Chefs and bakers may have an elevated palate, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a weakness for junk food and drinks—especially after a long night when gourmet is the last thing on their minds. Here are some of our finests’ dirty little secrets.
Ian Boden of Blue Light Grill: Corn chips with pump nacho cheese and Miller High Life
Brice Cunningham of Tempo: Almond Joys and a Coke
Mark Gresge of l’etoile: Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings and Steel Reserve tall boys
Justin Hershey of Zinc: Zatarain’s Jambalaya with Hickory Farms beef kielbasa and a Coke
Brian Jones of Petit Pois: Raw cookie dough and Country Time lemonade
Michael Keaveny of tavola: Ben & Jerry’s Milk & Cookies and Kelt Cognac
Tara Koenig of sweethaus: Two Double Stuf Oreos sandwiched together (thus, quadruple stuffed) and cans of Hawaiian Punch
Jeanette Peabody of Hamiltons’: Mint chip ice cream and salty dog cocktails
Jenny Peterson of Paradox Pastry: Classic Lays and fountain Diet Coke
Tomas Rahal of Mas Tapas: Blueberry spudnuts and Steaz green tea with mint
Charles Roumeliotes of Orzo: Almond M&Ms and Honest Tea
Tyler Teass of Clifton Inn: Riverside bacon cheeseburgers and Bud Light bottles
Angelo Vangelopoulos of Ivy Inn: Takis fuego-flavored corn chips from La Michoacana and Corona
Tucker Yoder of Clifton Inn: Pizza-flavored HotPockets and Pabst Blue Ribbon
What a chef wants
With everything from Afghani to Turkish already represented (and with pho and meatballs on the way), the chefs in our area eat way better than is typical for a small town, but that’s not to say that they’re completely satisfied. Here’s what they’re craving—and wishing that someone else would open.
Winner:
Neapolitan-style pizza (like 2Amys in Washington, D.C.)
Runners up:
Wine and cocktail bar with charcuterie
and cheese
Greek restaurant
Mussels with Belgian-style fries
New England-style clam shack
Chef’s day off
Orzo’s chef Bryan Szeliga and his wife moved here from Portland last summer, and while his days off are few and far between, he’s enjoyed eating and drinking his way around town. Here’s his ideal day of relaxation and consumption.
“First I’d walk to the Downtown Mall with my wife and dog to grab a caramel soy latte from Java Java. Then, we’d have brunch at l’etoile where I’d order the Virginia Ham Eggs Benedict. I’d make a brief stop at home to watch some college games. Then, my wife and I would ride bikes to Keswick Vineyard (I like their rosé) before heading back to the Mall for people-watching over Zocalo’s Black Bean and Corn Relleno. A quick swim in the pool would get my appetite going again and I’d hit Ariana for chickpeas and flatbread, then sports and a bourbon-barrel stout at Wild Wings. I’d cap off the night with vanilla and brownies at Arch’s.”