Chef Scott Jagr
The Rose Room
222 E Main St, Mount Kisco
(914-218-3876; roseroomny.com)
Dish I Do Best…is when I just look to see what’s in the refrigerator and take those items and make something out of nothing.
Drink of Choice…Beer; with all the different manufacturers and microbreweries, you never get bored.
Favorite Cuisine…Peasant food—the cheaper cuts of meats and scraps of food that are turned into fabulous works of art that have so many layers of flavor.
Culinary Hero…The Galloping Gourmet host Graham Kerr. I would come home from school and watch him, one of the first cooking shows on TV. It’s how I became interested in cooking.
If Not a Chef, I’d Be a…cane carver. In my free time, I carve rattling canes with faces of wizards and old men. What is a rattling cane? A cane that has a chain carved at the top and it hangs down and rattles so while walking in the woods, it lets the animals know you’re coming so you don’t startle them, mainly bears with cubs, moose, et cetera—things that can hurt you. Don’t need them much around here, but they’re fun to make.
Favorite Place to Dine Out (other than the restaurant I’m at, of course)…Hot-dog trucks. I stop at any and all hot-dog stands to try the onions and chili. I miss Jesse Dogs, which used to be on Central Avenue—the best onions ever.
I Hate It When a Diner at My Restaurant…talks on a cellphone. It’s rude to the people they’re dining with and to rest of the dining room.
I Never Cook With…table salt. I always use kosher or sea salt; it makes a difference. People at home should follow this rule and they will see an improvement in their cooking.
Favorite TV Show…Duck Dynasty. It’s one the funniest shows ever that can be watched by all ages and praises the loyalty of family and God.
The Strangest Request From a Diner…A raw—yes, raw—hamburger on a bun with all the fixings.
Most Famous Person I Ever Cooked For…That would be President Clinton, but the most rewarding would be Joe Torre—just a down-to-earth and pleasant person.
Three People (Living or Dead) I Would Invite to a Dinner Party…Benjamin Franklin, a lover of beer and spirits; Thomas Jefferson, a foodie himself; and Albert Einstein, just to see how his mind worked.
