John W. I would love very much to hear your take on this as well:

How would you describe "American quisine" to a foreigner? And what do you think can be done to break the stereotype held as gospel truth by The Rude Euros - i.e. that culinarily, nothing greater than a hamburger ever came out of America? When I go visit my family and friends now and try telling them how great the U.S. dining scene is, I often get a reaction of incredulity along the lines of "oh, I know, burgers & fries for breakfast and dinner, morbidly obese people wandering around", followed by, "so what is it that American food is all about?"

This is where I get lost, because how do you explain the great variety of choices we have here in a few conceptual terms? This perfect piece of rockfish, this little mound of sweet potato puree, this butterfly shrimp, this lamb chop? Honestly...I would like to have something intelligent to tell them. I am sure people in food biz know it well, but an average European still thinks Americans don't know a plate of good food from a prophylactic...and I mind that very much. Thanks for reading!

[Tom Power]

Tom,

could you talk a little bit more about that, please?  How do you find your producers/farmers/fisherfolk and how do you get your good goods?

←

The good little producers/ farmers/ and fisher people are not that easy to find. They don't have an advertizing budget or a listing in the yellow pages. It's mostly about connections and loyalty. When I was working in Philadelphia I hired a sous chef away from the Striped Bass (a very high end seafood restaurant there) which had its own fish supplier Tony McCarthy. Tony would shop the docks of Barnegeat Light every morning and bring me unbelievable fish. Almost 10 years later I still buy from him. I now have to pay to have the fish shipped and wait a day for it to arrive but it is worth it. I still buy micro greens and herbs from Blue Moon Acres from Philly days.

At Citronelle here I made new local contacts. Charity events that lots of local chefs participate in are a good resource.

A lot of small producers are reluctant to sell thier goods to a stranger. Probably because they have been stuck with a lot of unpaid invoices. Restaurants are notoriously bad bill payers. I always pay the small guys the fastest and even put money on account with them if I sense they are nervous about developing a relationship.

I have to be flexible to buy from the small local purveyors. Tuesday afternoon I orderd 2 flats each of yellow and red raspberries from Sunnyside Farm in Virginia.

Tuesday night it rained and Wednesday I didn't receive any raspberries. Tonight I served Blueberry Tart instead of Raspberry Tart. Last year the farmers were complaining there wasn't enough rain - this year it's too much rain.

Edited September 18, 2004 by Tom Power (log)

[Tom Power]

Tom,

On a indirect food matter. Are you getting hit by the hotel employee strike?

←

The hotel that Corduroy is located in is unionized. I think they leased the restaurant space to avoid having to run a unionized restaurant.

The hotel does not bargain through the hotel association and its contract does not expire for another year.

Maybe next year I'll have the pleasure of trying to lure dining customers through

the picket line.

[mojito]

As a dish washer I had to help with the prep work.  Slowly through high school I advanced my kitchen career on a part time basis.  In those pre Food Network days aspiring to be a chef wasn't nearly as glamorous as it is today.  After graduating high school I took a cook's assistant job under my first real chef (Dave Everet who is now the chef at Ford's Colony in Williamsburg)  After nine months of seeing what real food was all about I headed to culinary school.  I knew I wanted to be a chef. 

←

Thank you for this response. My almost 17-year old son also wants to become a chef, and is enrolled in the Chantilly Academy Culinary Arts course. I appreciate any information about this career, to pass on to him.

[pastramionrye]

What is your favorite part about being a chef? and your least favorite part?

What do you miss most about just being a plain ole line cook?

[Tom Power]

Thank you for this response.  My almost 17-year old son also wants to become a chef, and is enrolled in the Chantilly Academy Culinary Arts course.  I appreciate any information about this career, to pass on to him.

←

I think it's great your son want's to be a chef. Chef's are cast in a very glamorous light these days. If he has a real pasion for cooking he should get through all the monotonous and dirty jobs that he will encounter along the way. Cooking is a very physical job, for the most part you either peak early or you don't peak at all.

As much as possible encourage him to work for the best chefs - regardless of pay or position. He will learn more making salads for a great chef than he will sauteeing fish for more money at a mediocre restaurant. He should not ask for a Friday or Saturday off unless his sister is getting married and he better not have too many sisters. While he is still at home have him do all your vegetable peeling - the faster he can do the small stuff the sooner he can move on to the fun stuff. I wish your son the best.

[fero style]

chef ,

would you produce your own wine , and what would that be ?

[Tom Power]

What is your favorite part about being a chef? and your least favorite part?

What do you miss most about just being a plain ole line cook?

←

I cook more on the line now than I have in years. I work a station on the line most lunches and dinners. I have worked in very busy places where I haven't been able to that. Its fun to be a line cook again.

Favorite thing about being a chef- shaping the menu.

Least favorite- not being able to eat out as often as I would like. A few months ago I started closing Corduroy on Sunday nights. I am already down to slim pickings of new places to try on Sundays.

Edited September 23, 2004 by Tom Power (log)

[Tom Power]

I am ever so glad you mentioned this.  This issue of how American food is (mis)perceived by non-industry folks both here and abroad is a bit of a pet cause (and peeve) for me, and it came up a few weeks ago in a Q&A with John W.  I would love very much to hear your take on this as well:

How would you describe "American quisine" to a foreigner? And what do you think can be done to break the stereotype held as gospel truth by The Rude Euros - i.e. that culinarily, nothing greater than a hamburger ever came out of America? When I go visit my family and friends now and try telling them how great the U.S. dining scene is, I often get a reaction of incredulity along the lines of "oh, I know, burgers & fries for breakfast and dinner, morbidly obese people wandering around", followed by, "so what is it that American food is all about?"

This is where I get lost, because how do you explain the great variety of choices we have here in a few conceptual terms? This perfect piece of rockfish, this little mound of sweet potato puree, this butterfly shrimp, this lamb chop? Honestly...I would like to have something intelligent to tell them. I am sure people in food biz know it well, but an average European still thinks Americans don't know a plate of good food from a prophylactic...and I mind that very much. Thanks for reading!

←

I returned from a week in Burgundy and Paris the day before I started this chat.

I haven't been able to travel that much internationally. In the last ten years I have been to France 3 times and Germany once for about a week each time. Right before opening Corduroy I spent almost a month in Japan. Each time I return from an over seas trip I fell recharged about cooking and eating. I would tend to agree with your "average Europeans" view that the average American does not know " a plate of good food from a prophylactic" . Dining and leisure are more appreciated in Europe. In Europe you sit and have an espresso at a cafe and sip it on the sidewalk-they don't have paper cups!! In the US you order a Venti tripple latte to go at Starbucks and get frustrated by the line of people in front of you.

The culture is so different between the continents. In Paris I have had to decide where to most wisely spend my 200 euros( $250-270) for lunch((per person)). I couldn't find a restaurant in Washington that would charge half that or could deliver as much value.

This is a young country. The United States is the birth place of the automobile, the air plane and the computer but not of great food. I think this country is in the midst of a food revolution. The growth of appreciation for good food and wine in the last 15 years has been dramatic. In 1989 who could have dreamed that there would be a Food Network? Or that Wolfgang Puck would be selling mediocre food in strip malls across the country?

At the highest levels American cusine can hold hold it 's own with European haute cusine. Our best restaurants rival the three star Michelins. Our evreyday restaurants don't match the quality of the small euopean bistro. The "average American" restaurant is still the souless chain. In Europe the chain restaurant is still something of of a novelty. We are making progress but willl probably not catch up to the Euros for a long time - they had a good 1000 year head start on US.

Edited September 23, 2004 by Tom Power (log)

[Tom Power]

chef ,

would you produce your own wine ,  and what would that be ?

←

I love pinot noir. If my landlord allowed me to plant a vineyard at 12th and K Streets NW DC I would look for a root stock resistant to my asphault terroir. A chef in town recently let me try a bottle of wine that he vinified in DC from California grapes- it was almost as good as the food he cooked for my table.

Making wine souds like a fun idea but I don't think I the time to learn how to do it well enough right now.

[Nadya]

At the highest levels American cusine can hold hold it 's own with European haute cusine.  Our best restaurants rival the three star Michelins. Our evreyday restaurants don't  match the quality of the small euopean bistro.  The "average American" restaurant is still the souless chain.  In Europe the chain restaurant is still something of of a novelty. We are making progress but willl probably not catch up to the Euros for a long time - they had a good 1000 year head start on US.

←

Interesting thinking! It's a great point you make about the U.S. being a young country. I suppose being young has its negative and positive sides, and with respect to food and wine, this "youth" is translating into a wonderful surge of creativity and an infusion of global influences.

And I couldn't agree more about the chain restaurant thing. Sure, there are great, creative, ethnic restaurants in urban areas, but that said.....A couple of weeks ago I drove four hours to get to the beach in Maryland. This stretch of highway should have been dotted by mom-n-pop seafood places, but what do I see instead? An endless kaleidoscope of red, white and gold with Mickey D's, Popeyes and KFC every twenty miles. And it's the same in every direction. Walking into Bob Evans always makes me sad...

I'm not saying local holes-in-the-walls don't exist, but they sure are harder to find. And this is the impression that contributes to the "Big Mac jackass" stereotype, unfortunately.

[DCMark]

Nadya:

I think the use of the work 'average' is key to understanding the Euro vs. US. In my experience, the average Frenchman/woman has a much greater understanding and appreciation for fine cuisine and wine than the average American. Will they ever sample the cuisine of Robuchon or Veyrat? Certainly not. However, most likely they consistently eat very good food (cooked at home or at a modest restaurant), understand the wines of their region if not beyond, and probably know that great restaurant in town that may not be in the Michelin guide but is putting out wonderful food.

Compare that to the average American. Fine dining starts at the Maggio's and ends at Mortons. Wine comes in two categories: red and white. I know if this is a sterotype and exaggeration, but it holds much truth.

Another apt comparison is between the food channels in France and here. With Food TV we seem to have an endless procession of Iron Chef competitions, compelete with 'play-by-play' announcers. Contrast the French equivalent, Gourmet TV (http://www.gourmet.tv/) whose motto alone (not to mention programming) sets it far apart from FoodTV: La Chaine de la Gastronomie et de l'Arte Vire (emphasis mine). This channel is run by Joel Robuchon and Guy Job.

The one area were Europeans do not understand or appreciate the US is certainly in wine. I have been politely scoffed at numerous times when defending American wine. The fact that California, Washington and Oregon are producing excellent wines seems lost on all in France, even sommelliers. I attribute this to a complete lack of availability/promotion of American wines in France; not to mention the issue of bringing sand to the beach.

Edited September 23, 2004 by DCMark (log)

[Nadya]

I think one five-page thread was enough for me.

Tom, may I ask you a naive question?

What is the significance of the name of your restaurant? Do you love corduroy above all other fabrics?

[JPW]

I think one five-page thread was enough for me.

Tom, may I ask you a naive question?

What is the significance of the name of your restaurant? Do you love corduroy above all other fabrics?

←

Or perhaps the children's book...

[DonRocks]

I think one five-page thread was enough for me.

Tom, may I ask you a naive question?

What is the significance of the name of your restaurant? Do you love corduroy above all other fabrics?

←

I know the answer to this, but cannot share it with anyone.

One evening, several years ago, I met Tom for the first time. He was sitting at the bar at Citronelle having a glass of wine, and we chatted for awhile. I asked the same question as you did, Nadya, and Tom's answer was that he had never told anyone what the name meant.

He had a couple glasses of wine in his gullet, and I promised him that I wouldn't reveal The Secret if he told me. In a moment of wine-induced recklessness, he broke down and confessed - I've kept my promise to this date.

So the question for Tom is:

will you finally reveal to the world the Dark Secret of the name of Corduroy?

It's time...

[laniloa]

I just figured it was a favorite children's book that was a comfortable memory!

[edemuth]

I thought it might be a play on coeur du roi...

[Tom Power]

Hi Tom,

3. What is your take on the difference between working for a corporate/hotel-based restaurant vs. an individual chef/owner?

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I am the chef/owner of a restaurant based in a corporate hotel. I have worked in hotels as a cook, sous chef and chef. Most hotels have too many layers of management. A hotel chef has to spend a lot time in meetings that don't pertain to his or her kitchen and spends very little time cooking. I am very glad to be on my own.

[Nadya]

So the question for Tom is:

will you finally reveal to the world the Dark Secret of the name of Corduroy?

It's time...

←

Ah, it's always such an easy choice! Months of expensive therapy, or three glasses of wine? Both result in this amazing ability to speak one's mind with candor that belongs only in the movies.

(Wonder what it would be like to drink with a therapist? Just curious.)

So...Tom...tell....please...pretty please.

[Tom Power]

Ah, it's always such an easy choice! Months of expensive therapy, or three glasses of wine? Both result in this amazing ability to speak one's mind with candor that belongs only in the movies.

(Wonder what it would be like to drink with a therapist? Just curious.)

So...Tom...tell....please...pretty please.

←

Drinking too many glasses of wine with Don Rocks should be a therapy . I just wish I could remember what I told him, or how he coaxed it out of me. I hope he didn't take advantage of me. I am relieved that he hasn't revealed my dark secrets.

Naming your restaurant is a daunting task that can catch you by surprise. I don't have any children but I think it's harder to name a restaurant than a son or daughter. If you are expecting to have a baby I am sure you need to attend child birthing classes, spend time with the OB-Gyn and buy a crib... but mostly your just waiting for the big day. If your not overly creative you can borrow a relative's name; if you are creative you can borrow a fruit's name. Offspring can assume a nickname they like- restaurants only get bad nicknames.

Opening a restaurant means negecioating a lease, writting a menu, designing a kitchen and service areas, selecting furnishings, plates, silverware, glasses, pots and pans... , putting together a wine list, dealing with construction delays, and opening an account with everyone from the phone company to the fish guy. The most frustrating part is dealing with the DC government. As any DC resident knows, the required document is the one you don' t have with you.

My most pressing concern was to find a bunch of good people who could work with and for me. I knew (and I know it now more than ever) that I needed good people. The restaurant was still under construction and I had no office so I met with and got stood up by applicants at my local Starbucks - In retrospect I don't think it was such a good idea to conduct interviews in the coffee house where three employees got shot on the job.

I had come up with a cute name (NV) for a cute little bistro in Georgetown that I had a lot of interest in buying from a big name chef. After that deal fell through I was not concerned with names until my new landlord demanded one, about a month before I was due to open the restaurant. I wanted my restuarant to have a name that wasn't common or cheesey; A name that didn't pigeon hole my cooking and most importantly a name that was distinctive and easy to remember.

I procrastinated for as long I could. The landlord was getting ever more insistent that I needed to come up with a name for the restaurant . The pressure was on. At my next meeting with the lanlord after spendning the previous night reading the back jackets of CD's I convinced them that Corduroy was a good name for a restaurant.

In the last 4 years I have received a few copies of the children's book (No more please !) The fabric is retro-trendy right now, I thank customers who wear corduroy for thier subliminal advertizing help.

I' ve had a great time here and hope to see a lot of you at the dinner in October.

Thanks,

Tom

[DonRocks]

Tom,

I've discussed this chat with people, and everyone thinks it has been exceptionally insightful and interesting. For me, every time I'd sign on in the morning and see a response from you, I'd read it and wish for more because your answers were so engaging.

Along with pioneer Jonathan Krinn, and the brilliant trio Todd Kliman, Gillian Clark and John Wabeck, you are forever enshrined in the hearts of us.

Thank you again Tom!

Rocks.

[simdelish]

Yes, thanks, Tom, for your engaging thread. As I am sure many here agree, it is a treat to "talk" to someone who is so passionate about what they do, as well as getting the inside scoop!

Your mention of early on having to interview prospective employees at Starbucks leads me to a much more mundane question than those previously asked: I am between jobs at the moment and curious as to the usual way you find good kitchen help. Although there are always lots of Sunday ads for chain restaurants way out in NoVa, there are rarely any for fine dining places (and most of the ads are looking for servers anyway.) When you (or other Exec chefs) need someone, do you advertise in the Post, food service websites, etc. or do you just ask around? I am sure a personal recommendation for you is always preferable to having someone walk in off the street from an ad... but how does one get that "inside track" -- particularly if coming from out of town, not a restaurant 2 blocks over? I religiously read the helpwanted ads, but feel like the job (i.e. the kind of place) I am looking for, just isn't listed there. How do you, and others like you, look for an experienced sous chef, pastry chef, sommelier, etc. ? (I am not talking bushelp, dw, servers etc.). Thanks for your insight.

---------

[Hi simdelish. I think Tom has sort-of wrapped up this chat although he's certainly welcome to reply to this (we're not letting him give up his eGullet screen name). I see you're going to the Corduroy dinner, so maybe you can ask him about this there? Rocks.]

Edited September 27, 2004 by DonRocks (log)