Jeffrey Baruch

Expert Interview: Jeffrey Baruch

Behind the Chef

What were your favorite foods growing up?
Steak, lobster, grilled cheese and pizza

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I was 14 years old, that was the first time I started working in a kitchen.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
The people I have cooked with from different culinary cultures and background. My experience in different kitchens really taught me a lot and helped me figure out what kind of chef I was going to be.

How would you describe your cuisine? New American with Indian influences?
Casual creative American seafood

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
Fresh seafood and produce from Long Island, NY

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Beurre mixer

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
All types of seasonings; most particularly fresh herbs and chili peppers

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Sashimi or any of the items from the selection at the raw bar

What is your least favorite food?
Starch vegetables like Lima beans and peas

What is your beverage of choice?
Iced cappuccino

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Classic dishes reinvented, retro is coming back. Most of the more popular dishes are coming back with a twist which is nice to see.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
Naturally, at home I have a chef's kitchen so I tend to dine at my own table more often than not.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Latin American and England

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
It was at lunch in Santa Barbara at the Brophy Brothers restaurant. I had a seafood cobb salad that I'll never forget.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Be creative, never be scared to mix and trust your palate.

What do you eat when you are home?
Sushi

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Expert Profile

London Lennies Executive Chef, Jeffrey Baruch, was born and raised on Long Island New York where he embarked on his journey into the restaurant industry at the age of 14. With over 31 years of culinary experience, Chef Baruch has traveled across the country serving as head chef at restaurants in Colorado and New York and has owned and operated four of his own dining establishments. Influenced by his grandparents, he spent a lot of his childhood on the waters of the Great South Bay, New York catching fresh fish, crabs and clams with his grandfather who was a boat builder; and on their family owned Pennsylvania farm where he frequently visited. It was these childhood experiences, exploring the culinary offerings that the land and sea provided that sparked young Jeff's interest in food. At this young age, Chef Baruch knew he wanted to be in a kitchen.
Immediately following graduation from The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Baruch completed a one-year apprenticeship at the Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan under the direction of Chef Sepi Rengle. His culinary dreams then took him to different cities such as Vail, Colorado where for five years he worked for Charter House Corporations where he was sent to the different restaurants to manage the kitchen and culinary operations in locations such as Malibu, Baltimore, San Diego and Newport Beach. He then moved back to New York and worked in notorious New York City restaurants such as The Maurice in the Parker Meridian with Chef Christian DeLouvrier, The Rainbow Room with Chef Andre Rene and served as Executive Chef at Isabella's B. R. Guest Corporation.
For the next ten years, Chef Baruch left Manhattan for Long Island to own and operate four restaurants. Establishments included Metropolis Restaurant East Setauket, NY, Bistro Blue Restaurant Greenport, NY, Station and Park Restaurant Wantagh, NY, and Harpoon Harry's Restaurant Mattituck, NY.
Chef Baruch is married to Fran Baruch, and together they have two children Jordan, 13 years old, and Stephen, 11 years old. He and his family currently reside in Commack, NY.