with Strauss’ s love for a unique Dijon.
“ I came to really love it over the week because I ' ve never thought I ' ve had very traditional tartare where you have the Dijon and the raw egg and all that stuff,” says Wong.“ But to use Dijon and my ingredients together to create this— it was quite a unique style that I feel was a dish that highlighted our collaboration.”
This wider vision of exposing diners( and possible new partners and investors) to the visiting chef-in-residence is what can bring about new ideas, new businesses, and new opportunities both to the chefs as well as to the locals.
“ I think if you lined up 100 Americans from different walks of life with maybe different politics even, and you said to them,‘ Would your community be better off with a bakery downtown run by a skilled baker who was making nice bread, nice croissants, and maybe they serve a nice little side salad and some soup? Maybe they serve some nice cheese? Would your local community, if it really doesn ' t have anything like that, be better off?’” says Straus.“ I ' m tempted to say 100 out of 100 Americans would say,‘ Yes! We would!’ So my question is, what are we doing as a society to try to encourage that?”
Anthony Bourdain once said,“ Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive and moribund.” Berkshire diners expanding their palates by way of restaurants experimenting is a net gain for anyone keen on devouring exciting new experiences at favorite local dining establishments. These residencies offer new energy and fresh ideas to match the visiting chef’ s unique palates and approaches. Our region’ s soil, fields, and farms provide ingredients with edge, character, and history to chefs in residence. Terroir you can taste. Because when you strip away the spectacle of modern gastronomy fireworks, you’ re left with this truth: A chef can thrive anywhere with a workable kitchen, a few pans, local produce, and people willing to gather around a table.
The act of cooking remains, as ever, gloriously portable.
And if you ' re looking for more culinary residencies and chef-driven events from a local chef and culinary collective, make sure also to check out After Hours, led by Berkshire native Kevin Kelly and his team. n
Holiday July 2023 2025 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // // 21