Dan Barber
Brooklyn went back to school last Saturday, May 2, when the first-ever Brooklyn Food Conference hit John Jay High School in Park Slope. The day was chock-full of workshops, lectures and films, not to mention plenty of familiar faces, including James Beard Award–winning chef Dan Barber (Blue Hill). The Buzz caught up with Barber following the “Our Sustainable Restaurants: A Roundtable of NYC Chefs” event to ask a few questions:
Zagat Buzz: How do you think New Yorkers’ palates are changing?
Dan Barber: People everywhere, but particularly in New York, are becoming more demanding in their dining choices. They are challenging the conventions of the general food industry by asking where their food came from, how it was grown, how it got to them. And that has a lot to do with seeking out the best flavor.
ZB: You talked about the environmental repercussions of serving Wagyu beef, which is why you won’t offer it at your restaurants – can you elaborate?
DB: When buying beef, here's what I'm looking for: preferably the animal should be whole, local and, as much as possible, raised on its natural diet—in this case, good old fashioned grass.
ZB: What do you think the future of sustainability is in the New York City restaurant scene?
DB: I don’t think it’s the job of the restaurant to force the tenets of sustainability down people’s throats. I try to provide our diners with a tasty meal and a story of where their food comes from. Even if it’s on an unconscious level, I hope that everyone makes the connection between the food on their plates and the places and processes behind it. That in turn makes people more aware of the issues underlying the meal, and it makes the food more delicious.
ZB: What’s the most challenging thing about running a restaurant during this economic crisis?
DB: The most frustrating thing has been to see the way [the recession] has hurt some local farmers, who are finding it harder to compete in an industry that tends to look for the lowest common denominator.
ZB: How do you feel about being named as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People,” and about Ferran Adrià writing the piece?
DB: I’m incredibly flattered and, to be honest, a little bit shocked.
ZB: Which of your spring menu items is your favorite?
DB: We just got our first asparagus last week. I’m eating it right now.
– Aleksandra Shander