We all lamented the day that sweet-cheeked Eli Kirshtein departed from Top Chef, scolded by Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud for serving undercooked, fat-laced Merguez sausage. But the Hot-lanta chef has soldiered on, quitting his job at ENO in order to take a temporary stint at New York's Solo, the Midtown Kosher eatery that played host to former Top Chef winner Hung Huynh in 2008. We caught up with Kirshtein during his second day of service, which he says "hasn't been packed, but we're selling a lot of product."
FEAST: So ok, you're in New York now, cooking in an odd Kosher spot, when you had your own team and restaurant in Atlanta. Why ever move?
ELI: Any chef would be out of their mind not to try to cook their food in New York at least once. In my mind, its the Gold Standard. It's a "if you can make it there..." sitation for me. I can always go back to Atlanta. That's where my feet stand.
Do you have complete control of the restaurant now?
I'm actually doing more of a restaurant-within-a-restaurant thing, using Solo's team and worrying only about creating a menu every day for a month. I'm basically going to the Greenmarket in the morning and then creating a list of dishes each day based on what I find. Right now, we are working on slow cooked eggs with smoked salmon roe and potato broth, and an intense beef dashi soup with slow cooked eggs.
Sounds like you're settling in.
It's not that easy. The people here still treat me like an outsider. At the greenmarkets, I am talking to the farmers and am like, "Oh hi, I want the best of EVERYTHING," and they look at me like I'm nuts, and also like it's going to be a while yet before I get it.
But your TV dog 'n' pony cred has to count for something.
Ok yes, that's been awesome. I walked into Momofuku Noodle Bar and the chef just started kicking out free dishes for me. I've been getting yelled at from cars and on the street. But what I hope Top Chef gives me is more culinary cred, especially here.
You'll certainly have a rapt audience at a Kosher place.
That was my thought! I feel like a lot of people with that dietary restriction never get to eat even a semblance of haute cuisine. What's the last time you heard of a Kosher tasting menu? I'm breaking new ground, and that's awesome.
Are you staying put in New York?
Any chef who says he doesnt want his own place is a liar. And if he says he doesn't want it in New York, than he's also lying.
