Q&A With Executive Chef Matthew
Zappoli of Fresh Seafood Restaurant in La Jolla
"New School"--That describes the cooking style of Matthew
Zappoli, age 26, named one of Bon Appétit's "5 Chefs to Watch"
for 2005. "My training is in classical French cooking, but I'm not
the type of person to try to reinvent a dish that was done 50 years
ago. I might take an idea and then completely twist it around into
my own."
Born in Brooklyn and raised on the Jersey Shore, he got his first
job as a teenager working in a local pizzeria. After graduating
from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, he
worked with culinary icon Charlie Palmer at Aureole, first
at the flagship restaurant in Manhattan, then at the lavish Las
Vegas venue. In the fall of 2002, he became executive chef of Fresh,
a La Jolla restaurant specializing in fish and seafood.
CMEplanner: Cooking runs in your family--your brother Paul
is general manager at Kitchen 82, a Charlie Palmer restaurant
in New York City. So...did you have to fight for burners on the
stove as a kid?
Zappoli: I come from a large Italian-American family and everyone
was big into food--we had a large Viking range in the kitchen. As
kids, my brother and I would go out to the vegetable garden to pick
fresh tomatoes and zucchinis, then cook them for our family.
CMEplanner: How do you create the recipes for your menu?
Zappoli:
Most dishes start in my head. I start playing around with different
ingredients and flavor profiles, tastes and textures, and then see
how everything comes together.
CMEplanner: At Fresh you divide the menu into a wide
choice of "small plates" and "large plates." Is it stressful creating
so many different dishes each day?
Zappoli:
It's a real juggling act-we have nearly 25 small dishes on the menu
each night, with choices such as shredded duck springrolls and Arborio-crusted
sweetbreads with chanterelles. But it's fun for me to create so
many different selections. Because of the smaller portions, people
can sample a lot of dishes and experience various flavors and textures.
The more they get to taste, the more they get to see what I'm all
about.
CMEplanner: What dishes showcase
your cooking style the best?
Zappoli:
Although my menu changes seasonally I keep some favorites on it.
The Maine Lobster Napoleon layered with red tobiko (flying-fish
caviar) has been on the menu since day one. Another regular choice
is the coriander-crusted mahi mahi with shrimp risotto and port-wine
reduction. I like both dishes because they have lots of different
flavors and tastes.
CMEplanner: Describe some of the unusual catch on your menu.
Zappoli:
I'll search globally for the nicest, freshest fish. I use a
lot of fish from Hawaii including hevi, a type of spearfish; and
mon chong, which is very flaky and tender. We seek out sustainable
seafood sources. Our salmon come from Kanoloa Seafood in Santa Barbara-the
owners are marine biologists who make sure that the fish stay healthy
and that their operations meet high environmental standards.
CMEplanner: Tell me about those "seasonal martinis" on your drinks list.
Zappoli: I
infuse liquors with fruits such as blood oranges, Meyer lemon, or
pomegranates-a fun spin on ingredients that also appear in dishes
I cook.
CMEplanner: You make a point about having a life outside the restaurant.
What are some of your other interests?
Zappoli: Coming
from New York, I enjoy the relaxed attitude in San Diego. I'm very
beach-oriented--sunshine drives me. The surf's been firing up, so
I like to get out and go surfing whenever I can.
CMEplanner: In August 2004
you were invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York. Describe
your experience.
Zappoli:
It was a big honor for me to come home to New York, to a sell-out
crowd with writers from major newspapers and magazines. In particular,
it was a thrill to have my family there. The event showed me at
my best, and it was very exciting and rewarding for me that they
could be part of it.
* * *
Soy-balsamic lacquered
black cod with maple-glazed yams and carrot-curry foam.
Fresh Seafood Restaurant
1044 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-551-7575
www.freshseafoodrestaurant.com
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