inthekitchen
inthekitchen
pushing palates
For chef Scott Bagshaw, the recipe for beautiful food begins with a vision and thousands of hours of hard work.
by Joelle Kidd
Seated in front of the counter that breaks the space between Enoteca’ s dining room and open kitchen, Scott Bagshaw has a camera pointed at his face, and is being urged to smile.
“ I’ ve been photoshopped before,” he tells us, declaring this is the worst part of his job.
Bagshaw is no stranger to photographers and accolades, but the mercurial chef continues to voice his discomfort with the spotlight while still recognizing its benefit, even necessity, in the restaurant business. Bagshaw belongs to the chef-driven nouvelle vague of dining out, a shift personified in characters like Anthony Bourdain and David Chang, who revolutionized the dining landscape with uncensored, no-holds-barred commentary on the industry and revelatory cooking which refused to pander to any but the chef’ s own palate. As the old vanguard comes down, the focus on chefs’ distinct voices is a doubleedged sword, creating a market for celebrity.
Today’ s chefs are no longer sequestered in hot, grimy kitchens, cooking to survive. They have an audience, whether it’ s the patron trying to banter into the open kitchen or media looking for an erudite quote. The shining beacon of the ideal chef is equal parts showman, ambassador, and environmentalist, boasts stellar cooking chops, and to top it all off, performs consistently with charisma and poise.
In this minefield of new expectations, Bagshaw is a study in opposites. He hates the fame game, but he is so in love with what he is doing that he has learned to step into the spotlight with gratitude. He is brash, candid, opinionated, and unwavering in his convictions
12 ciao! / oct / nov / two thousand fifteen