Josh Watkins of The Carillon took time to sit with me and give me some Flaky Bits
I am lucky to start my new Flaky Bits with one of my favorite Austin chefs, the young and talented Josh Watkins. In a nutshell, I met Josh while he was the Sous Chef at the Driskill Grill working with David Bull. Upon David’s departure, Josh took over the kitchen to continued acclaim. My first clue that Josh not only is a cutting edge, super creative presence in the kitchen, but also a super cool guy was at the now infamous Batini contest. After the competition was done, the judges and VIPs were still backstage and Josh came over, pastry bag in hand, pouring lemongrass sorbet directly into people’s mouths while we drank shots of Tito’s. I knew then, as I still do, that he was a kindred spirit.
I recently visited with Josh at his new venture as Executive Chef at The Carillon, the restaurant at UT’s AT&T Conference Center. We enjoyed a four-course tasting menu with wine pairings that was absolutely stunning. The crisp pork belly with a spicy Diablo glaze, Asian pear salad and crisped mint is still in my mind as a fine example of why pork rules. The perfectly cooked coffee-rubbed NY Strip, garnish with candied garlic and served with a cocotte of creamy roasted pasrnips has no equal. Josh knows his ingredients and can combine them fearlessly. Bravo, my friend.
Texas coffee-rubbed dry aged NY strip, with candied garlic garnish and creamy rosted parsnips on the side...yes, please!
Josh Watkins’ Flaky Bits:
Chile y limón: If you were a metal band, which would you be?
Josh Watkins: “Does Whitesnake count? I’ll be Whitesnake!”
CyL: If your food was a music genera, what would it be?
JW: “Eclectic Jazz. It has stability, but also spark and flare.”
CYL: What do you think is the most underutilized vegetable and how do you use it?
JW: “Celery still gets a bad rap! It is great because it pairs with fat and has a palate cleansing flavor and texture. The tender leaves are great raw, in salads.”
CyL: What do you eat at Luby’s?
JW: “I have never been to Luby’s! My wife and I were talking about it the other day. It’s definitely on our to-do list!”
For the record, Chile y limón is partial to the crunchy-crusted baked fish with that scary tartar sauce…and cherry pie for dessert!
CyL
Tags: celery, Flaky Bits, Josh Watkins, parsnips, Restaurants, The Carillon
February 17, 2010 at 3:40 pm |
Hi Claudia,
It was great to see you at The Carillon and I love Flaky Bits! How fun. Looking forward to hearing more from you and sharing more fun Josh Watkins bits in the future.
Cheers,
Cat Caroom
February 18, 2010 at 12:28 pm |
Thanks Cat, always good to see you too! Please make sure Josh knows about this, I have misplaced his card w/ his email. Cheers and thanks for reading!
CyL