Chatting With The Chefs
interview by Terryl Gavre photography by Vincent Knakal

Recently I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of La Jolla’s top chefs. I sat down with Trey Foshee of George’s at the Cove, Jason Knibb of Nine-Ten, David Abella of Roy’s, Stephen Window of Roppongi, Matthew Zappoli of Fresh, and Orion Balliet of Azul. I asked each chef the same ten questions. Even though they were interviewed separately, many of their answers were surprisingly similar. I hope you’ll enjoy reading these interviews as much as I enjoyed chatting it up with the chefs.

Who is the chef you most admire?

Trey Foshee: Roland Passot, chef at La Folie in San Francisco, whom I worked with in 1993. He has always stayed true to who he is and what he does, serving really good food, day in and day out. He’s not the type to go after press and notoriety. I also admire and respect Michael Simon of Lola Bistro in Cleveland, because he is incredibly creative working within his concept. He takes Midwest cooking and local ingredients and makes them into something really special.
Jason Knibb: I have nothing but respect for Joe Miller of Joe’s Restaurant in Venice Beach for his hard work and dedication.
David Abella: Roy Yamaguchi, because he started his own style of cuisine. He is innovative, a great businessman, and humble. He has helped me to be the chef that I am today. Even after all of his years of success, he is still trying to excel and get better. He makes me do the same.
Stephen Window: I admire Roy Yamaguchi, who was one of the founders of Pacific Rim cuisine. I worked with him at the Roy’s Restaurant in Seattle in the late 1990s and learned so much from him, like the importance of a good base sauce.
Matthew Zappoli: The person who has really inspired me is Thomas Keller, just from reading his theories and his outlook on food, dining, and service. He is a perfectionist, and that is what we all should aspire to.
Orion Balliet: Thomas Keller, not from any personal experience, but mainly from reading his book, The French Laundry Cookbook.

If you were to make dinner for any four people, who would they be and what would you prepare?

Trey Foshee: Tom Chino [Chino Farm], Ben and Karen Barker, who have a restaurant in Raleigh [NC] named Magnolia, and a chef named Coco Pacheco who happens to also be my brother-in-law. He owns a restaurant in Santiago, Chile called Aqui est Coco. I would, of course, use lots of vegetables and do something outdoors, probably a very traditional paella cooked over wood.
Jason Knibb: It’s a toss up. Probably my uncle David, who is a really good cook, my dad, Carl Gilberg, who is an artist, and Sonya Chin, a good family friend. I would do a Jamaican-themed dinner, a jerk kurobuta pork rack, and serve it with a dish called mackerel rundown, a savory and sweet side dish of stewed mackerel with coconut.
David Abella: My wife and son definitely, my life revolves around them — and then I’m not sure. I’d do a Japanese meal with very traditional braised meats and tuna, one of my favorites.
Stephen Window: I would invite all of the Food Network’s Iron Chefs and I’d make them a tasting menu from a mystery basket.
Matthew Zappoli: I can’t really choose just four, but I would only want them to be people who were really into food and the whole dining experience. They couldn’t be picky or finicky about what they eat, so that I could do my own thing. I would do whatever is in season. I tend to favor scallops, foie gras, and lamb.
Orion Balliet: I like having dinner parties, so I would invite four great chefs and would serve California cuisine, see what I could find that day, let nature tell me what to make. That’s how I like to cook. When I go to a market, I’m like a kid in a candy store.

What is the last thing you ate that made a big impression on you?

Trey Foshee: I went to Paris by myself about a year ago to get some inspiration. I sat at a table in a little restaurant called Pierre Gagnair, and by the time I had dessert, there were probably 24 plates on my table.
Jason Knibb: I had this very cold duo of tuna at Alain Ducasse in New York. One was a salad that was poached tuna belly and slightly shredded — it was actually a spoof on a tuna salad. The other was a tartare, layered and very textural.
David Abella: A place called Super Cocina on University Avenue. They serve very traditional, very provincial-style Mexican cuisine. I had a spicy pork dish that was awesome.
Stephen Window: It was at the Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco about eight years ago when the blending of Pacific Rim, Japanese, and Asian cuisine was starting to get really hot. It was a female chef — I can’t remember her name right now, but I had an incredible eight-course tasting menu. It was also memorable because former president Gerald Ford was there with his family sitting across the room from me.
Matthew Zappoli: I had a foie gras terrine at Jeans Georges [in New York City] that had an apple tuile in the middle they were somehow able to keep crispy. It was very good, very cool, and great tasting. It had great textures and was one of those dishes that is fun to eat because you sit and wonder how the hell they did it.
Orion Balliet: French Laundry. The whole experience.

Name three things you always have in your kitchen.

Trey Foshee: Yogurt, good canned beans, and good canned tomatoes.
Jason Knibb: Vietnamese chili paste, fennel, and Parmesan cheese.
David Abella: Wine, beer, and stuff to make toasted sandwiches.
Stephen Window: A variety of sea salts, rice, and cheese.
Matthew Zappoli: Shallots, chives, and wine.
Orion Balliet: Salt, pepper, and butter.

Are you a peanut butter and jelly, or a grilled cheese kind of guy?

Trey Foshee: Grilled cheese.
Jason Knibb: Grilled cheese.
David Abella: Grilled cheese.
Stephen Window: Grilled cheese.
Matthew Zappoli: Grilled cheese.
Orion Balliet: Grilled cheese.

What is something you like to eat that would most surprise people?

Trey Foshee: I love a hotdog, a good quality hotdog.
Jason Knibb: Top Ramen.
David Abella: In-N-Out burger, double-double, animal style.
Stephen Window: In-N-Out burgers.
Matthew Zappoli: Buffalo chicken wings
Orion Balliet: Macaroni and cheese.

What is the last thing you ate?

Trey Foshee: Half a Kobe hamburger.
Jason Knibb: A blueberry scone.
David Abella: Ramen noodles at Chopstick on Convoy Street.
Stephen Window: Our employee meal, Korean-style chicken wings that we marinate overnight and grill, served with French fries.
Matthew Zappoli: Goat cheese crusted rack of lamb.
Orion Balliet: Life cold cereal.

What is the biggest flop you ever put on a menu?

Trey Foshee: Barbecued barracuda, something I put on a menu when I was much younger. It sold pretty well, but I think it was terrible. I used the barracuda because my fishmonger would give it to me for free.
Jason Knibb: A roasted sea bass over braised mushrooms and pearl onions with a mussel reduction. It didn’t sell at all, although I thought the taste was pretty good.
David Abella: That’s never happened to me because I work for Roy. We never experiment on guests. I have, though, tried to put dishes on the menu that were too complicated to execute.
Stephen Window: A big flop for us was a Japanese-style pickled vegetable plate. We thought it was clean, refreshing, and very forward thinking, but no one ordered it.
Matthew Zappoli: The last thing I did that flopped was roasted quail with bing cherry and sweet and sour sauce. In my mind it was a tasty dish, but for some reason people didn’t get into it.
Orion Balliet: Once, I had a fish vender give me a leopard shark. I had never cooked one and I cooked it in a wood-fired oven. Let’s just say, it didn’t work.

What would you be if you weren’t a chef?

Trey Foshee: I’d love to be a surfer, but I’m not good enough. If I weren’t a chef, I’d probably be retired.
Jason Knibb: A pro surfer or golfer.
David Abella: I’d probably be a teacher because teaching is what I do now. I lecture at a lot of the culinary schools.
Stephen Window: I was always interested in soccer. Being from England, I have a great love for it. I don’t think I would have ever been good enough to play it professionally though.
Matthew Zappoli: I would love to be a pro surfer, but I’d never be good enough. Anything other than surfing and cooking would bore me.
Orion Balliet: I’d probably be a DJ; I do it on the side now.

What is the most important piece of advice you could give an aspiring chef?

Trey Foshee: Do you have an hour [laughs]? Really though, I would have to say, know what motivates you.
Jason Knibb: Go out and get some experience before you even think about it. Pick the best restaurant out there, get a job, and see if it’s what you really want.
David Abella: Perseverance, it takes a really long time to get good. Second, if you’re in it for the money, you’re in the wrong business.
Stephen Window: Don’t waste your money on culinary school; get a job in the industry first. Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Matthew Zappoli: Take pride in what you do. Always be clean and organized.
Orion Balliet: Work in the industry before you go to school.