The CHEF AT THE SHED

I came across this on The Shed website and thought you might enjoy!

Chef Lance Gummere

What is your most fond food memory?

That’s a tough one. I love eating so much! Once in Spain, a chef buddy of mine set up a tour of an Iberico Pig Farm. While we were there, by chance, Manuel Marin, the Mick Jagger of Cured Ham, was also there. He took us to lunch at a street side tasca, which is a tapas bar, and started ordering food like a mad man. We tasted the best of Spain that day, but of all the things we ate and drank, I most fondly remember the sardines fried in Olive Oil washed down with Cruz Campos, cans of cheap Spanish beer.

What got you interested in cooking in the first place?

The television show Three’s Company! Jack Tripper was a chef and lived with two beautiful girls. I wanted that life.

What do you have in your refrigerator at home?

Pork is the staple at home. We always have bacon, some pork sausage and a pork roast for quick sandwiches or a late night meal. You can also find a few dry cured sausages. My sister in law just sent us a salami from Katz’s Deli. That’s thoughtful gift giving!

What famous or infamous person would you like to cook for?

Aretha Franklin would be fun. She seems appreciative. I imagine her enjoying her food and periodically breaking into song throughout the meal.

What is your favorite comfort food?

My wife is from south Louisiana, “down the bayou”, she says. She makes a regional dish called “peas in a roux”. It’s the kind of dish that makes all the tension in my shoulders relax when I take a bite. I ask for it every year on my birthday.

What dish are you most proud of at The Shed at Glenwood?

Unquestionably, the pan fried chicken hearts! Trust me, there was an epic level of begging and pleading with our meat purveyors to find a source. When they called and said “We got ‘em”, I felt like I had just won the lottery! My mother taught me how to eat the heart when I was very little, and it has always been my favorite part of the chicken. It’s a real line-cooks meal. I serve them over a toasted piece of brioche with a fried egg. This dish may not have mass appeal, but those in the know can find it here.

THE SHED AT GLENWOOD

The Shed is a new restaurant in the new Glenwood development in Grant Park. The other night Stacey and I were searching on line for a restaurant where we could use a coupon gifted to us at Christmas. We came across The Shed, we had never heard of it before and really didn’t know what to expect. The menu looked good on the net so we thought we would give it a try. I’m glad we did. It turned out to be a great meal and even before the coupon discount it was priced right. So many times we eat at a place that cost the two of us about $100 - $125 with tip and it’s just to much money. Before the coupon the total was $80 and that was with drinks and lot’s of food.

We had five plates between the two of us and two drinks each. We started with grilled Octopus with a smoked paprika olive oil, fried scallop sliders with a smear of some kind of fancy mayo and jalapeno slaw and chicken liver/bacon bruschetta. Except for the Octopus, which was good I just wanted a little grilled crispness to it, this was really good food. I was excited about the Scallop sliders and they lived up to expectations. I have never seen or heard of this dish, but I’m willing to bet you will see it on a menu soon. The chicken live pate was country style, big and chunky, very good.

After those three dishes we order more drinks and we ordered the iceberg wedge with Point Reyes blue cheese and bacon. We also had the steamed mussels in white wine and a garlic cream sauce and fries. Both of these were really good as well, my only complaint was the bacon was inferior, there is just to much good bacon out there these day to not serve the good stuff. This was a good meal and a good deal and I can’t wait to get back.

street food, ain’t nothing better

I’ve had a Lucky Dog, but I didn’t get it form Ignatius J. Riley. It wasn’t the best dog I have ever had, but I’m glad to have tried it, I’m a better man for it. Lucky Dogs are nowhere as good as the corn dogs they once served at the I-85 drive inn flea market about 15 years ago. Since then I haven’t had one that good. I try them everywhere I find them, but they are never as good as the drive inn. Before the Lakewood Antique Market shut down they had a good corn dog, but that was then this is now.

The first time Stacey and I traveled to Europe we went to Vennia, Austria. My fondest memory of that trip was the street food. One cart in particular sticks in my head. This guy served a small baggette that he had cut one end off of. He then took a tool and shoved it into the end he had just cut off, pulled the tool out, squirted mustered into the void he created and then shoved a sausage link in with the mustard. DAMN these were good. I would go back just to have one right now. Vennia was nice and I enjoyed all the museums and stuff, but the street food was the best.

I bet there is good street food in NYC, if ya know where to look. I’ve had some street food in NYC, but none really calls out to me. I bet there is a website that will lead me right to the best carts in town. Next time I go I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna find the good street food in NYC. I’ll let ya know how it works out.

When I grow up and Stacey retires from Delta we are gonna move to a beach town. Stacey is gonna rent umbrellas and I’m gonna have a food cart selling the best street food ever. Gumbo, killer hotdogs, pig on a stick, cold beer and shots of tequila.

I hear the best street food in the world is in Djemma al Fna, Marrakech’s main square, anybody up for a little travel? Meet me in Spain and we’ll take the ferry across.