The famed chef, identified for his starring position on TV cooking exhibits was the headliner at Tallahassee Group School’s signature Cleaver and Cork 2021 fundraiser.
Should you’re a fan of TV cooking exhibits, chef Geoffrey Zakarian might be a family identify. Outdoors of his kitchen and restaurants, he’s both a co-host, choose or competitor on high applications together with The Kitchen, Chopped and Iron Chef America. He’s additionally on the QVC channel along with his Professional for Dwelling, a line of greater than 120 connoisseur meals and culinary instruments for house cooks.
However this week in Tallahassee, Zakarian was the headliner for a unique manufacturing — Cleaver and Cork 2021, the premier culinary fundraiser held yearly by the Tallahassee Group School Basis. Proceeds from the occasion will go to TCC’s athletics division and assist elevate academic alternatives, scholarships and studying services on the school.
The pageant will characteristic cooking demonstrations by Zakarian and different proficient native native toques together with personal chef Leon Brunson, Brian Knepper, govt chef at Savour and Dean Minas of Minas Hospitality. One other new addition, Cleaver and Cork additionally supplied digital entry, other than in-person attendance, at Zakarian’s cooking demonstration on Thursday.
Earlier Cleaver and Cork dinners have showcased cooks Amanda Frietag, Marcus Samuelsson and Alex Guarnaschelli.
“I’m a Meals Community junkie,” mentioned Heather Mitchell, govt director of the TCC Basis who sees chef Zakarian as one of the very best within the enterprise. “He’s so affable. When he got here right here, he mentioned, “What can I do for you, for the varsity?’ ”
When Zakarian arrived at Tallahassee Group School on Thursday, March 4, he busily labored on stage preparing for his cooking demonstrations and took time to speak with me a few vary of topics, displaying his trademark wit, conviction and appeal. Regardless of his public persona, the restaurateur can be a businessman, writer and humanitarian.
Because the chairman of the Metropolis Harvest Meals Council, he launched two telethons in the course of the pandemic.
“It’s the biggest meals rescue operation in New York and one of the biggest within the nation,” mentioned Zakarian. “We rescued 90 kilos of meals and gave it away, all free, no authorities help. Fifty-five p.c was contemporary greens so we don’t give away crap.”
Zakarian, who additionally has a content material manufacturing firm known as Nook Desk Leisure, has labored on a documentary, “a love letter to New York” to have a look at the pandemic’s influence on the beleaguered restaurant trade.
“It began in March or April and now it’s ending up as restaurants are beginning to open,” mentioned Zakarian, who has been teaming up on the mission with Tribeca Productions. “I’ve been in New York for 40 years and anybody who is aware of me will inform you I’ve a love affair with the entire aura of restaurants, what they imply, theatrically, and not simply the meals.”
It’s the entire manufacturing, he burdened. Since he grew to become a chef, “restaurants have change into experiential,” he mentioned.
“It’s like a present. The curtain goes up 3 times a day and it higher be good,” mentioned Zakarian. “It’s Broadway. That’s how I take a look at the trade and how I fell in love with it. Should you don’t have the lighting proper, the sound isn’t proper, the temper’s not proper, the greeting’s not proper then I don’t care how good you’re, it’s not going to be your vibe.”
Zakarian ought to know. He’s the proprietor of the restaurants, The Lambs Membership and the Nationwide Bar & Eating Rooms, in New York Metropolis and the Royal Level and Counter Level restaurants contained in the Diplomat Seashore Resort in Hollywood. They’ve all quickly closed because the pandemic hit however Zakarian estimates he’ll reopen on the Diplomat in the summertime. He expects to open his Instances Sq. restaurants at a later date. When tourism returns to town is a giant issue for all restaurateurs.
He estimates that at the least 30 p.c of the 25,000 restaurants in New York Metropolis will stay closed. Takeout has helped, he mentioned, however “we’d like the hospitality to come back again. We have to sit in restaurants,” mentioned Zakarian, who was planning to dine at Mimi’s Desk after his cooking demonstrations.
He predicts the restaurants that survive “could have a gangbuster yr.”
Regardless of the pandemic, the yr has introduced vibrant spots. He and his two daughters wrote a cookbook, The Household that Cooks Collectively. His different books have been Solid Iron Cooking: The Dutch Oven, My Good Pantry and City | Nation.
The Household that Cooks Collectively options 85 house recipes, written by his daughters, Madeline, 13, and Anna,11, with son George, 6, taking part as properly.
For his youngsters, “it’s been a terrific expertise to have a guide change into a bestseller once you’re 12, and it occurred as a result of of this (pandemic). They’re invited on TV exhibits with out me,” mentioned Zakarian with greater than a touch of delight in his voice.
He and his household, usually dwelling in New York Metropolis, moved to Tampa when Covid-19 triggered huge shutdowns so his youngsters may attend lessons in particular person.
“It was a blessing,” mentioned Zakarian. “You by no means get to spend time together with your youngsters. My dad by no means hung out with me as a result of he was all the time working. I labored like a maniac.”
Zakarian pivoted from studio to house kitchen, doing segments on the QVC channel for his line of kitchen merchandise, known as Professional For Dwelling, filming segments of The Kitchen and different efforts and engaged on this guide along with his youngsters.
He’s additionally happy that The Kitchen exhibits filmed at house in Tampa “had the best scores for the present in six years” though it went from a workers of 100 to 2 — Zakarian and his spouse, who served because the producer and filmed the present.
Zakarian had a level in economics, however earlier than getting his MBA, he went to Europe and fell in love with meals. “All the things was contemporary and good,” he mentioned. “Being a chef discovered me.”
However when the younger chef Zakarian began out within the restaurant enterprise, he labored a whole lot of hours with out pay as a younger apprentice, studying and loving the craft. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and started working at Le Cirque, studying underneath French grasp chef Alain Sailhac, one of his mentors together with famed chef Daniel Boulud.
In 2001, Zakarian opened his first restaurant, City, which was awarded three stars from the New York Instances. He gained a James Beard Basis award for Chopped.
Regardless of the challenges of the final yr, Zakarian stays an optimist.
“Whenever you’re within the restaurant trade, you’re by no means bored.”
Zakarian mentioned he’ll come out of the pandemic stronger. “How do I really feel? I really feel nice!”
Top image by Alicia Devine of The Tallahassee Democrat.
