Interview with Chef Anthony Strong of PRAIRIE San Francisco

What was your first memory of cooking and what did you cook?

A BLT – in the kitchen with my grandmother, using tomatoes and lettuce from the garden I weeded, bacon from the smokehouse my family worked at, and wonder bread and best foods mayonnaise course.

What is a knife you cannot live without?

Mutsumi Hinoura 180mm Wa-Santoku Aogami Supe

What is one ingredient you cannot cook without?

Capers. Theyā€™re like tiny little secret weapons, careful with them though.

When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

When I was 16 and got my first restaurant job, I was obsessed and never thought twice about it.

What about when you knew you wanted to become a restaurant proprietor?

When I was 32 and realized it was time to step out of my comfort zone and welcome new challenges.

Share more about PRAIRIE? The menu? The inspiration? For those who havenā€™t been what should they know besides how fabulous the food and vibe is?

I wanted to create the modern version of a neighborhood grill, in fact our small kitchen doesnā€™t even have gas, just runs off a couple of wood-fired grills, one from Spain, one from Texas. We place a heavy emphasis on vegetables and draw from an expanded pantry beyond Italian ingredients. There isnā€™t anything fancy about this place, weā€™re perfectly happy having a restaurant that is fun and maybe a bit quirky – like all of the bottled beers are Japanese, there are 1950s conceptual space colony paintings on the indigo-dyed walls, we take everything pretty seriously except for ourselves.

Who has been the most influential mentor/chef in your career?

My business partner, Kathy Chan.

With an 11-year career with Delfina and Locanda what inspired you to leave that incredible organization and start your own restaurant?

I grew quite a bit there, opened 5 out of the 6 restaurants, grew into the role I wanted leading the company, and decided it was time for a change. Itā€™s been amazing to try new things, let loose a bit and create a business of my own, one that reflects who I am, the kinds of aesthetic, values, and maybe a bit of zanniness I want to contribute to the world.

There is talk in the culinary world about how Chefā€™s run/lead a kitchen and the environment it creates for their teams. What is your style? How does this compare to some of the high-pressure kitchens you have worked in?

We have a pretty small, closely-knit team here. Since Iā€™m pretty involved in the FOH and bar as well I try to bring a constant level of positive energy to each part of the operation. I think the team seeing this from me is important, it becomes infectious, and so even though there is still a lot of pressure people can feel like they are valued and want to give it their best, get better everyday.

What was your inspiration behind the PRAIRIE ā€œNew School Italianā€ menu? What are some of the staples dishes that will remain on the menu year-round and what are some of your most popular and successful seasonal dishes?

Kind of funny, we started out quite a bit more Italian than we are now at 8 months in, kind played to what I was most familiar with, but since weā€™ve been in the space it has grown so much. Iā€™m sure my cooking/taste/aesthetic will always lean towards Italian, but Iā€™m not necessarily married to it. One of the dishes that perfectly sums up what weā€™re all about Ā is the charred cabbage, which delivers with the impact of steak – half a head of the humble vegetable is roasted until it is creamy throughout and then heavily grilled, we drench it with a beurre blanc made with dried scallops, shower it with a ton of torn herbs.

What was one of the biggest mistakes you made the first year as a restaurant owner?

Lol. Iā€™ve made so many mistake I donā€™t know where to start, the past year has been tremendous for growth and learning. I would say nothing is more important than the people you choose to work and align yourself with.

What is your favorite after work drink?

My wind-down drink is a cup of hot water with raw honey and Braggs apple cider vinegar, really great for you and puts you down immediately to sleep like a baby.

What is your favorite local San Francisco dining spot?

So I know this is a little weird, but I love going to Hillstone on the Embarcadero. My free time is pretty rare these days, and since Iā€™m generally so absorbed in the trending restaurant/cooking world it is a relief to just be able to check out, eat a French dip, and be some place ā€œnormalā€ without running into anyone or sitting through 5 minute long dish explanations.

Bar?

AbV. Hands down.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you?

People donā€™t expect this from chefs, but Iā€™m big into taking care of myself. My most important assets are my body, mind and soul, so keeping them on track and healthy are of utmost importance. I hold tightly to an intense daily morning, practice yoga, meditate regularly, eat healthy, and carve out time to engage in active learning, read and play violin.

 

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