Michael Psilakis
MP Taverna
1 Bridge St, Irvington
(914) 231-7854; michaelpsilakis.com/mp-taverna-irvington
Dish I Do the Best…My favorite things to cook are whole anything—whole lamb, whole fish.
If Not a Chef, I’d Be a…poet.
Last Book Read…It’s been a long time! A cook book for sure. Probably Heston Blumenthal’s The Big Fat Duck Cookbook.
I Never Eat…There is nothing I don’t like, believe it or not.
Favorite Place to Dine Out…my home.
Favorite TV Show…Last year, I filmed No Kitchen Required for BBC America. It was a culinary adventure competition show that filmed myself and two other chefs hunting and foraging ingredients to prepare locally inspired meals in various remote locations (there were 10).
The Strangest Request from a Diner…I was once asked by a diner for chicken “medium rare.”
Favorite Form of Exercise…Exercise, who has time for that?
The Worst Kitchen Accident Was…I had a chef who once accidentally reached into the fryer to grab something!
The Worst Incident That Occurred in the Restaurant Was…It would have to be Hurricane Sandy, which closed my restaurant for six weeks. We had to redo the whole thing…kitchen, floors, furniture, everything.
The Most I’ve Paid for a Meal…I paid $2,000 once for a meal. We were in Italy on our honeymoon. And it was worth it!
Most Famous Person I Ever Cooked For…President Obama.
My Dream Project Is…To open a restaurant in Greece.