Jeremy Emmerson of Seasons Steak and Seafood in San Francisco
A native of Surrey, England, Executive Chef of Seasons Steak and Seafood in the Four Seasons, San Francisco, Jeremy Emmerson spent more than a decade perfecting his culinary techniques in both formal and informal kitchen settings before arriving here. Following an internship at London’s Four Seasons, Emmerson worked at numerous other restaurants around the world before returning to the Four Seasons London for two years. After more traveling he returned to the company in the United States and in April 2003, the now 38-year-old chef joined the Four Seasons San Francisco, where he has embraced the Northern California food-focused lifestyle. He speaks with CMEplanner.com about his particular style and his hopes for the future.
CMEplanner: What inspired you to get into cooking?
Emmerson: I actually started cooking at the age of 16. My best friend and I were barbecuing one night and we both decided we were going to be chefs. My first job was at a small restaurant next to my parents home in Surrey. Interestingly, I was cooking very upscale French food for them there.
CMEplanner: Did you have a mentor?
Emmerson: Both my mentors are back in the U.K. One of them is a front of the house person who taught me to do the best job I could but to always have fun doing it. The other is a chef in the U.K. He’s a real ball buster and he taught me that if you sell quality the customer will come back.
CMEplanner: That brings us to where you are today in San Francisco. What do you see as the biggest food trend happening in the city these days?
Emmerson: The solid trend is toward buying from local, sustainable farms. It’s simply a given now. It’s also happening in other parts of the country but it’s the theme of this city. And it doesn’t matter what kind of cuisine you do.
CMEplanner: You’ve recently changed the restaurant here from a formal, white tablecloth establishment to something a lot more relaxed. How did that come about?
Emmerson: The heavy emphasis these days, here and in other parts of the country, is on casual. Even at the Four Seasons people want to come in jeans and t-shirts. I don’t want this to be a destination restaurant, per se, although I do want it to be a place people come for special occasions. But I also want it to be a neighborhood place, a mix of ballgowns and tiaras and jeans and t-shirts. Everyone should feel equally important.
CMEplanner: How have you changed the food since you’ve been here?
Emmerson: I have slowly pared things down so that the food is less fussy. I use quality ingredients and let them speak for themselves. I don’t mask the flavors. If I broil tomatoes, for example, I use a little olive oil and feta cheese, and let the natural flavors just come out. It can be difficult for a chef to learn simplicity. But as you get older you learn simplicity and you get confident in that simplicity. You don’t feel the need to show off. You learn simplicity is best and you are confident in that simplicity. As you get older you don’t feel the need to show off. You can relax a bit.
CMEplanner: Why did you choose to make steaks and seafood the focus here?
Emmerson: Because I can get great meat and seafood on a daily basis. My meat is all regional and the fish is local as much as possible, although sometimes I buy from Hawaii because the product there is such excellent quality.
CMEplanner: It also seems that the prices are a bit lower than they were four years ago.
Emmerson: Yes. That’s because I disliked the perception that just because this is a Four Seasons restaurant it has to be expensive.
CMEplanner: Rumor has it that you’ve recently lost a fair amount of weight. Does that translate into your cooking here at all?
Emmerson: Absolutely. I lost 50 pounds by eating myself healthy and I’d really like to pass what I’ve learned along to my customers. Right now about one-third of the menu is healthful, low calorie and made with unrefined products - tomato salad tuna tartare, oysters, chopped veggie salad. I do it subtly, though, not with a big bold “H.” I think that chefs often make the mistake of thinking that people want to be lavished with super rich foods like foie gras. I’m always going to offer whole, nutritious food that actually looks like restaurant food.
CMEplanner: Is that how you cook for your kids at home?
Emmerson: I try to cook the same sort of things here that I eat at home. I have two kids and I love to cook healthy for them. And they love it too.
CMEplanner: So what’s ahead for you in the future?
Emmerson: I’d really like to write a healthy eating cookbook. I’m working on it now by jotting down the things I’m eating. I’d like to do a collection of recipes of a healthy dining plan that gives people dining options for six weeks in a row.
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Seasons Steak & Seafood
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco
757 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 633-3838
www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco/dining.html
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