Chefs Share Their Favorite Father-Related Food Memories
- Photo by Anthony Luke
John Seymour, co-owner of Sweet Chick and owner of Pop’s of Brooklyn in Williamsburg: For many years, my father was a bartender on the Upper East Side. He was really well known in the neighborhood, a friend of everyone. There was a grill in the back of the bar, and he used to cook burgers for all the regulars. His burgers were so good, everyone in the neighborhood craved them. He inspired me to open Pop’s, my burger joint in Williamsburg, but he didn’t just show me how to make great burgers. He taught me what good customer service is — treating everyone like family, making people feel at home, and of course serving up really delicious food. At Sweet Chick (my newest restaurant in BK) and Pop’s, we’ve created fun, neighborhood places where anyone, of any age can come to have a great meal and good time.
Agatha Kuluga, co-owner of Ovenly in Greenpoint: My father fed me tripe soup and head cheese sandwiches from the time I was little. He never actually told me what I was eating, which was smart. He is responsible for my love of all things salty and weirdly textured…and for my insatiable appetite!
Erin Patinkin, co-owner of Ovenly in Greenpoint: Though my dad doesn’t know much about cooking—his specialties are coffee made in a Keurig and well-well-done steaks on the barbecue—he is enthusiastic about eating. Since I was a kid, he has been very supportive of my culinary experimentations… especially when he has had the opportunity to taste the results. His favorite: my chocolate chip cookies with sea salt.”
Richard Gibbs, chef at Battery Harris in Williamsburg: My father ate whatever my mother made so he didn’t talk about food so much. But my grandfather, Max, was the ultimate gourmand. He was always cooking, and he always cooked a lot of offal: tripe, cow brain, cow tongue, etc. What influenced me the most, though, was how he only ever ate his eggs soft boiled, coddled, or poached. To this day, I love undercooked eggs.