Country Boy, City Belle™: Interview with a Chef

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Interview with a Chef

When one thinks of a New York City chef they think of sleeve tattoos, big hair, and an even BIGGER EGO, but not Ben Kacmarcik. On the contrary, upon arrival he wore a white V-neck and some blue jeans. Very quiet and reserved, yet you can see the subtle confidence; by good observation the only thing that shows a sneak at how successful he actually is, is his watch. I had the opportunity to interview Ben, an up-and-coming NYC chef. He is immensely talented, completely driven and goal oriented, yet he's also humble and reserved. Ben's mantra is Hard Work & Dedication and by the looks of his Rose Gold Hublot, it appears to be paying off. It's his subtle way of saying,
"I'm doing pretty good."
Here are of some of Ben's creations:

ARCTIC CHAR FILLET

Lemon-Caper Sauce, Baby Lettuce and Frisée

Miso Matzoh Ball Soup w/ Shiitake Mushrooms

Ben said, "I take great pride in understanding what operationally makes things function at their highest level without exuding tremendous amounts of energy. I'm always thinking, is there a better way to do this or are we taking the necessary steps to get the best results?"

Ben told me that he enjoyed the quote I used "A truly wise man knows he knows nothing," Ben said, "I may be in a great position with all things considered, and I know a lot operationally that goes into making a restaurant group, not just a single restaurant function. B/c of this I strive to move up the latter and get better each and every day." Ben is a genuine person who's proud to have been emotionally supported by his parents throughout his life, but Ben is a self-made man who has been producing results based on the ever-changing New York City culinary jungle for years.