Duck breast, duck fat gaufrettes, and brandied cherries
Executive Chef Paul Bauer
"Full-time Chef, part-time gangster"
- When did you first develop a love for cooking?
I always enjoyed cooking when I was a kid, but never really felt a passion towards it until I was 19 or 20. My wife was the one who pushed me to go to school. I started Le Cordon Bleu in 2001 and finished my internship at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel.
- Do you consider yourself a risk taker in the kitchen?
Yes, sometimes. I try not to play it safe. I will definitely throw out some stuff on the menu that my normal guests don’t see and if it doesn’t sell I take it off. But I definitely try to open the eyes of my guests and get them to see new things and get them more involved in a new, contemporary style of cuisine.
- What is your favorite thing to eat?
Sweet breads, bone marrow, oxtail
- What is one of your favorite experiences cooking for others?
I have done about a dozen Chaine de Rotisseurs event, but my favorite experience was cooking a Chaine dinner specifically for my induction into the food and wine society. I made a squab consomme with a foie gras custard.