We were glad to see Michael Bauer give a shout-out to A16 today because it gives us a hook on which to hang the below YouTube video. There’s something really disarming and cool about Chef Nate Appleman, in that he doesn’t bluster and brag (well, a little, when he says his pizzas are better than those found in Italy), but rather just speaks with calm confidence as he butchers pigs. He’s not a flashy Gordon Ramsay or a self-righteous Alice Waters. He seems like a really normal guy. And he’s got loads of tattoos.
Anyway, you probably already know that Appleman and A16’s owners have opened a new place, SPQR, over on Fillmore Street. Bauer seems to think both restaurants are doing fine, hinting that SPQR’s Roman cuisine is “gutsy and seductive.” Oh, you cad!
Anyway, here’s the video. Pay attention to the part where Appleman reveals his kitchen philosophy: “My philosophy on cooking is, trying to make everything as good as possible.”
Well, they don’t come much more insightful than that.
Italy at my Doorstep [Between meals]
