Meet Raghavan Iyer, Culineer, (culinary engineer), for ŌM

Bombay-native Raghavan Iyer, is a Certified Culinary Professional, a member of The International Association of Culinary Professionals, and has acquired degrees in Chemistry (Bombay University) and Hotel & Restaurant Management (Michigan State University). He is a cookbook author, culinary educator, spokesperson, and consultant to numerous national and international clients such as General Mills and Canola. For Bon Appetit Management Company he helped launch an Indian Meals program and trained all their chefs across the United States. He also helped design a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat Indian meals line for Target’s Archer Farms brand. In 2008, he was named a Sustainable Seafood Ambassador for the prestigious Monterey Bay Aquarium. He is currently the Culineer, culinary engineer, for ŌM, an upscale-casual restaurant specializing in contemporary Indian cuisine scheduled to open May 2009 in downtown Minneapolis.

He is the author of Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking, The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood (a 2003 James Beard Awards Finalist for Best International Cookbook), and the just-published 660 Curries. 660 Curries has been shortlisted among the top cookbooks for 2008 by National Public Radio, the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Food and Wine Magazine (among many others). The book has been named 2008 Best Asian Cookbook in the USA by World Gourmand Awards. He received the highly coveted 2004 International Association of Culinary Professional’s Award of Excellence (formerly the Julia Child Awards) for Cooking Teacher of the Year, and was a Finalist for a 2005 James Beard Journalism Award as a contributing writer for EatingWell Magazine. His numerous articles have appeared in Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, Saveur, Weight Watchers Magazine, Cooking Pleasures, and the internationally renowned literary food magazine Gastronomica.

Iyer is co-founder of the Asian Culinary Arts Institutes, Ltd., an organization dedicated to the preservation, understanding, and enjoyment of the culinary arts of Asia.

He is also an accomplished and prolific culinary instructor at many international, national, and local venues, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Annual Conferences in Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, Dallas, Seattle, and Chicago. With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Iyer is also fluent in more than six languages and leads yearly food and cultural tours to India.

He has appeared in numerous radio and television shows across the United States and Canada including Martha Stewart Radio, The Splendid Table (NPR), A Chef’s Table (WHYY Philadelphia), WGN Morning News (WGN Chicago), Good Day Atlanta (WAGA TV), Good Day Tampa (Fox Affiliate Tampa), The Morning Show (KARE 11 – NBC Affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul), and the Vicki Gabereau Show (national Canadian television talk show).

Come and Join us at the upcoming Sample Circuit Event at OM on April 1st, 2010, 5:30pm-7:30pm. Tickets are $38.00 each and available for purchase in advance, click here.

restaurant Max by Jack Fischer (finickyfish.blogspot.com)

Tonight is a night of firsts for me. I had been anticipating my first visit to restaurant Max for a few weeks now. Awarded "Best New Restaurant 2009" by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, restaurant Max has been on my list of places to eat for a little while now. Their website touts a "commitment to you thru fresh, innovative foods, beverages, and service...". Well I I'm ready to put that to the test.

I was introduced to the Sample Circuit back in November when I attended the Affair at the Convention Center. Sample Circuit events were described to me as, "an experience with a private tasting menu from some of the fanciest places in town." Yeah, this is just up my alley!

Walking in it was a little like a first date. If you've never been, restaurant Max was once a bank. And not just any bank, but a large classic bank. Think: the heist scene from the movie “Heat.” Beautiful granite columns and granite walls. All of this very classic styling with a slightly modern art deco feel.

The first character that we met in the evening was one of my favorites. Enter Kevin from MVP Wines. Kevin was like our personal sommelier. More than once during the evening, I heard him referred to as a mad scientist of wine. Kevin personally selected wine parings for many of the dishes that we would sample throughout the evening. We started out with a rosé but Kevin had us taste "his rosé", then a light red, and then the rosé again. He was trying to show us the unique flavors of this rosé that are highlighted after our taste buds are woken up a little. This little experiment didn't disappoint and Kevin – not the only time in the evening – was strangely accurate in his description and our reactions. I wonder if he does parties...

My fabulous date for the evening and I found a little booth to share with some new friends, they were just like us, new to the Sample Circuit and excited about the experience. That's only where the conversation began. One of our table mates was an avid Harley enthusiast and the other raises huskies for sled dog racing. Seriously, of all the gin joints in all the world.

Our first tasting of the evening was Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Fine Herbs. There was a perfect mix of texture and flavor, something about the yolk of the egg and the salt of the salmon was delish. It was a little like breakfast but with win so it was better. Next along our journey was the Champagne Potato Soup with Truffle Emulsion. I like food, don't get me wrong. But I wanted to swim in this stuff…it was amazing! You are a fool if you don't go out right now, try this, and buy a second bowl to take home and have for a midnight snack. Seriously.

Our second visit to Kevin began with chewing on a sprig of rosemary. Seriously, where does this come from?!But that followed by the nice glass of Domaine Henri Milan "Le Grand Blanc", yup, the scientist did it again. It was a strange combo but it just worked, he found a way to bring out the flavor even if it meant gnawing on garnish.

I made a few more friends throughout the evening – a software developer and a professional photographer both friendly, interesting and full of good conversation. I overheard a few others who referred to the poor Gnocchi as ganache (as in chocolate ganache) and ganocchi (the addition of an "a", pronounced "ga-nocchi"). OK, I get that not everyone is an expert, but this definitely made me feel a little more comfortable with this new crowd.

A little bit later in the evening, I was introduced to a very nice man named Nick. I've known a few Nick's in my time, all of them stand up guys. This Nick was no exception. But with a small twist this Nick - Nick O'Leary - is also the Executive Chef of restaurant Max. Nick was very humble, maybe even a little shy at first. But after a few minutes (and a nice glass of white), what he was not shy about is showing us around the place a little, starting with a tour of his kitchen. I've seen quite a few hotels and quite a few meetings rooms in my career, and more scary kitchens then I'd like to mention. Nick's kitchen is one I'm glad to talk about. It was impeccably clean, right down to the four walk-in’s and decked-out employee break room. There is something comforting about that to me.

After strolling through a few unmarked hallways and out an unmarked door we ended up back on the main floor and we headed into the...err…bank-vault-turned-wine-cellar. Again, the character of the old building stood out here. Nick told us that several brides and grooms have shared their first meals as married couples in that very room. The dark stained wood with wine bottles stacked all over. The original pass through vault window heavy metal swinging bank vault door all where they should be. So cool! This is also where I learned that Nick and I are both fans of some of the same dive bars and the Champagne Potato Soup mentioned above is his personal creation.

One thing I noticed throughout the evening, every time I was ready for my next little nibble, there was someone with a smile and a plate full of something new. The wait staff was ideal. Each was able to describe their sampling platters with great detail. And remembering that you are serving a “Fried Oyster with Celery Root, Horseradish, and Creme Friache” I can see where someone might slip up. Kelly the GM of restaurant Max stopped over just to see how our evening was going. We had nothing but praise for her and her team.

The more that I chatted with all my new friends the more I realized that how much fun I was really having. At the end of the day were all here for the same reason, we all wanted a little good food and a something nice to drink. I think that I can speak for everyone in attendance got more than expected.


Speaking of food I would be cheating everyone if I didn't mention my favorite of the evening. The Harissa Marinated Pork Shoulder with Barely Risotto made with Citrus Butter. The Pork fell apart with the touch of the my fork and the Harissa (a type of chili sauce) added a hint of smokiness and a tiny bit of heat. And there was more to follow that, including dessert.

Its hard to put a price on our evening. My date and I started discussing how unique the evening was. Where else can you go and experience a dozen amazing dishes, each with a wine that has been careful paired, and have the opportunity to share and discuss the of flavors with a few people you know and a few more that you don't. It was simply an perfect evening. I, for one, will be back to both the Sample Circuit and to restaurant Max!

Jack Fischer is a self proclaimed life blogger, a real life geek, and an all round 'nice guy'. He's a businessman and a photographer by trade. In his spare time he loves to tell stories. Visit his blog: finickyfish.blogspot.com

Related Links:
restaurant Max 215 Fourth Street Minneapolis, MN 55401 (612) 340-0303
http://www.therestaurantmax.com/ | twitter: restaurantMax | facebook: restaurantMax
http://samplecircuit.com/ | blog: samplecircuit

Executive Chef, Nick O'Leary - restaurant Max

photos courtesy of Noah Wolf Photography

It has only been a few months since Executive Chef Nick O’Leary took the helm of the restaurant Max kitchen. His tenure began in July 2008 as a sous chef under the opening chef, Matthew Holmes. It was not long before Chef Nick was promoted to the executive sous chef position. This past December, after the departure of Kevin Kathman, Chef Nick accepted the opportunity to lead the team.

Chef Nick’s first job was in a restaurant. At fifteen, he accepted a position as a bus boy at a truck stop restaurant near his family farm. When asked what attracted him to the role, he laughed, “My mom made me [get the job].”

The young chef was born and raised on a farm in Denmark, Wisc. His family raised dairy cows, chickens and geese. When asked what he learned from his rural upbringing, Chef Nick didn’t pause, “I learned discipline and a good work ethic - my mom is a great cook, I was exposed to fresh, delicious food early on.” The Chef didn’t try to hide the smile when he thought about his favorite dishes growing up, “Baking Soda Dumplings with Pork Hocks and Caraway Gravy, and Sauerkraut… oh, and Boiled Dinner (braised pork roast with potatoes and carrots).”

Not long after finishing high school, he moved to Milwaukee. He took a serving position at Tumbleweeds, a causal family concept that was popular throughout the Midwest. It was there that he truly got a taste for the things he loves about restaurant work. “Even then I was a bit of a foodie. I spent my spare time hanging out in the [kitchen] window watching the food come out.”

Like many great adventures, inspiration can come from odd, unexpected places. Late one night, after work, he was lying on his couch watching television when a commercial for Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis aired. Six weeks later Nick broke his lease, left Milwaukee and started culinary school in Minneapolis. While he was in school, he took a line cook position at the Palomino Club. “The most important and practical lesson that I learned in [culinary] school was layering. It is so important to season each component to the dish throughout the cooking process.”

On his time off (which, it seems is rare), he goes to one of his favorite neighborhood haunts. He mentioned several, but to name a few: Whitey’s, Quang (for those who have been, he orders the 503) and Saffron are among his favorites.

photos courtesy of Noah Wolf Photography

When given the choice of an indispensable item in the kitchen, Chef Nick said, “Red Bull”. As those who have worked in the industry know, the hours that chefs put in can be excessive. “In many ways, my colleagues are my family. We spend more time together than we do with anyone else. You have to be truly passionate about what you do to be successful in this industry, and surrounding yourself with talented people who you trust is a necessity.”
Chef Nick was recently promoted to the Executive Chef role from the executive sous chef position. He is launching a new menu, inspired by spring, at the end of this month. Roasted Halibut with Mushroom Duxcelle, Asparagus, Tomato Vinaigrette and Sunchokes on just one of the mouth watering selections he described to me.

With an obvious passion, and an easy smile, Chef Nick seems prepared to take on the challenges that come with his new leadership role. It will be exciting to see the impression he makes on the restaurant Max menu in the months to come. You can get a taste of it by joining us at the Sample Circuit event tomorrow (March 9th, 2010) at restaurant Max. You can get your tickets by clicking here.

photos courtesy of Noah Wolf Photography