Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/26650
drınk dısh the and the B.A.: I love the seasonal and sustain- able message that Nana practices and preaches. Tell me some of the challenges and successes you’ve had when sourcing and using local organic produce. Leanne Strickler: Luckily, I haven’t encountered too much setback or frustration in this area. Guy has been really helpful. He keeps me updated on when ingredients are coming into and going out of season. I’m also adjusting to produce usage and spoilage. Organic ingredients just don’t have the shelf life of their conventional counterparts, so I’m learning not to over-order things. Guy Meikle: For me and the kitchen it poses the ultimate challenge for creativity and freshness. The drawback is trying not to fl ood the menu with the same ingredient or variations on a theme. The most successful dishes are the ones that play on themes that our entire dining audience can wrap their head around, while adding our own tweaks and twists on it. Our clas- sic/Southern/Latin American vibe is the theme that our guests really respond to. Nana’s whole goal was to be accessible and comforting to everyone, seven days a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner. embarked on for 2011—what we call the 365—showcases how well we work together on an improvisational basis. We decided that starting on January 1, we would do a small canapé and cocktail presented as a daily special. No repeats, no cop-outs. And so far, it’s going incredibly well. We talk every day about what we’re thinking about doing, and what we put out ends up pairing fabulously! I look to Guy not just as a chef, but as a guide and partner in my creative process. B.A.: Chef Guy, give me three words that best describe Leanne. Meikle: Funny, passionate, driven. B.A.: Your turn, Leanne. Give me three words that best describe Chef Guy. Strickler: This is not easy. Level, patient and empathetic—at least with me! Mixologist Leanne Strickler. B.A.: Tell me about your relationship as chef and mixologist. Strickler: I’d say we’re a great fi t. My drinks just work with his cuisine. We complement each other really well, and we share a passion for fl avors with impact. I believe the project we’ve 64 / the tasting panel / march 201 1 B.A.: My mentor is Tony Abou-Ganim. He was crucial to my development as a beverage professional and is a great friend. Who are your mentors and how have they shaped your careers? Strickler: I learned a lot about work ethic and effi ciency while working for the Hard Rock Café. A few bartenders in that company really taught me a lot; Javier in Phoenix was patient with me in teaching new recipes and construc- tive criticisms. My dear friend Lynnda taught me how to make things happen in this industry. I’ve also learned a lot from the recipes at Mercadito created by Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay of The Tippling Bros. Their recipes and formulas really impacted me and taught me about proportion and balance. Meikle: Pretty much every chef that I have worked with over the past 12 years has taught me something; includ- ing those that I have worked for—or who worked for me. Chef Kimberly Robinson, whom I worked with at South Gate in Lake Forest, taught me about the humanistic aspect of food production and nurturing and educat- ing your teammates. John Caputo, my longtime mentor and friend, taught me tons about the pragmatic realities of ownership, cooking and attention to detail, as well as unwavering quality. He helped me to defi ne my culinary voice. Mark Stanley and Mark Facklam, now of the Art Institute, were incredible mentors. They helped me fi gure out what exactly it meant to be a chef, to