Meet the Chef: Keith Bambrick

Sous chef, McEwen’s on Monroe

By Michael Donahue

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Job title:Sous chef at McEwen’s on Monroe.

Age: 32

Who or what was your first cooking influence? My dad. He was big on making Italian food. Lots of fresh herbs. He put me to work in the kitchen at age 5.

What was the first thing you ever cooked or baked? Helping my dad make the spaghetti. The home-made marinara sauce. It was an all-day Sunday thing. My dad didn't like canned tomatoes, so that was one of my jobs, peeling the tomatoes, slicing the onions, the garlic. I hated it as a kid, but evidently it rubbed off.

What made you decide to become a chef and when was that? I started in restaurants when I was 19, just as a college screw up. Started doing some work in the kitchen and just caught the bug. I played sports for a while and it's that team atmosphere.

What was something important that a fellow chef taught you? I remember getting upset in a kitchen one time and this guy sat me down and told me the easiest way to enjoy this job is to be calm and not lose your cool and work well with others. And also not to take things too personally. Nothing ever carries over in the kitchen.

What is the Keith Bambrick style? I'm 80 percent vegetarian. I'm strong on fish and vegetables. I like to make things that -- at the end of it -- I'll take a look at it, taste it and if I can say, 'Man, I would eat that,' that works for me.

Describe one of your dishes? A local Mississippi striped bass and wild mushroom broth with ginger scallion risotto. I did a grilled shiitake relish on top of it.

What do you cook or bake at home, if anything? I don't eat much at home. You work late hours, you're either not hungry or you just want to go to bed. I don't want to be around any more heat at the end of the day.

What's your least favorite ingredient? I respect and I understand white pepper, I just don't like it whatsoever. I don't like the taste of white pepper, I don't like the smell of white pepper. I would use almost any kind of pepper other than white pepper if I can. I worked in a very small kitchen once and the chef there just insisted on using white pepper instead of black pepper and it just basically ruined me on it.

McEwen's on Monroe is at 120 Monroe; 527-7085.

-- Michael Donahue: 529-2797