MOUTH WATERING MIRO
HI DARLINGS! I think the only thing I love more than designing is eating. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I spend a lot of time traveling and finding the most delicious places to please my palette. When Norris started MOUTH WATERING MONDAYS on his blog, about a year ago, it quickly became a favorite segment, and I often got to enjoy the fruits of his labor when I joined him on his tasting ventures. Recently I decided that since I plan to be sharing more about my travel, diet, and ventures in the kitchen, I would also start sharing some “must eat” restaurants I have visited.
BEWARE: Drooling may occur while reading this post.
Chef Gavin Mills is a warm and unassuming man with a wonderful humbleness about his genius. He has been cooking 23 years, and as his mother tells it, he came home from school at the age of ten and said, “I want to be Chef.” He moved to Los Angeles from Essex London 8 years ago and has quickly made an impression.
Mimi: What is your food philosophy?
Chef: Here we try to do everything from scratch. Whole animals we get in, we butcher. As cliché as it is, we try to be respectful to the animal, we use every single part of it. It gave its life for us. I think that’s very important. Basic, just trying to use all great produce. Put simply, you know, it just needs to be one, two, three flavors on a plate no more than that. Just cook simple good food, that’s it.
Mimi: Do you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, like oh my god!?
Chef: Sometimes. It just comes from experiences. After doing this for so long you just kind of know what works. It’s funny when you go to farmer’s market, and you see tomato and basil come out at the same time. And all these classic flavor combinations that you see, you’ll see them come out at the same time. So whether it’s fava beans and morels you’ll see they come into season at the same time, I think this is how our classic combinations come about. Back in the day, you had tomato and basil so you put them together and that’s how it becomes such a staple of your life. What grows together goes together. If you go with that philosophy of what’s in the market as a general point will go together. In California we’re kind of lucky, we don’t have huge seasons because we get a nice consistent temperature, but tomatoes in August compared to tomatoes now are like night and day.
Mimi: I like that, “What grows together goes together”
Chef: I just thought of that (laughs)
Chef: It’s something I think every chef wants to do but not every chef is lucky enough to have an owner like me that allows that, so I’m very blessed in that the owner is very lenient with me lets me kind of be creative and do what I do.
If you are in LA or plan to visit please stop by and tell Chef Gavin Mimi and Norris sent you.
