Expert Interview: Sam Talbot
Behind the Chef
What were your favorite foods growing up in North Carolina?
Sweet corn, Catfish, mustard-based BBQ anything
When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I was cooking at
Who or what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My love for the ocean has truly defined how and what I cook.
What do you look for when hiring chefs?
Confidence, sincerity and passion for what they believe in
What advice do you have for an aspiring chef?
Research. Be yourself. Do your homework. Don't take shortcuts on the fundamentals; you'll need them later in life, believe me.
What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Salt and pepper
What is your beverage of choice?
Coconut water, its nature's cure.
What influences your cooking style and the menu at
The freshness of the daily catch at the docks and the seasonal produce
You'll be at cooking at Mondrian Soho next year. What can we expect to see on the menu?
Again, all things seafood. A lot of it will come through my connections that I have made out East the past two years. As the seasons change, the menu at the Mondrian will too.
What was your worst restaurant disaster?
Running out of gas opening night at the Surf Lodge at 8 pm. Beyond FUBAR!
When you are not eating at the Surf Lodge, where are you eating?
I love
What chefs, restaurants, places or cookbooks inspire you?
To be honest, they all do in their own way. I love looking out of cookbooks from the 1950's. They are chalk-full of great ideas that, with a modern tweak here and there, become your own throwback.
As a Top Chef contestant, what was the most difficult challenge?
The beach breakfast was a real pain in the ass!
What advice do you have for future Top Chef contestants?
Don't be a ham.
Congratulations on your marriage. Who's cooking in the kitchen?
I'm always in the kitchen, that's the point of marrying a chef! She's vegetarian, so I prepare lots of fresh vegetables and grains.
What do you like to cook and eat at home?
I love making comfort food and lots of vegetarian.
What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Use salt and pepper, always and forever.
As a diabetic, what cooking tips do have for others diabetics or those looking to cook healthfully?
Keep it fresh and simple, no canned this or that. Go to the market or
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Expert Profile
Sam Talbot
Sam Talbot is the Executive Chef at
Sam's culinary training began at
At 24-years old, Sam moved to New York City to become Executive Chef of Black Duck Restaurant. Two years later, Sam opened his own restaurant, the Williamsburgh Café in Brooklyn, New York where he was nominated for both "Best New Chef: Brooklyn" (Citysearch) and "Best Restaurant" in Brooklyn (New York Post).
Sam's dishes have been praised by the New York Times, New York magazine, Daily News, New York Post, Zink Magazine, Time Out and Forbes. Sam has traveled the world learning to satisfy his culinary passions, cooking and eating in some of the world's best restaurants, and some of their worst, including a 28-day stint in Paris finding work as a chef wherever he could and a journey across the U.S. in 2006 stopping at local favorites in small towns.
Sam suffers from Type 1 diabetes and has volunteered extensively with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. His cooking is always a reflection of his thoughtfulness to fresh and healthy ingredients.
In the summer of 2008, Sam joined the brand hew hotel and restaurant The Surf Lodge in Montauk, NY as Executive Chef and created a menu of locally-sourced, market-driven seafood. The restaurant is currently the most buzzed about culinary destination on the east end with features in Time Out New York, the New York Times, People magazine, and more.
In early 2010, Sam will helm the culinary team at the
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