A native Long Islander, intensely intense and dedicated chef, Adam Sobel, the new executive at the Four Seasons’ Bourbon Steak restaurant, can’t explain how his food passion evolved. But apparently, it all began when he was about 4 years old. “I was 4 or 5 years old,” he says, “and it is hard to explain my attraction to the kitchen. I loved making meatballs and stuffing peppers.” That was just part of what the youngster prepared under the caring tutelage of his grandmother, who also taught him how to peel garlic, mince onions, and shape Italian gnocchi. “She is my biggest fan,” he says of her. “When I was home at Christmas time, I prepared for her beef Wellington with mushroom duxelles and foie gras. She was blown away.”
His early training paid off in spades. Sobel started cooking in earnest when at the Votech School for Culinary Arts in Long Island, N.Y. “I knew at the age of 17 that cooking was what I really wanted to do.” He later worked under certified master chef John Johnstone. “He was part of the British Culinary team serving at the Piping Rock Club on Long Island,” says Sobel, “and he exposed me to some amazing things, such as the grand buffet, pulled sugar extravaganzas, and ice carving.”
| Bourbon Steak |
| The Four Seasons Hotel |
| 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW |
| Washington, DC |
| 202-944-2026 |
| Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner, Sun.-Thurs., 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri., Sat., 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
Then Sobel followed Johstone to the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park in Manhattan. “I was just 18 years old, and was chef de partie,” he says. Meanwhile, Sobel’s dad was urging him to attend college for the education and experience. Instead, at the age of 19, Sobel decided to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America, saying that was the best decision he ever made. “I was able to hone skills, and took my culinary education to the next level,” he says.
The institute also provided him with strong and lasting bonds with several fellow students, and those contacts — including chefs David Varley and Bryan Ogden, high-profile chef Bradley Ogden’s son — have led him to numerous top-of-the-line cooking positions: Bradley Ogden’s opening team at Parcel 104 in Santa Clara, Calif.; pastry chef and chef de partie at Charlie Trotters in Chicago; opening team at Bradley Ogden’s restaurant in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas; chef de cuisine at Restaurant Guy Savoy, also in Caesar’s Palace; and as executive chef at sustainable-seafood advocate and award-winning chef Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. (Note: Sobel is taking the executive chef’s position just vacated by friend, David Varley, who has now moved on to be the corporate chef of the Mina Group, owner of Bourbon Steak.)
That’s pretty heady activity for a chef who is barely 30, and who can look back at a career already packed with cutting-edge experiences few chefs can ever claim. So it is not any surprise that not only is his grandmother a big fan, but also his parents have become his biggest cheerleaders. “I work hard to make them happy,” he says.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Matzoh ball soup, pastrami, stuffed peppers, gnocchi, sausage. I perfect pastrami making. You start with a nice seven-day brine, then make a crust with coriander, pepper and paprika and slow-smoke and sous vide it overnight.
What has been your luckiest moment?
Actually, I have had quite a few: when my mom signed me up for Votech culinary arts. Then getting the job in Las Vegas opening for chef Bradley Ogden.
Which is your favorite cuisine?
Vietnamese. I just love to eat it. I could eat Vietnamese food every day, because it is lighter, has bold flavors and spices.
What is your favorite place in the world?
Yankee Stadium.
What’s in your fridge at home?
Pellegrino, Asian pears, Sriracha sauce, ketchup, 2 bottles Stella Artois. That’s it, except maybe some Pecorino.
Ricotta Gnudi
Makes 24 gnudi
“Gnudi” are simply dumplings made from ricotta cheese mixed with flour. Serve the gnudi in a rich chicken broth or by themselves. You can drizzle the with olive oil and garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
? gallon whole milk
Juice of 3 lemons
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
? cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Grease 24 two-ounce aluminum souffle cups with spray or olive oil.
In a double boiler over simmering water, heat the milk to 165 degrees, add the lemon juice, and stir for 1 minute, allowing the milk to curdle and become ricotta.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix together the Parmesan cheese, thyme, egg yolks, and some salt and pepper.
Strain the ricotta to a semifirm texture and add to the bowl with the Parmesan mixture. Mix. Add just enough flour to bring the base together. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the dough. Divide evenly into the souffl? cups, and steam for 4 minutes.
