Executive Chef & Food and Beverage Director, James Barrett, The Westin Annapolis Hotel, 100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401
410-972-4300 or toll free at 1-800-937-8461
It was 2:15 pm and I was stuck in traffic on West Street. I was stressed since this was my first Chef Series interview and I wanted it to be perfect…and of course I didn’t want to be late. As I slowly made my way to the hotel past Westgate Circle, I found parking right across the street…things were looking up and this was a good omen. As I made my way across the street, I went into a side door which led directly into the kitchen…another bonus…I looked at my watch, and it was 2:30pm…I made it.
I walked into the kitchen and asked for Chef Barrett…he promptly turned the corner and bounded towards me like a friend I hadn’t seen in years…we made our way into the beautifully appointed adjacent dining room of the Azure restaurant and made ourselves comfortable. Right away…we clicked and his love and passion for food was palpable.
What is your background and how did you get started in the food business?
“I grew up on the water in southern Anne Arundel County, spending my days on a 200 acre farm, crabbing and then feasting on the spoils of the harvest every weekend with all of the homemade fixings, including my grandmother’s homemade bread. As a child, we hunted both duck and goose and I learned how to process the meat from the plucking of the feathers to the preparation and presentation. My grandmother grew all of her own vegetables, and canned many of them to last through the year. I began working at Skipper’s Pier at the age of 14 as a dishwasher during the summer season. By the time I graduated High School, I made my way up through the ranks and was now working on the line. After taking a few classes at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) in Communications, I did some soul searching and realized that I already had a career…and even though the hours were crazy, I loved what I was doing. At this point, I was working at Pirate’s Cove, and I heard about a program at Johnson & Wales where they gave you credit for work experience. I went in and scored really well on the test and ended up getting my Bachelor’s Degree in 3 years. I was working 2 jobs and going to school at the same time…it was a crazy time. I got my first Executive Sous Chef position when I was 25. It was an enormous amount of responsibility for my age, and I was always the first one in and last out every single day, 6 days a week…and I loved it.”
What are your thoughts about the food industry? What’s working? What’s lacking?
“I love the industry because Chefs love to share their recipes and help those interested in learning the business. I’ve only known of a few who have been very secretive about their work, but most people are willing to advise you and help you to move along in your career. I also love to teach and share and I look for teachable moments in the work environment. I have thrown out entire batches of product if they were made incorrectly because I don’t want to sacrifice the standards. If my staff doesn’t understand something, we’ll do it again…and teachable moments don’t have to be a negative thing…it’s important to teach them correctly.
What’s lacking is time…Sometimes the pressure of the industry to execute everything in a timely manner doesn’t allow for personalized training, you have to make the time for those that have an interest in learning more.
On a national level, I love the work that the American Culinary Federation (ACF) has done to establish the various training and internship programs as an alternative to culinary school, because not everyone can afford to go. I also believe that the standards established for the different work levels give you something to work towards and it is a goal of mine to eventually achieve my CEC…but I hate it in the sense that it is so politically driven. I also believe that your personal work ethic and your level of passion will determine the type of Chef you will ultimately be, and not where you studied or went to school. Also, your level of understanding about what it takes to be successful will determine how hard you work in this business. This isn’t a job where you shut the lights off at 5 o’clock and go home until the next day. As a hotel, I’m putting food out 24 hours a day 365 days per year…that’s what the business is all about…It really is about who you are going in that says a lot about who you will be coming out.”
What do you think of the food trends happening across the country with food trucks and pop up restaurants? Will it help or hurt the industry?
“I love the idea of the food trucks but I don’t think Annapolis will ever get behind the idea. It is such a great concept, but it will never happen here because of all of the politics. Customers love direct interaction with the people that are producing their food. Look at the success that restaurants have when they have an open kitchen for customers to see how their food is being prepared…like sushi bars…it’s an instant gratification. Restaurants need to be focused on how we can be more in front of our guests instead of hiding in the back…how do we get the kitchen more in the middle of the dining room and make that a focal point.”
What type of cuisine do you prefer to cook and why? What Chefs have inspired you?
“I’m really eclectic in the food I prepare and it is really an awesome time to be a Chef. Give me a plate of food and the first thing I do is stir it all together! I love to watch shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, and find inspiration and ideas in the dishes that are prepared. I prefer to use more classic European techniques but the food I like to cook is more American influenced. I currently have a Gunpowder Bison meatloaf on the menu, and I am using a really fruity olive oil instead of a pork fat for additional flavor.
We have an amazing milkshake ranked number 6 by the Baltimore Sun. We did a cranberry and apple pico de gallo with our shrimp and are adding a watermelon salsa on our new menu.
We play around with molecular gastronomy and make a few foams and gels and have a 10 liter liquid nitrogen tank to make our own ice cream. In the molecular gastronomy field definitely Jose Andres and Ferran Adria are inspirations…and on the classical side, definitely Michele Richard from Citronelle.
My friend Greg Smith and I used to do a dine around in DC years ago. At the time he was going for his Master Sommelier certificate and his knowledge of the food industry was invaluable…that was a turning point in my career…it was always about cooking but feeling his passion and learning about his service expectations as the General Manager of a restaurant helped me to mold myself into what I have become in the back of the house. In my current position, I am both Executive Chef and Food Beverage Director…it’s a tough job but I enjoy it because it’s fun to do every day.”
If you have a mediocre food experience at a restaurant, do you go back?
“When I was younger I was headstrong and very particular…At this point in my life, I understand the business in a very different way. I would definitely go back and give someone a second shot. Everyone is entitled to an off night. I have had one experience which was more of a service issue, where the Manager was not willing to accommodate our party, and that is one place I would never go back to. It’s a very successful restaurant, but that was something I could not get past.”
What is your food philosophy?
“My purchasing philosophy is to look locally first before I go to source ingredients with a broadline distributor. I have relationships with local farmers in the area, but shopping at the farmer’s market for a large hotel is not realistic from a quantity or financial standpoint. When you buy locally, the quality is amazing…like night and day. I buy both my beef and bison from local farmers. The bison comes from Gunpowder Trading Ranch and my beef from Ivy Neck Farm in Shadyside. They have partnered with Old Line Custom Meat Packers who process the meat and it is all USDA certified. As a result, Southern Maryland now has its own beef line which is being processed through Old Line.
I also source my eggs, shrimp and crabmeat (including soft shells) locally.
I even maintain a beehive on the roof of the hotel. I have 2 hives that I check every other week and we will process about 20-25 pounds of honey out of that per year. I also have 2 other hives on two local farms. My father was a beekeeper and did it as a hobby, and he would process the honey for us to use at home or give as gifts…I even came across a few jars of it recently as I was cleaning out my parents home after he passed away.
In the hotel, we use the honey in both our desserts and our mains. We have a hot smoked salmon with a honey lacquer and a lamb dish that is infused with both lavender and honey. If I can produce enough, I would like to eventually bottle and sell the honey locally.
My cooking philosophy is rooted in history and tradition. I believe that we must remember our roots and where we came from. As a Chef, trying to elicit those food memories that don’t necessarily need to be improved, but just tweaked with a few new twists to make it a new experience. When people eat my food, I want them to walk away with not only a WOW experience, but also something they fondly remember from their past…food is an an emotional connection.”
Do you think that food bloggers help or hurt the industry?
“It helps if they have a base of reference so that they know what they are talking about when experiencing a dish. Food bloggers work in real time, and it goes back to the instant gratification issue we spoke about earlier….you are getting a real time snapshot of what is going on at that moment. In the end, I should not have to give anyone any instruction or manual on how to understand or appreciate the food you are eating. If someone doesn’t like something, it’s their opinion and it’s ok…A food blogger is not like a food critic who believes that unless you have so many stars or diamonds you are not a successful restaurant. I’ve had some of my greatest meals in some of the smallest dives and some mediocre meals at some of the best restaurants.”
What are the top 5 things you would like your patrons to know about you as a Chef?
- I’m a big proponent of using local ingredients and I support my local farmers and community by establishing solid relationships
- I am a teacher foremost and then a Chef
- I love what I do and I do what it takes to get the job done
- I accept constructive criticism. It’s important to have a dialogue with your staff and your consumer. We are always working hard to make their dining experience better each and every time
- To everyone who wants to get into the food business, I recommend that they read “Setting the Table” by Danny Meyer. His philosophy about the industry is clearly laid out. Success in this business is a well connected circle of people who work hard to maximize and personalize the customer’s experience.
SUMMARY of menus for Azure Restaurant & Bar
Lunch menu is very affordable with appetizers ranging from $4-$12 and include grilled Marvesta shrimp, petite crab cakes, jerk chicken wings, BBQ beef bites, fresh cut fries, crab dip or a Mediterranean hummus dip.
Soups & Salads range from $7-$14 and include many local favorites such as cream of crab soup, Maryland crab soup and the delicious honey glazed smoked salmon cobb salad. They also have an option for a ‘build your own salad’, so that you can get exactly what you like.
Sandwiches and burgers range from $9-$16 and include a little something for everyone. Here you will find delicious burgers, turkey Panini, vegan black bean burger, tempura rockfish sandwich, jumbo lump crabcake sandwich and their famous Bison burger.
When you go, make sure to ask for their home made pickles…they are just amazing. They were just slightly sweet with more pronounced flavors of dill and turmeric. Their pickled haricot verts that accompanied their delicious and creamy crabcakes were crisp, refreshing and like the pickles…very addictive.
Dinner menu is equally affordable with prices ranging between $19-$30. Some of the offerings include a 24 hour meltingly good pot roast, chicken and dumplings, spicy shrimp papardelle, honey glazed slamon with fingerling potato salad, bison meatloaf and the lavender and honey infused rack of lamb.
Desserts are a must here and range from $6-$9 and include their homemade ice cream or sorbet and their deliciously creamy chocolate ganache tower lightly sprinkled with sea salt. Their red velvet funnel cake is a modern reinvention of the more traditional red velvet cake and has to be paired with one of their delicious milkshakes.
Leave a Reply