Nicholas & Company: Food Trends

Fall 2011

Executive Chef Scott Rutter, C.E.C., C.C.E. (ACF, Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator) brings over 20 years experience to The Silver Dollar Grill at the Wort Hotel. His extensive culinary resume includes The St. Regis, The Ritz Carlton Club, J.W. Marriot, Vail Cascade Hotel & Resort and Squaw Valley. Chef Rutter was a guest chef/consultant on Top Chef, Season 3 and 4. Scott’s mentors are culinary notables such as German Master Chef Ralph Nau and Master Chef Jesse Llapitan, the current Executive Chef at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. He has a passion for food and for the people involved in preparing and serving his creations. We were lucky enough to enjoy an incredible meal including the surf & turf featured on the facing page. Chef Rutter was able to take a
few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk with us.

Name? Chef Scott Rutter
Occupation? Executive Chef, Wort Hotel
Hometown? State College, PA

First food service job? Duffy’s Tavern – Boalsburg, PA, when I was 14 I was the “Pot Sink”
Champion!

When/how did you decide to be a chef? I love to make guests happy. I love to see their faces light up and exceed their expectations. I like to delight my customers – both internal and external. I also wanted a job that would always be needed – people will always need to eat!

Special you did that worked well? Miso marinated butter cod with purple Thai sticky rice with blood
orange citrus sauce.  Special you did that did not work well? The same special but using tilapia. None of my guests wanted to
buy tilapia.

Favorite new ingredient? How do you use it? There are two: 1) Granny smith apple caviar and 2) Wyomato
tomatoes.

Favorite cooking tool? Using my head and bringing out the best ideas from my team. And, my 3 HP Vitaprep.

Favorite job? Director of Culinary Operations at Squaw Valley. There were so many moving parts and I was able to utilize all of my skills.

Describe your “Best Meal Ever”? Nobu in NYC. I know him from the Aspen Food & Wine Festival and
our meal there was incredible.

Strangest dish you’ve eaten. Where? Why? I am pretty conservative, but really any sushi that I can’t identify is
strange to me.

Do you watch the food network? Yes, I was involved with Seasons 3 & 4 of Top Chef, so it is one of
my favorites. Also, Gordan Ramsay’s show is growing on me.

What trends do you see in food for the next year? Retro dishes and the returning of classics done in a new, different
way. Fusions of retro dishes being deconstructed, dehydrated.

Wine, Beer, or Whiskey? Wine! My favorites are Flora Springs Trilogy and Matanzas Creek.

Most impactful assignment as a chef? Being asked by my boss, Chef Jesse Llapatan, to show for work early in the morning without eating anything, dressed in ski gear. All the sous chefs and I were taken on an extreme mountain ski day with strict instructions not to drink or eat anything. We were picked up at 4:00pm – thirsty, exhausted and famished - and brought into his office. He then said, “Ok – this is how our guests feel every day. What do we need to put on the menu?” WOW. What a way to empathasize with our guest and really understand their needs for dining! And this is where my famous pheasant soup recipe was developed.

Best advice you have ever received? You are only as good as the last plate you touch or serve.