Article by Josh Gregory
Photography by Fitz
(Lead photo of Stove’s bar room during brunch)
I was told by a former employer once that he was looking forward to hiring more staff so he could spend less time cooking and more time doing “Head chef stuff.” What exactly would that entail? Holding a clipboard? Dropping flowers on pretty plates? Coming in to prep then leave? That sounds like “prep cook stuff.” According to Escoffier “Chef” means chief, the leader of a brigade. Poll ten chefs; can any of them explain to you in detail how the brigade works? Can they all spell brigade? While standing in the pass at Stove, a restaurant in which they, in fact, do not employ the brigade system, I stood with Sydney Meers discussing the state of food and the people who cook it.
Chef/Owner Sydney Meers during brunch at Stove
“I don’t play well with others,” he states emphatically and half sarcastically as he winks at me, and turns on his stand mixer. Fresh off his James Beard nomination, Stove and Sydney are, different. Instead of white starched coats, with scores of eager young culinarians scrubbing potatoes hanging on his every word, Sydney is making dessert. There are moments, that, if you pay close enough attention, happen while talking to someone of Sydney’s caliber. Technique and habits that have become part of his daily routine, these are the details that young, and pompous cooks overlook on a daily basis. It’s this kind of lapse in technique that most people who deign to call themselves chef gloss over on their road to burning out and ending up crying in AA meetings. In this moment it’s the way the spreader extends from the center of the pie pan to the edge to level off the pie crust. Simple and thoughtful. The kind of attention to detail that we expect of a James Beard nominee and yet the one that we barely notice.
—————————————————————————————————
Aspiring to bring German beer culture to Virginia Beach in the best way, Wasserhund is brewing the highest quality ales and lagers and matching it with custom, in-house made pizzas featuring their signature brew batter dough! Check them out online HERE or click the flier above!
—————————————————————————————————
Much has been made of Norfolk’s burgeoning restaurant scene, including coverage from this publication. I begin to ask Sydney where he likes to eat and at once the rest of the questions I have are out the window. The article I had been writing on hot sauce, is moot. Our conversation begins with trends like the burger boom and mac and cheese. He reminds me, he’s “deep south.” “Trends are the kiss of death”, he explains as he gently presses his hands to flatten his pie crust. “Every two to four years you have to pick out a new thing.” Of the mac and cheese craze that’s swept menus of recent years, “it’s not even really a meal.” A nod to the heavy nature of the combination of cream and cheese “something else.”
While the menu at Stove changes with the seasons, or the whims of its creator he’s fond of bringing back popular dishes or simply updating the names to them citing his love for the term “palooza.” He reminds me that he doesn’t like to get stuck, that he “likes and embraces change.”
Stove’s Bloody Mary (left) Berry Cooler (top right) and Mushroom Melange (bottom right)
He expresses his appreciation for the work going on at LeGrand Kitchen, stating that they’re doing a “good lil job.” A phrase that, the longer I spent with the man, became the sincerest of compliments. As we circled around the term “chef,” his eyebrows raised and he leaned in as if to tell me a dirty secret. The kind of utterance that could be viewed as treason among some circles. Having established ourselves as kindred spirits on the topics of the day, I held my breathe as he looked me square in the eye and said “it’s a pompous word.”
——————————————————————————————————–
To learn more about the inspired street food available at Streats in Ghent visit them online HERE or click the flier above!
——————————————————————————————————–
He’s moved on to bread, allowing me to taste his starter that’s as aged as it is flavorful. We discuss the state of the quality of culinary schools and the racket they’ve become, a place “where burnouts go.” Our conversation drifts off into truffle dinners at Robuchon, tasting menus, and a delightful anecdote about a well done eater at the Dumbwaiter. Sydney didn’t as much give me an interview, as he allowed me into his rodeo for a little while. To see the kind of work, humility, and dedication that go into keeping the train on the tracks.
For more on Syd and Stove visit them online HERE
No Comments