HARLEM CULINARY RENAISSANCE

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Briana Shelton
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1 MARCUS SAMUELSSON, LEADING THE WAY FOR CHEFS TO CREATE A HARLEM CULINARY RENAISSANCE + CANNABIS: GETTING BACK TO OUR GRASS ROOTS WITH TRUE HUMBOLDT also inside: CHEF TREVOR KUNK OF PRESS, NAPA VALLEY WIN 16 WINTER/SPRING 2016 $10.00 U.S. 64 THE CLEVER TRAVELER: ROAD TRIPPING TO DISCOVER NEW ENGLAND S DAIRY FARMERS PAIRINGS: FOOD + WINE ADVENTURES ON CALIFORNIA S CENTRAL COAST Clever Root Winter.indd 1 1 ANATOMY OF WINTER CITRUS 2/18/16 10:36 AM

2 Redefining a Neighborhood Place CHEF BRIAN COLLINS OF EMBER RESTAURANT IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA COMES HOME TO COOK WITH HELP FROM LOCAL FARMERS by Ja ime Lewis / pho tos by Jerem y Ball Rutiz Farm blackberries attract a welcome visitor. 84 the clever root Clever Root Winter.indd 84 2/18/16 10:41 AM

Chef Brian Collins could have opened a restaurant in any major California city. Instead, he chose his Central Coast hometown of Arroyo Grande, population 18,000.

" If you ve ever lived here, you know you never want to leave, says Collins, whose resumé includes six years at Chez Panisse with Alice Waters and Gilbert Pilgram (now co-owner of Zuni Café), time on

3 Chef Brian Collins could have opened a restaurant in any major California city. Instead, he chose his Central Coast hometown of Arroyo Grande, population 18,000. Chef Brian Collins chatting with friends and guests from the kitchen. "I always wanted a restaurant based on communality, not just seasonality." If you ve ever lived here, you know you never want to leave, says Collins, whose resumé includes six years at Chez Panisse with Alice Waters and Gilbert Pilgram (now co-owner of Zuni Café), time on the line with Clark Staube at industry favorite eatery Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos, and a stint as Executive Chef for Lido in Shell Beach. Midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California s picturesque Central Coast, the town of Arroyo Grande was known, until recently, for ranching and good surf, but not so much for cuisine. Collins changed all that when he returned to convert a long-forgotten commercial building on its main thoroughfare into Ember, a neighborhood bistro with serious street cred that has shifted the town s culinary landscape since opening in Heartfelt, rustic, and personal, Ember boasts a loyal clientele and a routine waiting list by 5 p.m. In recent months, dishes have ranged from Spanish-style octopus with romesco sauce, Padrón peppers and lemon aïoli, to grilled ribeye stacked on roasted potatoes and tangy garlic confit under a blanket of warm avocado chimichurri. I always wanted a restaurant based on communality, not just seasonality, Collins says. To that end, Ember features an open kitchen so he can chat with guests and watch over the dining room. The staff is hand-selected by Collins, who has turned over just two cooks and one server in two years. The warm, open layout of Ember restaurant. WINTER/SPRING

" Jerry Rutiz and Chef Brian Collins standing in front of the

4 "My training and background is geared toward searching out people like Jerry who have a community farm." Jerry Rutiz and Chef Brian Collins standing in front of the Rutiz Farm chef s loop. 86 the clever root Clever Root Winter.indd 86 2/18/16 10:41 AM

Like Collins, farmer Jerry Rutiz has made a name for himself outside of Arroyo Grande, selling pesticide-free produce at Santa Monica s Wednesday farmers

But the rest of the week, Rutiz can be found on his tractor, in the dirt, or selling produce to the public at his on-site farm stand.

Much of Rutiz s success with chefs stems from a willingness to grow obscure or off-beat varieties; Collins in particular appreciates Rutiz s broccoli

When we create a dish, we see a night-and-day difference between Jerry s broccoli and the standard floret, or a pepper that s beautifully ripened and a

Without places like Rutiz Farms, it s clear that Ember which sources between 50 and 85 percent of its produce from local farms couldn t exist.

) In addition to the benefits of fresh produce and dishes that reflect their provenance, scaling down the loop between farm and table compels Ember s army of

5 Heirloom cranberry beans. The monthly menu at Ember reads like an homage to local purveyors, with particular appreciation for Rutiz Farms, just one mile down the road. Like Collins, farmer Jerry Rutiz has made a name for himself outside of Arroyo Grande, selling pesticide-free produce at Santa Monica s Wednesday farmers market, most of which is purchased by high-end Los Angeles restaurants, including Lucques, AOC and Animal. But the rest of the week, Rutiz can be found on his tractor, in the dirt, or selling produce to the public at his on-site farm stand. My training and background is geared toward searching out people like Jerry who have a community farm, says Collins. Much of Rutiz s success with chefs stems from a willingness to grow obscure or off-beat varieties; Collins in particular appreciates Rutiz s broccoli calabrese. It has a depth of flavor and complexity that s spicy almost like mustard, and very versatile, he says. When we create a dish, we see a night-and-day difference between Jerry s broccoli and the standard floret, or a pepper that s beautifully ripened and a refrigerated bell pepper that s from wherever. When we write the menu, we always keep that difference in mind. Without places like Rutiz Farms, it s clear that Ember which sources between 50 and 85 percent of its produce from local farms couldn t exist. (Nor could the several new farm-connected eateries that have cropped up throughout the region, undoubtedly inspired by Ember s success.) In addition to the benefits of fresh produce and dishes that reflect their provenance, scaling down the loop between farm and table compels Ember s army of regulars to stay current with the seasons, to come back for whatever is new and different. We change the menu monthly to keep people tuned in and interested in what s going on here, he says. This has been my goal for over 20 years. To finally arrive and to be doing well is a dream come true. cr Ember s Pollo al Mattone ( chicken cooked under a brick ): Mary s Farm Chicken with grilled polenta and broccoli calabrese. Farmer Jerry Rutiz holds a shoot of broccoli calabrese, an Ember Restaurant favorite. WINTER/SPRING 2016 Clever Root Winter.indd /19/16 2:28 PM

Chef Masa Miyake, Co- owner and Partner Miyake Restaurants

Chef Masa Miyake, Co- owner and Partner Miyake Restaurants Chef Masa Miyake has been mastering his culinary skills since the age of 15. Having grown up in Aomori Prefecture, in the rural Tōhoku Region