Interview: chef Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose, The Roof on Wilshire, Étage + Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese)

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Chef Los Angeles

INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Would you say that you’ve had any mentors over the years?

I’ve had about 1000 mentors over the years, some known, some unknown. Brendt Sterling, who was the original pastry chef at Campanile and how has a chocolate company in Oregon called Silly Rabbit Chocolate. He was a good friend of my friends in New York and was the first influence on me, because I realized you don’t have to be a snob to go into fine dining. This guy was a punk rock king of the Lower East Side maniac, so we related.

Doug Psaltis, who’s in my wedding party, and now works for Lettuce Entertain You Group, and was the chef at Country in New York, and the chef at Ducasse’s Mix in New York. He was the chef de cuisine at The French Laundry for awhile, and he worked right next to me at Bouley. He was the protein cook and I was his veg cook at Bouley, and not only the fact that he’s probably technically the finest chef in America – and I’ll say that – and anybody else who thinks they’re better than him…should check him out. He cooks like a maniac, he’s the best guy I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen a lot of cooks. But also just the time we were able to spend together, just talking about food, and thinking about food, as young cooks, kind of coming up. That was an invaluable experience.

Joachim [Splichal], teaching me how to run a business, as well as a dining room, and the difference. Also, Joachim taught me things I don’t want to happen. When I worked for Patina, he was knee-deep in Patina Group, and when I’d go into his office, all he was doing was answering phones and faxes and e-mails. I realized that’s not what I want to do. That’s why you still see me at my restaurants all the time, running around, being a part of it, because I want to make sure I hold on tight to that ordeal as best I can, because you’ve got to be on the floor, you’ve got to be viscerally connected with what you’re a part of, to be able to maintain your attachment to it, therefore the bloodline that is the restaurant. So Joachim for what to do and what not to do.

David Bouley was a great influence, just from his understanding of flavors.

Even Rocco Dispirito – who I hate to death, I hate him – he knows that I hate him, and he hates me. When he was chef at Union Pacific, as far as it was the hardest place I worked in my life, and I hated working for the guy. I wanted to punch him in the face every day. I wound up quitting. I wound up walking out, but the flair that he had in his food really taught me a lot at a young age. When I looked at every dish that left that kitchen – and maybe part of it was out of naivete, because I didn’t know how good it was – every day I looked at every dish that went out of that kitchen and went, “Uh! That’s fucking cool.” And I want to make sure that’s how we feel about every dish that leaves our kitchen. You want to look at every dish and go, “Uh!” As much as I hate the guy, that was a great mentor.

You mentioned being a punk rocker. What was the name of your punk band?

The Green Armpits.

How old were you?

16 – 18. In fact, Garth Trinidad from KCRW used to do our flyers and used to airbrush our T-shirts. And Incubus used to open for us. Anyone out there want to launch their band, or do a reunion tour with The Green Armpits, we’re starmakers.

Would you ever perform again?

I perform every Halloween. Every Halloween at The Foundry, I dress up as Elvis and do Elvis songs. I get up there and sing every once in awhile. It’s totally self-serving and obnoxious, but fuck it.

Do you feel like there’s any overlap between being a chef and being a punk rock singer?

Mindset. Look man, I’m at my best when I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I always cook my best when people are doubting me, when I’ve got something to prove. I always try to use that as motivation. I think the last three weeks at Patina, when I knew I was getting fired, were the best food I’ve ever cooked in my life. Meson G was very much a chip on my shoulder against Tim Goodell, who was my boss. Even Joachim for firing me from Patina, I had a big chip on my shoulder there. I think I cooked some great food. Just the constant struggle of business from The Foundry. Look, the last four years, were not economically the best years, so having that chip on my shoulder of constantly striving to crush it, and to do as well as I can, that’s extremely punk rock.

Is there anybody you’ve never cooked with before that you’d like to cook with?

Oh, a lot of people. Pierre Gagnier. I’d love to cook with Pierre Gagnier. Joel Robuchon. Santi Santamaria. Arzak. Berasategui. There are a lot of great chefs out there. Part of me almost wishes I didn’t that exec chef job at Patina at 27, because in many ways that took me off the market from a knowledge standpoint. That didn’t take me off the market, because you’re always learning, but from that point on, I had to see my own knowledge rather than having it bestowed upon me. And I worked for some great guys. I worked for Ferran Adria. I worked for David Bouley at Alain Ducasse, but to be able to study under people like that and see their mind, and see how they work, would be a dream, for sure.

What would you like to be known for as a chef?

Grilled cheese sandwiches…you know, what I’d like to be known for as a chef – that’s for everybody else to figure out. I’ve got plenty I want to be known for as a man. I want to be known for being a good leader. I want to be known for being a good teacher. I want to be known for providing for people and being a great business partner and husband and being focused. As far as being a great chef goes, what do I want to be remembered for that? Food’s so subjective. That’s why you get one star on Yelp and you get five stars on Yelp, because it’s so subjective. Somebody loves you. Somebody hates you. I want the ones who love me to remember those memories that will be with them forever, and I’m glad I can be part of them. The ones who hate me, I hope they will forget about the ill will I caused them, and hopefully they’ll give me another shot to get it back. As far as my legacy as a chef goes, what’s more important to me is my legacy as a man, as a member of the community, and as a leader and somebody who can make a positive impact on a lot of people’s lives.

Did you play any sports in high school?

Look at me.

[laughs]

I tried to play soccer. It was too much running. I tried to play tennis, wasn’t really good at it. I played a lot of roller hockey, since I was from California and everybody played roller hockey, and I kicked ass at that. That didn’t help with school, but I led my league in penalties. I was third in scoring. I was a good hockey player. I like to get active, despite my girth. A lot of people will tell you I’m nimble for a heavyset cat.

I’m a big sports fan. I get a lot of motivation from watching coaches run their teams and the human drama of it all. And that I kind of feel is a lot like the restaurant business. You’re faced with challenges, and at the end of the day you’ve got to win. You have to. Every day, you’ve got to win.

Is there anything you won’t eat?

No, not really. I mean, there are things that I don’t like. I think there are things that are superfluous. Even shit like tripe or Rocky Mountain oysters, will I not eat it? Fuck no! I’ll eat anything. I don’t give a fuck. I ain’t got no fear. But I’ll also go, you know, we’re living in America, a land of bounty. If I don’t have to eat fried balls, I choose not to eat fried balls. Is there anything I won’t eat? No. Is there anything I choose not to eat? Sure.

How do you maintain balance in your life, if you even can?

Right now, we’ve been given some great opportunities. This hotel was a great opportunity, and I couldn’t pass it up. Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese, coming along the way it is, is a great opportunity. The remodel of The Foundry that we’re shooting to do is a great opportunity. Balance will come, but you can’t search for balance until you’ve earned it. And I mean earn and not deserve, because unfortunately this world isn’t about deserve in any way, shape or form. A lot of people don’t get what they deserve, but you always get what you earn. Even if you deserved it a long time ago. Balance in my life? Look, I’m getting married in May. And that’s why I’m on this march to the sea, of trying to do so much shit at once. I need to get everything up and running and consistent, so I can have a semblance of a normal life with my wife, that I can raise a family, that I can have kids. I don’t want to be absent in those times. Once I can get everything up and running and organized, and all the people in place, some semblance of normalcy will come, or balance. This ain’t the business for balance, and anybody that’s looking for it is in the wrong business. Unfortunately, as much as we’d like to, how are you going to find balance in a place that’s open from 7 to midnight? You can’t. As much as I care about the guy’s club fucking sandwich experience, as much as I care about the guy’s tasting menu at The Foundry, well then it’s going to be hard pressed to find balance.

Is there one restaurant you would most like to cook in for one night?

Nozawa.

How come?

Cause it’s so different from what I do. It’s just a different experience and mindset, and I love the old man and I think he’s amazing. And I’m sad that he’s leaving.

Or I’d love to work at Spago one day, just because it’s such a goddamn machine. The fact that they can produce the quality of food – there are plenty of places that can do 400 covers a night – but to do 400 covers a night in the way that they do it, and for the most part, maintain their standards, and still be able to take care of the VIPs and the Iowans at the same time, and to kind of see what monolith of a machine function. I ain’t never worked in a kitchen like that. I’ve got three guys at The Foundry, and I’ve got two here. Lee Hefter seems like the one guy who can run a kitchen like that. Do you know what I mean? And I’d love to see how that’s done. I’d love to get a chance. That would be a fun little experience.

Or I’d love to get to the point one day where I could go back to Europe and disappear for a couple weeks and do a stage at Gagnier or whoever the next Gagnier is, and just disappear for a bit, and get lost in cooking. When you’re a chef, you’re doing a disservice as a chef, if you’re working a station, cause your job is to watch everybody. And if you’re working a station, you can’t watch everybody. I’m trained that if I’m cooking fish, I can’t be an effective chef, because if I’m cooking fish, I’m looking at my fish and making sure every piece of fish I cook is perfect, and maybe the guy who’s doing veg next to me is on time. But I can’t also look at what’s going on at garde manger. I can’t also look at what’s going on, on the meat side. There is something to be said for, at some point in the career, being able to step away for a second and just cook. That’s what I love, and I sure as fuck don’t get to do it that much more. I’m in the kitchen probably more than most chefs, especially more than most multi-unit chefs, are.

Have you been experimenting with different dishes for your upcoming restaurant?

Well, you know we’re changing the menu at The Foundry. Today, actually, we’re changing the concept. I’m going back to what I did at Meson G. I wouldn’t call it small plates, but kind of more share plates, more eat as you go kind of concept. We’re changing today. I’m going down there to finalize it. And I’m doing it for my chef there. I know what it’s like for your first chef’s job, and I don’t want to stifle him creatively. I think eight appetizers, eight entrees, is stifling to somebody who has 1000 ideas they want to share with people. And I think people will be more willing to order unique dishes if they’re at a lower price point, and they know it’s not 1/3 of their meal, it’s 1/8 of their meal, and I want to give him the opportunity to express himself, because I think he’s an amazingly talented chef. I think his food is great and reflects me well.

What’s that chef’s name?

Nick Russo. He’s been with me for three years. He started as my sous chef three years ago. He’s a very talented kid. He came to me from garde manger at Violet, back in the day, and he’s been with me since. And he cooks some amazing food. I’ve got my say in every dish, obviously, but he builds it up. “Oh, you need a little anise seed.” “Yes, of course.” “Ah, I’m the chef.” [laughs] Again, that’s the kind of thing that gives me pride, watching Nick cook his food and hearing people say how great it is. I’d rather people say how great Nick’s food is, and that I was responsible for Nick becoming the man that he is, than having somebody tell me how great my food is. I’ve been told it before. I don’t need it any more.

Why the name Étage?

It’s the premiere etage. In France, they don’t count the lobby as the first floor. They count the second floor as your first floor, the premiere etage. You kind of can’t put the word premiere in your name, it just makes you sound cocky and obnoxious. Plus, etage is the floor, it’s the foundation, it’s solid. I definitely wanted to have some kind of French connotation, so there was no misunderstanding as to what kind of restaurant it is. The Foundry very much suffers from schizophrenia. Some people think it’s a place to get a burger and a beer and listen to music. Some people think it’s a place to get a tasting menu. At times, it’s hard to fill in the blanks. It’s actually everything. This restaurant here is going to be a fine dining restaurant. We’re not going to force you to wear a jacket, but you’re sure as fuck going to want to, because it’s that kind of joint. In doing so, I think a French name was very important, to imply the fact it’s going to be – will I draw off other elements and flavors? Of course – but at the end of the day, it’s going to be a high end French.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

Blog Comments

great interview, josh! interesting to hear what he takes into consideration when creating unique menus for each location. he really takes all the details into consideration. good luck greenie!

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