Chef Spotlight: Suzanne Goin
by Judi Sandall
Chef School Review Columnist
Goin Her Way: Chef Suzanne Goin
Chef Suzanne Goin is the west coast queen of the culinary arts. If you’re looking for someone who really knows how to cook, she’s an excellent candidate—other chefs routinely praise her ‘Mediterranean-influenced California cuisine.’ She has already won a number of prestigious culinary awards—and she’s just hitting her stride at age 39(ish).
Culinary Accolades Abound
Named one of the top ten best new chefs by Food and Wine Magazine in 1999, Chef Goin also received a nod from Condé Nast Traveler and Gourmet Magazines. She made the Forbes.com Tastemaker Chefs in 2005, and was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award for three years running before finally receiving two ‘gold’ medals in 2006—one for ‘Best Chef: California,’ the other for a cookbook she co-authored with Teri Gelber, Sunday Suppers at Lucques.
Then and Now
Chef Goin has worked with some famous chefs who definitely know how to cook—French legend Alain Passard at L’Arpege, Todd English of Boston’s own Olives, and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, to name only a few. Observes Chef Waters, “We all knew one day that she would have a restaurant of her own, and that other cooks would be coming to her for kitchen wisdom and a warm welcome.”
That time is now. Currently partner/owner of three flourishing LA restaurants—Lucques, A.O.C., and Hungry Cat—Chef Goin insists that food ingredients for her kitchens come from sustainable aquaculture and agriculture, with an emphasis on both organic and locally-grown products.
Recipe for a Great Chef
A Forbes.com poll found that the recipe for a great chef begins with someone who ‘knows how to cook,’ but also includes pinches of artist, entrepreneur, showman, businessman, and a dash of huckster to add panache. Substituting ‘woman’ for ‘man,’ Chef Goin certainly qualifies as a great chef by these criteria.
Goin’s commitment to tasty food and to educating her customers is paramount. Stories about food are a major selling point, she says. “People want to know where things come from, if there is a story behind it, people love a story.” With menu items like Australian King Island cheese and Petuna Ocean Trout from Tasmania, Chef Goin certainly tells a palate-pleasing and masterful story. Aspiring chefs would be wise to take lessons from her success to weave their own culinary tale.
About the Author
Judi Sandall is a technical writer and a regular Chef School Review columnist. She is a graduate of the State University of New York, with a BA in English Literature.
Source(s)
Food and Wine Magazine
Forbes.com
Global Food and Wine Magazine
Posted on August 27, 2007 at 11:12 AM
Earlier: Cheese: Chef's Choice for Culinary Creations
Later: Culinary Potpourri
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