Steve Wright talks to Jay Peak’s new Executive Chef about food, the depths we’ll travel to in the name of love, and frozen Fava Beans.
Joey Buttendorf Dossier
Musical leanings: | Rancid, Jane’s Addiction, and alt/punk. |
Random cosmic thoughts on Umami: | When you hit everything right, Umami just happens. |
Creative expressions other than making Choron: | Guitar, clarinet, piano. |
Best part about working at a Jewish Bakery that doesn’t include eating from-scratch-bagels: | Jewish holidays. |
You don’t know but thought you did: | I love spiciness, but it’s not a flavor on your tongue, it’s an enhancer. |
3p. Steve’s office. Eating popcorn.
Joey Buttendorf | This place is a mess. |
Steve Wright | Yes. |
SW | You’ve been here, now, 13 days. Have everything figured out yet? |
JB | Mostly. I’m in charge of the back of the house, all of the kitchens, and I’m getting to know the players before changing the game. And there are lots of stars here. I’m kind of in awe at the scope here. |
SW | And by that you mean? |
JB | Remember, I was raised in Montgomery and I’ve known Jay Peak for a long time. Since it was, you know, just a ski area. I raced here when I was a kid, my parents owned a restaurant just down the road and I honed at least some of my chops from JR who now owns the Jay Village Inn. It not only feels I’ve come sort of full circle, but several circles, you know what I mean? |
SW | When people see this place for the first time, they’re impressed—when they see it for the first time in a long time, they’re disoriented. |
JB | Yeah, that was sort of it for me but I can’t tell you how proud I am because of, and for, this place—the mission. Now that I’m on the inside, the picture has a lot more focus. |
SW | How did you end up here. Back here really? |
JB | I’ve cooked all over; from Montgomery to Minneapolis to the MGM (Grand), and those are really just the M’s |
SW | Half way through the alphabet at 45—that’s pretty good. |
JB | That’s it but my dial is tuned into this place, now, for sure. After being at NECI (the esteemed New England Culinary Institute) for TK, I felt like I had really done everything I could do-from teaching to recruiting, I was sort of full. |
SW | An apt metaphor. |
JB | And this place gives me an opportunity to keep filling. 3 full service restaurants and a fourth coming, 2 coffee shop/ bakery’s, a deli and a pizzeria and a General Store—yeah, filling. |
SW | Sorry-standard chef questions coming—what’s always in your fridge? |
JB | No problem-lots of condiments, soy sauce, hunks of local cheese. |
SW | Wait, Soy sauce goes in the fridge? |
JB | After opening, yes. |
SW | Oh. |
SW | Breakfast? |
JB | Today was a Cherry Chobani Yogurt and a granola bar. |
SW | Are you saying that to sound demure? Did you really have a steak? |
JB | No, but if you asked me for my last meal, it’d be a Lobster Tail buried in butter, a filet with a port wine reduction, asparagus and a glass of Glenmorangie. |
SW | Should HR be concerned you’re thinking on these things? |
JB | Last meals? No, but that’s a standard question. |
SW | Standard, thank you. How about weird things, food I mean. |
JB | Definitely Cheddar Cheese, Chunky Peanut Butter and mustard sandwiches. French’s mustard. |
SW | NECI you say? |
JB | I know weird right—it was the favorite of Andrew Stevens; my basketball playing boyfriend in High School. |
SW | I figured. |
JB | And frozen fava beans—My mom used to make them for me and I’d snack on them when I was younger. |
SW | Another HR miss. |
JB | But aside from that, I pretty much eat anything. Especially a good Tortierre. If you were to ask, and I’m sure you would-that’s my favorite—a good, traditional French meat pie with pork, beef and lamb. |
SW | Add to standard, predictable. Anything else I should be asking? |
JB | Ask me what I really like to cook. |
SW | Have at it. |
JB | Sauces. Building flavors I mean. I taught a sauce class at NECI—The Mother Sauces (Béchamel, Tomato, Español, Hollandaise, and Volute) which is a white fish stock in case you were going to ask. |
SW | I was. |
JB | I could tell. I love building flavor profiles—adding layers of flavor that both compliment and amplify one another. It’s sort of like what’s happening here-adding texture I mean—waterparks, ice rinks, restaurants to the skiing and riding, everything just compliments and amplifies. |
SW | You’re kind of writing this for me here Joey. That was a pretty tasty sound bite. |
JB | It’s what I do. |