Chef and Tell, part two: Bistro Vendôme's Matt Anderson

Lori Midson

Matt Anderson
Bistro Vendôme
1420 Larimer Street
303-825-3232
www.bistrovendome.com

This is part two of Lori Midson's interview with Matt Anderson, chef of Bistro Vendôme. Part one of that interview delves into Anderson's take on WHIRL, EVOO, brains and Bourdain.

Culinary inspirations: The seasons, and the way they make me feel. Writing fall menus is my absolute favorite; in winter, I get to do warm, heavier stuff; spring is rebirth with lighter and more colorful dishes; and in the summer, it's all about smoking and grilling and picnic stuff. The seasons, combined with some of my favorite dishes that I get to play off of in the restaurant, motivate me. Thanksgiving was always big in our family, so I like to play off those dishes. Right now we're doing a new duck dish that has a fritter with butternut squash, bacon and sage - it's sort of a take on stuffing.

Greatest accomplishment as a chef: Just to have the average person -- not a critic or chef - tell me that they like my food. That said, it's really nice to get a compliment from another chef, since they know what we all go through. I also cooked at the James Beard House two years ago -- we were invited to go, as opposed to asking to go - and that was a great experience.

Rules of conduct in your kitchen: Don't screw anything up - recipes, setting up your station, whatever. Basically, I don't want to hold anyone's hand. That's what culinary schools are for. I'd much rather have cooks on my line with common sense than guys with the stellar resumé. I want cooks with street smarts rather than book smarts. I'm also a stickler for everything being put back in its exact place. I don't have time to spend all day organizing. I have lots of OCD stuff, too, like the mats have to be in a perfect line and aligned with the tiles.

Favorite restaurant in America: I always have an amazing meal at Bouchon in Las Vegas. It's my kind of food -- cured meats, pâtés, cheeses and pickled veggies. But it's not the food itself so much as the kitchen's mentality and approach to the food that's so impressive. There, the process of cooking and technique is just as important, if not more so, than plate presentation or how many things you can get on the plate. Service is incredible, too. Before you know you want something, it's already there.

Best food city in America: San Francisco. I just like the vibe of it, and it's really, really diverse. You get really good ethnic cuisine - and lots of it - plus amazing fresh seafood. I love what they have going on there and how forward-thinking that city is. When it comes to growth, though, it's Denver. Things are happening a lot faster here than elsewhere, and Denver is definitely going in the right direction. We're no longer just the cowtown everyone thinks we are. There are some really good restaurants and chefs here -- chefs like Jen Jasinski -- who are really testing the waters and pushing the envelope.

Favorite music to cook by: It depends on my mood, but recently, I've been making the cooks listen to Colorado Public Radio during service, because it keeps the mood calm -- and I like that. When service starts to wind down, somehow the party music gets turned on. Which reminds me: I need to find out who it is that's switching the radio.

What you'd like to see more of in Denver from a culinary standpoint: A big warehouse market with vendors, food and everything culinary under one roof -- something like the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We have such great warehouse space here; we should use some of it for a one-shop market that isn't controlled by one entity.