Steve shares : “ One thing that really impresses me about Vermont is that everybody can be a big fish , because it ’ s a small pond . I love the people I know here , because a lot of them are big fish doing cool things . It ’ d be hard to do that in New York City . Some people build things here that they probably couldn ’ t in other places . Vermont is a fertile place .”
Bogart led tours of China in 2005 and 2006 , bringing 25 mostly Vermonters on a two-week culinary tour . They averaged 20-course lunches and 30-course dinners , all over China , each location meticulously hand-selected by Steve . Having Steve Bogart as such a knowledgeable guide was invaluable , many said .
Steve taught at New England Culinary Institute for years and is now mentoring high school students in Montpelier . Having left A Single Pebble , he is still occasionally cooking sixteen-course banquets for grateful friends .
And he loves the fact that he ’ s doing something that has such a history . “ When I had the restaurants , every morning I would walk in and know that I was doing something that ’ s been done for 3,000 years , basically using the exact same equipment . The wok is 3,000 years old .”
Howard Norman , longtime friend , devoted fan , and noted author writes : “ You look at his recipes , and you realize they are the end result . They ’ re kind of a manifestation of all of his travel and research - and they end up in the form of recipes , but each one of those recipes contains separate experiences … And so , you know , I think I look at those recipes and those menus now in a different way than I did at the time . I look at them as kind of documents of experience , almost like diary entries .”
Steve summarizes , “ I ’ ve really been so happy here . My neighbors and friends helped me in multiple ways for so many decades . ‘ Wow , you got an invitation to Bogart ’ s ! Oh man , you ’ re lucky ,’ they would say . But , actually , I ’ m the lucky one .”
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