[Executive Chef Jeffery Froehler
Q: What is your culinary philosophy?
A: I think it starts with the earth and the sea. Earth to mouth is basically what my philosophy is. It comes down to using the freshest and the cleanest product you can find. As clean as your kitchen is, is as clean as your food is going to be. It’s important to me, because your food is as good as your kitchen is. Coming from San Francisco, I was fortunate to work at restaurants that allowed me to bring in local products. Trucks would line up at the restaurant pushing fresh mushrooms, heirlooms, herbs, everything you can imagine. What’s fun to see happen here is that, over the past couple of years, a lot of restaurants are involved in local farms. As far as cookbooks go, I rarely use them as a resource. Ideas come in different ways. I had incredible beets one time and beautiful handpicked arugula. We were sick of doing goat cheese and beet salad, so I got together with my pastry chef and we said let’s do a beet sorbet with blue cheese ice cream! We sold 40 or 50 over a couple days.
Q: What made you become a chef?
A: It was a reality check. College wasn’t going so well for me. A friend asked me if I wanted to cook at his restaurant but I knew nothing about cooking. He made it look so interesting. Cooking just made sense to me. It clicked. I actually met my wife on the first day of culinary school. She made school that much better. I had to prove myself as a chef! I had to do it for her.
Q: What inspired you to create Barclay Prime’s menu?
A: Only the best goes on the plate at Barclay Prime. We are diligent about everything we do here. The menu is the side of me that says: let’s get the best carrots and what can we do with these carrots that is totally different? We take certain steakhouse items and make them new world. We dust off the old, and in with the new.
Q: What is your favorite steak and side dish on the menu?
A: The 16 oz. New York Strip. It’s more unique than anything on my menu. It’s because of the flavor aspect: when you first bite into it, there’s a nutty-ness in your nose and it finishes with a blue cheese-like taste. Two extremes that are so amazing together. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. If I were to have any side on my dish, the Tator Tots are the way to go. They’re so good. It took one solid month to develop those Tator Tots – but it’s basically just potatoes and chives.
Q: Who came up with the idea of the hundred dollar cheesesteak and what’s in it?
A: The idea was developed by the Starr Restaurant Organization’s Chief Operating Officer Howard Wein. It started off as a joke, next thing you know…. The original had foie gras in it. Right now, it has butter poached lobster, sliced kobe hanger steak, sautéed onions, black truffle butter, shaved truffles, taleggio cheese, and a bit of mustard. It’s served with Veuve Clicquot champagne. The acidic aspect of the champagne marries well with the richness of the cheesesteak.
Q: What else is in store for Barclay Prime?
A: Gosh. We have so many ideas. We’re going to revisit a bunch of super classics. We are constantly talking with local farmers. We’re constantly revolving ideas. A burger is coming out shortly – which is not on any menu I’ve ever seen before.
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Review By Mazhari
PhiladelphiaRestaurants.com
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