P E N I N S U L A • S A N F R A N C I S C O • S I L I C O N VA L L E Y

TYLERFLORENCEDishing Up GreatnessN

OV

EM

BE

R 2

01

0G

EN

TRY

WWW.GENTRYMAGAZINE.COM

NOVEMBER 2010

FO

OD

AN

D W

INE

ISSUE

• JEW

ELR

Y

G011_00C1 10/15/10 2:32 PM Page C1

GENTRYNOVEMBER 2010

contents

12 GENTRY | NOVEMBER 2010 | www.gentrymagazine.com

65 PROFILE: SAN FRANCISCOChefs and restaurateurs Matthew Dolan and Chad Bourdon of Twenty Five Lusk

66 PROFILE: PENINSULAChef Bruno Chemel of Baumé

68 PROFILE: SILICON VALLEYRestaurateurs Marietta and Pierre Bain

70 TYLER TALKSJodi Murphy speaks with Food Network star Tyler Florence about new restaurants, new stores, and becoming a national brand.

72 FOOD FOR THOUGHTGentry’s Amalia McGibbon chats with some of the Bay Area’s top chefs to find out what inspires them to create the dishes that keep us coming back for more.

78 RED HAUTE HOLIDAYSilicon Valley’s Valle Monte League will celebrate 60 years of serving the community at this month’s Christmas Tree Elegance fundraiser. Catherine Hunter reports.

82 FINISHING TOUCHESThe Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula will host their annual holiday home tour of exquisite Atherton residences all dressed up for the season. Gentry takes a sneak peek at all that’s in store for this festive fundraiser.

ON THE COVER: Chef Tyler Florence photographed at theChristopher Peacock Showroom in San Francisco.Photography by Jack Hutcheson.

72

Chef Christopher Kostow ofMeadowood. Clothing courtesy

of Neiman Marcus, Palo Alto.

WW

W.J

AC

KH

UTC

H.C

OM

G011_12_14_TOC 10/15/10 11:18 AM Page 12

THE BAY AREA is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to chefs.

Our cup—or our plate as it were—runneth over. To those men and women

who spend 16 HOURS IN THE KITCHEN every day, who get to the

FARMER’S MARKET AT SUNRISE for first pick, who imagine 10 NEW

THINGS TO DO WITH LAMB every week—to those people, as playwright

Arthur Miller once wrote, “attention must be paid.” None of the chefs featured

in this issue have their names on the restaurant marquee. They don’t do it for

the limelight, and because of that we feel more compelled to give them some.

San Francisco might steal most of the region’s national attention, but it’s clear

to those living in Northern California that CULINARY EXCELLENCE spills

far beyond those 49 square miles. For our ANNUAL DINING ISSUE,

Gentry has chosen five chefs to represent various parts of the Bay Area:

CHEF CHRISTOPHER KOSTOW of Meadowood in the Wine Country,

DOMINIQUE CRENN from Luce in San Francisco, CHEF GUILLAUME

BIENAIMÉ from Marché in Menlo Park, CHEF JOHN PAUL CARMONA

from Manresa in Los Gatos, and CHEF MICHAEL WILD from Bay Wolf

in Oakland. They are five chefs in different stages of their careers, com-

ing from different places and headed in different directions, united by a

common, or uncommon, achievement—COOKING SENSATIONAL FOOD.

FOOD

TEXT BY AMALIA MCGIBBON | PORTRAITS BY JACK HUTCHESON

FOR THOUGHT

72 GENTRY | NOVEMBER 2010 | www.gentrymagazine.com

G011_72_77_Chefs 10/13/10 1:26 PM Page 72

What was the first astonishingly good, memorable, stop-you-in-your-tracks dish you ever had? It was a scallop dishof sorts at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris. I was 23 years old, just outof college and in Paris learning to cook. The dish was indicativeof what can be done with a little creativity and good technique.

What is the most recent astonishingly good, stop-you-in-your-tracks dish you had? A Uni and Lardo Crostini atMarea restaurant in New York.

How do these kinds of experiencesinfluence you? You don’t mimic them,but flavor profiles will stick in your brain.

Let’s go back a bit then. What got youinto the kitchen in the first place? Istarted cooking when I was 14, at theRavinia music festival outside of Chicago.The thing that hooked me was this senseof order that you can bring to a kitchen.And that has remained a huge draw.

I’ve heard it said one never stops learning when it comes to cooking. Do you agree with that? What issomething you recently learned?Problems present themselves every day. From a physical level—how areingredients going to perform—to a personal level—how are your guests and colleagues going to behave. I learnsomething new every day.

What was the most unusual item onthe Meadowood menu last year, andwhat was the reaction from yourguests? We don’t try to be provocative.We want to be evocative. Yes, we recentlyserved a dish with lamb neck and tongue,but it was still beautiful, elegant, andtasted good. The food shouldn’t requirebravery, but understanding.

How has your style changed? My style has become a lotlighter. I’d say it’s more ephemeral, and takes into account theperspective of the diner more. I now compose dishes from theperspective of eating instead of cooking.

What are your plans for 2011? We are going to create a styleof cooking that hasn’t been seen before. Oh, and I’m going onvacation to Asia for a month!

Chef Christopher KostowMany of you will remember Chef Christopher Kostow from his reign at Chez TJ in Mountain View, where he earned the restaurant its first two Michelin stars. He’s since moved on to The Restaurant at Meadowood inNapa Valley, where the chef earned a second pair of Michelin stars and a rare four stars from the San FranciscoChronicle. All this by the age of 33. A culinary wunderkind, I’d say. The former philosophy major takes athoughtful approach to cooking. Considering each dish from every vantage point—the farmer, the line cook,the diner—Kostow creates meals that tick all the boxes. | www.meadowood.com

Quickfire:Favorite ingredient to cook with? That’s like asking a person to pick a favorite child. I say “no answer.” Favorite kitchen gadget? Bamboo steamer.Favorite cookbook? Happy in the Kitchen, by Michel Richard.Favorite guilty food pleasure? Cereal. I could eat it all day.

www.gentrymagazine.com | NOVEMBER 2010 | GENTRY 73www.gentrymagazine.com | NOVEMBER 2010 | GENTRY 73

G011_72_77_Chefs 10/13/10 1:26 PM Page 73