What were your favorite foods growing up?

Mom's "German Apple Pancake" Grandpa's "Stuffed Peppers or Cabbage". Burritos from various Taquerias or Tamales from the lady in front of the flea market

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?

I always wanted to cook. I've wanted to be a chef since I was 12.

Where and when did your career in food begin?

I took classes at a local community college after school when I was 13

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?

If I could play baseball well enough, I'd do that or marine science

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?

David Bouley is my mentor. Besides that, my grandfather and a chef friend of my Dad, Jim LaForte, who owned several Italian restaurants in Southern California.

How would you describe your cuisine?

New American cuisine, sustainable and organic

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?

My past experiences professionally. Nowadays, I let nature tell me what to use and when; that drives my menu.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?

Champion Juicer, Vita-Prep, Mortar and Pestle.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?

It wouldn't be a secret if I told you.

lemon zest

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?

Put themselves in the customers shoes, taste the food as if you were paying money to eat it and then decide if it is good.

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?

People with energy and enthusiasm

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?

Tuna l'Occidental or corn soup; it has 0 fat in it.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?

We have a couple that dines with us a few times a month, they don't eat about 100 things and are very demanding about how things are prepared.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?

Making soufflés at l'Arpege. They just weren't working and we still don't know why. But, it was hell trying to remake them again and again.

What is your least favorite food?

Celery

What is your beverage of choice?

Wine

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?

Pairing and cooking with beer

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?

My house with my family

Which foreign country inspires your style most?

France

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?

Pierre Gagnaire in France or Kyotoaji in Tokyo

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?

I think people at home don't make sauce for food. Sauces are easy and add so much to a dish, it is a shame to exclude them.

What do you eat when you are home?

I tend to cook a lot of pasta at home and steak. I don't order steak at restaurants because they rarely can cook them well.