Share this story
- "It’s my ode to Graffiato."
- "I was supposed to go to Greece for the first time with a friend, but at the last minute they backed out. But I said, “\'Screw it. I’m going.' I filled up my backpack and went with no reservations anywhere. It was a life-changing moment, because
- "When I was in Greece, people told me, 'To become a great chef you have to be able to cook a perfect octopus.'"
- "I was traveling with some chefs in Salamanca, Spain, and we went to the arenas where they have the bullfights. Years ago, boys had to kill a bull to become a man. If you didn’t do it, they threw food at you and disgraced you."
- "I got it before I went to compete on Top Chef the first time to keep all the evil spirits away from me."
- "He’s a poisonous frog from South America, inspired by some trips to the rainforests in Brazil."
- "My mom and my wife have peacock feathers around the house, because they mean good luck."
- "I got that as a young cook when I was in Philadelphia, because I always wanted to become a star."
- "One of my favorite movies as a kid was Legend with Tom Cruise, which takes place in the marshes with fairies, so this is my nod to my childhood."