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| An Interview with Michael Tuohy Tell us about your restaurant, Woodfire Grill. Woodfire is a restaurant that is the culimination of all of my life experiences with food & restaurants. You can say, “it’s the restaurant of my dreams.” As you may have guessed, much of our food is cooked with wood, on the grill, wood burning oven & rotisserie. Our menu changes daily to reflect the seasons and availabilty of great ingredients. Our inspiration is northern California, where i’m from, with influences from the mediterranean. We support local farms and farmers, as well as small artisan producers of meats and cheeses. Fresh seafood is featured from all around the country. And this past summer, you turned the “front room” into a cafe. When one steps through the door at Woodfire, they enter a rustic and warm environment. How does this setting support the kind of food that you do? I wanted to give our guests and potential guests another option when coming to Woodfire, the café was the answer. Having grown up in San Francisco, traveling europe as well as visiting new york, there are these great little neighborhood cafes. Many feature similar fare of wood oven pizzas, cured meats, cheeses, antipasti, wine/beer, coffee/espresso. They are great places to gather, relax, hangout, with friends, spur of the moment, no reservations etc. Two of my favorite restaurants in California have more casual cafes attached to their main restaurant, Chez Panisse and Oliveto. This is a natual expression of Woodfire and gives our guests another reason to come. Your menu is ever-changing. Where do you find your inspiration? The ingredients that are available from our local growers drive how i cook. I am also an avid reader of cooking and food magazines from around the world. I get excited about food! And the menu is comprised of tastes, small plates, main courses and platters for sharing so one can really put together any type of meal they would like- and as little or as much as they like. Yes. However, upon the addition of the café, our menu format has changed in the main restaurant, it is now separated by; first, wood grilled/rotisserie, pan roasted, sauteed, braised, organic vegetables and either pasta or risotto. What do you think about seasonality & taste? They are everything! If you cook by the seasons, things naturally taste better. Ingredients out of season lack taste, texture and are more expensive, what’s the point? Why do you think it’s important to support local farmers & producers? The best and freshest products come from closest to our door. I always look locally first. Plus, it supports a sustainable community and environment. What do you remember eating growing up? Fresh vegetables were always part of a meal. Steak was common, a treat was dungeness crab! Going out to dinner was special, especially for filet of sole with lemon. What kinds of things should we expect on your menu this spring? Fava beans, softshell crabs, shad roe, english peas, morel mushrooms, rhubarb, strawberries, ramps, spring vidalia onions, lamb, new potatoes, carrots. These are some of the hallmarks of spring for us.
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Woodfire Grill
For reservations call 404-347-9055
Email: gm@woodfiregrill.com