I recently had the opportunity to chat with Chef James Laird, owner of Restaurant Serenade in Chatham. 

We spoke about his journey to becoming one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed chefs, from sweeping the parking lot at a New Jersey casual eatery to receiving the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence. Read on to learn about James’ hobbies for stress relief, his most memorable meals, and of course, Modernist Cuisine.

MK: Talk about you’re journey to becoming such a respected, acclaimed chef.  What inspired and influenced you along the way?

JL: It started when my sister worked at a restaurant in Middlesex called the Round-Up, and since I was little I always wanted to make money.  I asked the owner if I could work there, but he told me I was too young to do anything, so he let me clean the parking lot.  And that was my job: to sweep the stones into the potholes and clean up the cigarette butts.  But by 16 I had the key to the restaurant.

I wanted to do more, so then I went to a fancy restaurant in town, called the Boca, a local Italian Restaurant and worked there as a bus boy.  I saw the cooks working in the kitchen and they let me come in on my free time. 

One of the chefs there was a CIA (Culinary Institute of America) graduate who taught me after school and introduced me to all the chefs.  The Chef would take me to the city to all the finest restaurants; I was 15 or 16 and so impressionable. He wore nice clothes, had nice cars, people respected him.  I wasn’t very rich, so I saw this as a way to grow and I liked it.  Anything you learn when you’re 16 or 17 is so much easier than when you’re 30 or 40; basic skills like being organized and time management were things I learned early in life that help me to this day.

At 18 I went to school at CIA and the rest is history.  I graduated school and worked in the city for five years.  I worked in restaurants all around the world. But it was always my goal to own my own restaurant.

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Chef Humberto Campos in the dining room at Lorena'sThe first time walked into Lorena's in Maplewood, I felt as if I were walking into someone's home; kindness at the door, and great aromas from the kitchen. 

Lorena's is owned and operated by Chef Humberto Campos and his wife, namesake for the French eatery, Lorena.  

Chef Humberto's cooking is as initimate as the space he serves it in. And though intimate,  the fare is unwaveringly upscale and masterfully executed.

There's a bit of a coincidence to this story as well.  Lorena's is located in the former location of Jocelyn's, another acclaimed NJ restaurant that was owned by Chef Mitchell Altholz, who also named it after his wife, Jocelyn.

But on with the story! I recently spoke with Chef Campos about his his journey to celebrity chef status.

MK: How did you develop your passion for cooking?

It’s funny; I tried pretty much everything else.  I worked in retail, construction, and a bank, but nothing really spoke to me. I got bored very easily.

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Chef Mitchell Altholz, the classically trained, highly renowned, and widely respected executive chef of Highlawn Pavilion, is a soft spoken man, whose demeanor exudes quiet confidence and passion for his craft. 

The pristine plates that Chef Mitchell and his team of young chefs at Highlawn Pavilion create are a product of Mitchell's well-rounded culinary career. 

Mitchell, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, worked in New York City as a Sous Chef at Maxim’s from 1985 – 1989.  Mitchell then sojourned to France, where he spent seven years cooking at such fine restaurants as Maxim’s, Paul Bocuse, Le Saprien and L’Iboga, and was the only American in Bordeaux to hold the position of Chef de Cuisine.

When Mitchell returned to the States he opened the acclaimed Jocelyne’s in Maplewood, which received an Excellent from the New York Times.

Most notable about Chef Mitchell's cooking style is his dedication to the freshest ingredients.  During his time in France Mitchell became acquainted with the farm to table ideology that was, then, lacking in the States.  Today, Mitchell has incorporated farm to table style into his cooking.  As Executive Chef at Highlawn Pavilion, Mitchell regularly (and perhaps, religiously) visits the gardens at the Pleasantdale Chateau, where he avails himself of the freshest produce and herbs, and passes it on to appreciative diners.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mitchell, who in his trademark soft-spoken fashion told me about his background, his kitchen at Highlawn, promising young chefs, his influences, and his hobbies.  

MK: What were the challenges you encountered in the transition from Jocelyn’s, an intimate, nine table restaurant, to a much larger venue like Highlawn Pavilion?

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Q: Food Blogger Kettle, what do you want for your birthday?

A: I want to interview the sexy, snarky, kingpin of modern celebrity chef culture, Anthony Bourdain!

Surprise! I got what I wanted and here it is – twenty hot telephone minutes with Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain is something like the Keith Richards of the food world, he’s host of Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” and author of such foodie required reading as “Kitchen Confidential,” “Nasty Bits,” and “Medium Raw.”

During our discussion we talked about Jersey, modern celebrity chef culture, and his upcoming speaking engagement on Thursday, February 10, 2011, 8:00 PM at the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ. So if you’re curious about “Food Porn,” read on!

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