October 3, 2007
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Bravotv.com is proud to announce our new weekly Bravo For Foodies series “Breaking Bread with...”
For our first Q&A we had the pleasure to speak with Alfred Portale, Chef and owner of Gotham Bar and Grill located in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City. Among his many accomplishments, Portale was named the Best Chef in New York in 1993, and in 2002 Gotham received the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Award. In 2006, he won the James Beard award and was named Outstanding Chef of the Year. We met with Portale in his four-time New York Times three-star restaurant:
Why did you become a chef?
I became a chef because I [had] early love for food. I saw cooking as a craft -- not really an art, but a craft. And I was very interested in art, and jewelry art, and construction, and design and painting and sculpture and all of those things, and somehow the way I was introduced to cooking made me think that the two were closely aligned. And it would be something that I would like to do.
Who introduced you to cooking?
It was an early girlfriend. I think I was at her home and there was an old collection of cookbooks, like Pellaprat, the early old-school French guys. And they did a lot of sculpture... I was looking at really old pictures of classic French cuisine -- doesn’t exist anymore, didn’t exist even 20 years, but I didn’t know that. I thought it looked like jewelry, so I wanted to do it. I had no idea that it didn’t exist anymore.
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Comments
Sharon Tyson wrote:
Great interview with Chef Portale! It was really interesting to read all about him and the road he traveled to become a great chef. Have always been a fan of his, but never knew much about him because on shows like Martha, he never talks about himself. And, I could never understand why a world class Chef like Portale never opened more restaurants or had his own cooking show, but his interview explains it all in just how seriously he is about his craft... which is more endearing. Anyway, I just wish we could have seen more of him on Top Chef. I was really hoping he would be one of the Chefs that walked out of the ski lift to help the challengers in the finale. He was one of my favorites on the show this year because he seemed to have more humor and charisma (his ketchup comment made me laugh out loud!). Anyway, this was the best season of Top Chef so far, and I say “Bravo” to Bravo TV for getting a world class Chef like Portale (and Sailhac, Soltner, etc) on the program this season.
posted on October 4, 2007 at 4:07 PM
jean wilcox wrote:
Great stuff. . . could I have some more please, sir. . . .
posted on October 4, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Nykkie DeDeo wrote:
Boy, would I like to know more about Portales “secrets” !!! Talk about a “dish”!! I say its time for new blood on TC !!!! Give Padma or Tom some time off and replace them with Alfred Portale!!!
posted on October 4, 2007 at 11:35 PM
heidi wrote:
So I read what you wrote. And I can’t help but notice the overuse of the word AND. You need to learn the rules that govern the English language. And try not to start a sentence with AND BUT or SO. But I still like your blog.
posted on October 5, 2007 at 8:20 PM
kristen stocks wrote:
so cool to read about portale. great to see a chef on the show with charisma and a sense of humor. his restaurant is amazing too--a pillar of the new york restaurant world. would be great to see more of him on top chef in future seasons...
posted on October 6, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Leon Pasternak wrote:
Very interesting interview with Portale. It’s astounding that his restaurant has been in operation for over 20 years and STILL remains one of NYC’s best. That is quite a feat! I’d love to see how he runs his operation and what it takes for a REAL #1 restaurant to stay afloat for so long. Would be cool if Portale had his own segment or his own reality show.
posted on October 8, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Alex wrote:
been a fan of portales cooking since moving to nyc. met him a couple of times in fact. he is is a success because of his consistently good food and how warm he treats his customers, as he indicates in his interview. shame there are always the same chefs on tv (flay, emeril, rachel and their ilk), while serious chefs like portale - we rarely get a glimpse of.
posted on October 8, 2007 at 7:30 PM
pj wrote:
The next interview be with Grant Achatz? He's the man.
posted on October 9, 2007 at 3:50 AM
Eve wrote:
Alfred Portale is one of the greatest chefs of all time. He is very hip and modern with both his food and his lifestyle. His cooking is stupendous and amazingly delicious. From what i saw on the episode of Top Chef and from reading this interview, Mr. Portale seems to be a very cool person. He appears to be comfortable on TV and is exceptionally charismatic. The interview is delightfully enthralling and i hope to see more of this remarkable man on future Top Chef episodes.
Oh and Alfred Portale is a total Baller!
posted on October 9, 2007 at 9:30 PM
Olympia Portale wrote:
Alfred Portale is an excellent judge. Succinct, and articulate, Portale's judging was right on, eloquent, and punctuated with snappily refreshing humor. Not only is Portale at the top of his craft, he is quite the looker. A real culinary dreamboat.
posted on October 9, 2007 at 10:30 PM
Rachel Genway wrote:
I've been a big fan of Alfred Portale and Gotham Bar and Grill for many years. Love dining at the restaurant as much as I can - birthday celebrations, buisness lunches, first dates, quick snack at the bar - and always have delicious, innovative food with great service. And as a fan of Top Chef - I was very excited to see him and read his interview. He speaks so well and has great TV charisma. Would love to see more of him on your fantastic show.
posted on October 10, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Alexandra wrote:
Great interview with a great chef! Hope to see him again on Top Chef!!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 1:01 PM
lamanna wrote:
he is truly a master chef of the universe. and definitely a handsome addition to the top chef panel. he should be back as a judge--his insight was truthful yet entertaining!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Anne Marie Ignato wrote:
Alfredo Portale.... I wouldnt mind "cookin" a la cocina with HIM. What an Italian Stallion! Madonna Mia!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 6:15 PM
Josephine wrote:
I have been a huge fan of chef Portale since moving to New York 19 years ago. The Gotham Bar & Grill is possibly one of the most consistantly amazing restaurants in America. The clean flavors translate beautifully in every dish, and it is a relief that Portale, unlike many other chefs, hasn't fallen prey to the weird hyper fusion trend. As an insipiration to both amateur and professionals, Portale is a staple in the world of fine dining. I look forward to his continuing success!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 7:53 PM
Philip Proulx wrote:
Alfred Portale is truly what a chef should be, not a celebrity but a craftsman, I was lucky enough to hear him speak while attending the Culinary Institute of America, chefs like him, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters & Frank McClelland have inspired a new generation of chefs such as myself at Infusions Bistro in Chelmsford, MA to utilize all things local and seasonal and to really concentrate on the ingredients. Like Alice and Alfred there is nothing I get more enjoyment out of waiting for a seasonal ingredient to be at its pinnacle so that you can share that joy and perfection with the world. Rooting yourself in classical technique and demanding perfection has earned Alfred his reputation. Many of us young chefs only hope that we too can attain his type of success, which transcends financial concerns and is about bringing joy to the people you are cooking for.
Philip Proulx
posted on October 10, 2007 at 8:55 PM
Enzo wrote:
Good read on Portale. Also..... I’d like to add my 2 cents.....it was a good idea to revamp the finale this year....made it more exciting. For next year.... you should also revamp the shows hosts. Padma is easy on the eyes.... but that’s about it. My suggestions for her replacement is..... Lidia Bastianich. And since you had an all french panel.... another suggestion would be an all ITALIAN panel that includes greats like: Lidia....Portale.... Batali, etc. And.... bring back Sirio Maccione too!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 11:13 PM
John Holmes wrote:
I felt that Chef Portale was a great addition to the show. Having him and legendary chefs like Eric Ripert lend great credibility to a questionable medium - the reality show. His comments on the show resonate like his food: straight forward and well thought out. The man is a genious. Bring him back!
posted on October 11, 2007 at 2:40 PM
Pepper wrote:
It's great to see a chef that has had such lasting influence on cuisine nationally be part of the judging panel. It's participants such as Alfred that have credibility, expertise and wisdom and add a lot to your show! More of him, please.
posted on October 11, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Gabrielle wrote:
Alfred's screen presence is just as enchanting to watch as it is to experience in person when dining at the famous Gotham Bar and Grill.
posted on October 11, 2007 at 3:19 PM
Lisette wrote:
Look forward to seeing Alfred back on Top Chef.He was wonderful and truly put his heart and and soul into his food of his creative masterpieces, and his interview was terrific and I look forward to seeing him again on TV.
posted on October 11, 2007 at 3:29 PM
Eduardo B. wrote:
Well Done Chef !!
I didn't see the show in Tv !!!
But I was fortunate for 8 years enjoying serving at the tables the best of you ART !!
posted on October 12, 2007 at 1:07 AM
marlo roberson wrote:
This has been a most interesting interview. Let's have more. I like others are consumed with food, freshness, and we are always trying new things. Cooking and creating with food is a passion let's have lot's more Top Chef and a large diversity of chef judges. I have a great idea for a quick fire. Where do I send it? Congratulations Bravo.!!
posted on October 16, 2007 at 11:06 AM