T. Nicolas Peter

Expert Interview: T. Nicolas Peter

Behind the Chef

What were your favorite foods growing up?
Whatever my mom would make.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
I guess it was always in me, but I realized it when I was 20 years old.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
Twenty-eight years ago in Minneapolis, MN.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
I always wanted to be a veterinarian.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
Living in California, I would say working with seasonal ingredients has shaped my cooking the most.

How would you describe your cuisine?
Mediterranean and Northern African.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant
Seasonal and Organic.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Just my knife, thank you!

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Spices.

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

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
His or her willingness to learn

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what should I order to eat?
Almost everything, but it is not what you eat; it how much and how often you eat.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
Working as a private chef for a high profile celebrity and her restricted diet.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
Not having my "mise en place" ready by service time.

What is your least favorite food?
Fast food in general.

What is your beverage of choice?
Water will suffice.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Organic, seasonal, back to basics, etc.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
At home with my family.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
I've had many; none come to my mind right now.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Be yourself. Do not impress by the level of cooking, but with the feeling you put into it.

What do you eat when you are home?
Simple, good healthy food.

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Expert Profile

A European native raised by parents who loved to cook, T. Nicolas Peter was exposed to a wide range of ethnic foods at a young age. His father, a chemist, always practiced new ways of cooking and eventually inspired him to concoct dishes of his own.

When Nicolas' wish to become a Veterinarian did not come true, he moved to the United States to try something different. After enduring odd jobs, he applied for a pantry position in a French restaurant and was rapidly promoted up the ranks in the kitchen. Eventually, after practice and experimentation, he was offered the role of executive chef in a hotel on the west coast. After a series of additional executive positions and service as a private residence chef, he became executive chef at the renowned Los Angeles restaurant The Little Door, which has been his second home for the past thirteen years.