Q&A With Chef Anthony C.
Bombaci of Nana in Dallas
Anthony C. Bombaci moved his family across the Atlantic to take
over the kitchen at Nana on the 27th floor of the Wyndham
Anatole hotel in January. The Wisconsin-born chef had spent the
past eight years at the Ritz-Carlton in Barcelona, a city that has
replaced Paris as Europe's culinary Mecca. While Bombaci loved the
Spanish culinary sensibility, he didn't love working 14 to 17 hours
a day, six days a week. Which is one reason why he and his wife
and their twin three-year-old sons are now in Dallas.
The chef has already raised eyebrows with his penchant for offbeat
ingredient pairings and fondness for savory ice creams flavored
with everything from wasabi to avocado. Even an adventurous diner
might experience a disconnect between what the mind expects to taste
and what the mouth experiences. While at times disconcerting, Bombaci's
food is also exhilarating, offering a whimsical culinary journey
that will shock your taste buds into a wide-eyed state of bliss.
One example, a dessert of tangy Bulgarian yogurt flecked with bee
pollen over tomato marmalade, sounds downright bizarre. But just
taste, and the marriage between the caramelized tomatoes and creamy
tangy yogurt is surprisingly delicious.
CMEplanner: Why did you choose to live in Dallas?
Bombaci: I'd looked into other cities-New York, San Francisco,
and L.A.-but the cost of living was way too high. When I got a call
from a headhunter about Nana, it intrigued me. The restaurant
has an excellent reputation, and I'd never been to Dallas.
CMEplanner: What's the biggest difference between Dallas
and Barcelona?
Bombaci:
The people are so much friendlier here in Dallas. The Catalan culture
is more reserved, which is hard to get used to. Here, it's much
more open.
CMEplanner: What do you miss most about Barcelona?
Bombaci:
The fish. It's a seafood city. I literally got fish off the boat.
What I can get here doesn't have the intensity of flavor that I'm
used to.
CMEplanner: Who was your
biggest culinary influence?
Bombaci:
My Sicilian grandfather. He would come to visit us every Sunday
and cook very rustic, tasty food. My mother was a decent cook, but
not a great cook. So it was a treat to eat my grandfather's food.
I still remember the taste of his pizza, made from scratch.
CMEplanner: Did you always want to be a chef?
Bombaci:
When I was young I wanted to be a graphic artist. But I always
worked in restaurants to make money. I started as a dishwasher,
and gradually started helping the cooks and I found out I enjoyed
it. Cooking is an art, so it made sense to me. And going to the
Culinary Institute of America was a way to get out of Wisconsin.
CMEplanner: Is Dallas ready for your cooking style?
Bombaci: I
think so. It's not like all I do is the deep cutting edge stuff.
I try to be user friendly too. You have to have stuff on your menu
that people are familiar with. I'd say I've gone a little bit more
mainstream than I was before. But if the menu reads like something
out of Star Trek, you defeat your own purpose.
CMEplanner: How do you come up with your flavor pairings?
Bombaci:
I like to think of new ways to use ingredients. Instead of the traditional
approach, which looks for a sauce to pair with a dish, I try to
imagine what else I can do with something like avocado besides just
puree it. The technique and appearance of a dish should always serve
the flavor, never the other way around. Presentation is important,
but it's not the main thing. I like to challenge my customers. To
get them past stigmas that stops us from using peas in a dessert,
for instance. Why not be open to all possibilities?
* * *
Sautéed veal tenderloin with butter poached lobster bound with orange-vanilla emulsion served on a raft of pencil asparagus and salsify sticks.
*Entrees: $29-$52
Nana in the Wyndham Anatole Hotel
2201 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 761-7437
www.nanarestaurant.com
|
