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Food and restaurants with Michael Klein

Come chat with Philly.com's Michael Klein and his guest, restaurateur Kevin Sbraga, at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Michael Klein:

Good afternoon, all. Just filling in for The Inquirer's Craig LaBan for a couple of weeks while he is on assignment. (He needs both hands free for this one.)

Today, I have with me one Kevin Sbraga, chef/owner of Sbraga, The Fat Ham, and later this summer Juniper Commons at Broad and South Streets. Kevin also won Season 7 of "Top Chef."

He and I will take your questions for the next hour or so on the restaurant biz.

Go ahead. Ask away.

2:00 Comment From Mike H

Kevin- welcome to the chat, what can you tell us about your upcoming restaurant at Broad and South

Hi Mike H. This is Mike K., typing for Kevin: It's going to be a fun, casual American restaurant with a throwback to the '80s. It will be called Juniper Commons, after the neighborhood.

2:01 Michael Klein:

So Kevin, what was your first kitchen job?

2:01 Kevin: Dishwashing at my father's bakery.

2:02 Comment From Fiona

Can you please share with us your recipe for vaduvan wings or better yet where to get them again? I had them at the Rittenhouse Row fest and it was probably the best thing i've ever eaten.

2:02 Kevin: We have a vadouvan Cornish hen at Sbraga now. It's a smaller bird than a chicken wing but it's the same recipe - same delicious chicken.

2:03 Comment From Boz Scaggs

Who got more lady play in 1982: Peter Cetera or Lionel Richie?

2:04 Kevin: My general manager, Ben Fileccia, would kill me if I didn't say Lionel Ritchie, but Peter Cetera did pretty well, in my opinion.

2:04 A real '80s throwback there, Kevin.

2:04  Comment From Matt

What are your best tips for someone just starting to learn how to cook?

2:05 Kevin: For professional cooking, just start dishwashing or working in a kitchen somewhere. For a home cook, pick up your favorite cookbook and start cooking out of there.

2:06 Comment From Mike H

What Philly chefs would you like to collaborate with on a one time only special dinner

2:07 Kevin:: Man, I have to think about that one. I would have to go back and say, Terence Feury, now at Tavro 13 in Swedesboro. I picked up his job at the Ritz-Carlton after he left, and there was such respect and reverence for him that I'd like to spend an evening in the kitchen with him.

2:07  Comment From Fiona

What's your favorite type of cuisine? You use a lot of indian elements at Sbraga.

2:08 Kevin: My favorite to eat is probably Italian, but I'm really inspired by Mediterranean ingredients. It's the spices like cumin, the fresh cilantro and parsley, lemon and garlic and dill, just to name a few.

2:10 Let's talk about the business. Why did you want to make the leap from chef to chef/restaurateur?

2:11  Kevin: It was never my goal to do that. My goal was just to be chef at one restaurant, Sbraga, and I would have been happy with that. But the real reason why s because I had a lot of talent working at Sbraga and I needed to grow them and provide new opportunities for them.

2:12 Comment From Kate

Favorite "hole in the wall" in philly?

2:13 Kevin: Pho Ha at Sixth and Washington. Is that considered a hole in the wall?

2:13 Comment From Brian K.

Kevin, thanks for chatting with us. How can we make healthier choices in the kitchen?

2:15 Kevin: The first is buying great ingredients. Second, letting the ingredients speak for themselves and not doing too much to them. And then third, try to eliminate fats and sugars. You can make up for it with salt, acid and fresh herbs.

2:15 Comment From Mike H

What cuisines is Philly's restaurant scene missing?

2:16 Kevin: Filipino is one of them. There's nobody doing Singapore street food.

2:16  What's the best meal you've had in the last month or so?

2:20 Kevin: Le Virtu [on East Passyunk]. Joe [Cicala] does this sausage spread. It's a little bit spicy and just delicious. I had the maccheroni alla mugnaia, which is a single strand of pasta, and the charcuterie board is amazing. His roasted chicken has a meatiness to the sauce and a lot of fresh thyme.

2:20 Comment From Jodi S

I just want to say that I ate at Fat Ham for the first time last night. It was absolutely wonderful.

2:21 Kevin: Thank you! What did you have?

2:21 Comment From j king

Where is the best place to by fish in the area? When is the best time in the week to purchase it?

2:23 Kevin: When I'm buying for myself, I like to shop at the Italian Market. There's this one shop, and I can't remember the name, but it's on Ninth and on the right side of the street, about halfway up the block from Washington. It's best to buy Thursday-Friday-Saturday but you can also buy on Sunday.

2:23 Comment From Guest

Can you give a few examples of how the new place with throw a nod to the 80's?

2:24 Kevin: I don't want to say too much about that.

2:24Comment From Guest

Still Rotiserrie-Centric though?

2:25 Kevin: Too hard to say now. Stay tuned.

2:25 Comment From Jodi S

Since my brother in law and sister in law had been there....we really tried mostly everything on the menu. We were 6 people so we tried from all of the categories.

2:25 Kevin: Glad you enjoyed yourselves!

2:26 Comment From Larry S.

I am craving your meatloaf. Its crazy good! Where are you serving it?

2:26  Kevin: The meatloaf will be served at Juniper Commons.

2:27 Comment From Lindsay

Any suggestions for navigating a grocery store and getting high-quality food for cheap or reasonable prices? Or even, how to pick the best produce?

2:28 Kevin: There's no such thing as cheap ingredients. Buy stuff when it's in season. What people have to do is go to multiple markets to see what's out there and to comparison-shop.

2:28 Comment From KayB

We are headed to OCNJ this weekend, any ideas for any restaurants in that area?

2:29 Kevin: I am headed down there with Chip Roman in two weeks. If you have any ideas, let ME know."

2:29  Mike here: Craig LaBan is at the Shore right now. Stay tuned for his report on what's new.

2:29 Comment From Mike

When is the best time to stop into one of your restaurants to have a chance to meet with you or see you in action?!

2:31 Kevin: I usually float between the two restaurants between 5 and 9, so it's hard for me to answer.

2:31 Mike here: You'll see his orange and black scooter.

2:32 Comment From Mike H

Its Not OCNJ, But i always like the Diving Horse in Avalon

2:32 Mike here: Kevin says he's not familiar, but I like it. Def better than the average "shore restaurant."

2:33 Comment From Elaine

Have you ever been ti El Celler de Con Roca

2:33 Kevin: Never been.

2:33 Comment From Brandon

Looking forward to seeing you at Taste Of Tennis NYC, what are you preparing for the tasting?

2:34 Kevin: We submitted three dishes, but the committee has not selected one yet. It's Aug. 21, so we have a little time.

2:34 Comment From Abby

I'm a fairly well-versed home cook. I cook a lot of fresh, healthy dishes (also a dietitian) I don't use a lot of cookbooks- but mostly use whats in my fridge. How do you suggest I take my cooking up a notch?

2:38  Kevin: People talk about mixing ingredients, but it's really about finding harmony and balance in those ingredients. Once you do that, it's about substituting one ingredient for another. Let's say ratatouille. You have eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic and tomato. So maybe it is as simple as adding cumin seed to it or za'tar or maybe anchovy to accentuate and even change the dish.

2:38 Comment From Guest

Your food ranks with the Roca brothers! Tops in world. I have been to both

2:38 Kevin: Wow. Thank you!

2:38 Comment From Danny

Kevin, I love your food. Here's my question: What's the best piece of advice someone ever gave you?

2:39 Kevin: Never give up.

2:39 Comment From ml

how has no avance news broken after what happened last week?

2:40 Mike here: "No one from the organization is talking, and there have been no new court filings. Meanwhile, it's open for biz."

2:42 There was a period of about a year after you won "Top Chef" till the opening of Sbraga. Why didn't you open sooner?

2:43 Kevin: I actually opened sooner than any other Top Chef winner, up till then. I wanted to find the right space. And the last part was raising the money.

2:44 So that $125,000 didn't cover it?

2:44 Kevin:  Not even close.

2:44 Comment From Kyle

It's so awesome to chat with such a great chef. Thanks for being here Kevin! What 3 things do all great chefs need?

2:46 Kevin: One thing that is overlooked: A developed palate. You also need tenacity and a drive. You also need a level of commitment.

2:46 Comment From Mark

follow-up to kyle, favorite kitchen tool?

2:47 Kevin: The spoon. It's really versatile. You can use it for a lot of things, like saucing a plate, lifting up a vegetable (like a spatula), and you can bang on the table with it to get someone's attention.

2:48 Comment From Abby

best brunch in the city?

2:49 Kevin: Fitler Dining Room. This pork roll dish with an egg on top was so good.

2:49  Are there too many restaurants in Center City?

2:51  Kevin: There are too many good restaurants in Center City, but that's not a bad thing. I can go out to eat 30 days a month and have a great meal every night - and affordable, too.

2:53  Would you entertain the idea of expanding to other cities?

2:54  Kevin: Yes, but Philadelphia is my home. If it was another city, it would have to be a great opportunity.

2:55 Comment From ml

do you think your kitchens are putting out food that's just as good whether you are in them or not? if so, what's the point of you?

2:56 Kevin: "I think the kitchens put out great food overall, whether I'm there or not. But I'm the one who writes the menus, tastes all the food and I'm the one who helps manage the restaurants on a daily basis. I'm in my restaurants every day.

2:56 Comment From Guest

Ever entertain the idea of a quick-serve type concept with multi-unit options like FedNuts? If you had to, what would the concept be?

2:57 Kevin: "Yes! Chicken. I just want chicken and fries.

2:57 Is this just an idea, or have you moved forward with this? Kevin Fried Chicken!

2:58  Kevin: At this time, it's only an idea.

2:58 Comment From Jodi S

Even better is chicken and waffles!!!!!

2:59 Kevin: Ahhh. Chicken and waffles is overrated.

2:59 Comment From frank

why did you pick broad and south for your latest locations

3:00 Kevin: I like everything that's happening on South Street west of Broad, and the activity is moving east. If you look at Broad Street, there really is a gap between Sbraga at Pine Street and 777 S. Broad (where Tashan is).

3:01 Comment From tm

Went to Sbraga last night for the first time and loved it. Top Chef is my favorite show because it seems the closest to "reality". When you watched the show after the fact how close did you feel it portrayed what really happened?

3:03 Kevin: I think it was pretty accurate. The biggest thing is that the show is really compacted into 43 minutes, so a lot of the little things get cut out.

3:03 Comment From Benji

What are the biggest mistakes you see other chefs making?

3:06 Kevin: The biggest is not focusing on the business. Too often, the focus is just on the food, but you have to look at labor and other costs and make sure that there's a balance. You have to challenge the cooks and keep them interested, so they will produce better food.

3:06 Comment From Guest

What is your shift drink?

3:07 Kevin: In the winter, I like bourbon and ginger ale. Summertime, it's gin and tonic.

3:08 Well, Kevin. This has been a fun hour. I appreciate your coming in here and chatting with us. I'm looking forward to seeing the progress on Juniper Commons, which is supposed to open this fall. Meanwhile, good luck with Sbraga and The Fat Ham.

3:09 Kevin: Thank you for letting me keep LaBan's seat warm. It's been a blast.