This is the third episode in a new video series, Curate The Plate. Hosted by Rachel Cossar, Boston City food writer and former Boston Ballet dancer, this series focuses on the inner workings of the restaurant industry in Boston and beyond.
Innovation tends to be associated with the creation of new things. But what of that strong infatuation we all have with things from yesteryear? Convention and tradition have such massive value in making us feel the nostalgia of our youth. I think it's partly for this reason that many chefs actually commit to doing certain things the "good ol' way."
In this third and final installment of the pilot series of Curate The Plate, chefs Henri Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery in the UK (above) and John Lasateur of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville both express their infatuation with tradition. At the same time, they expand on how they negotiate with the need to stay relevant. It's a paradox that makes for an interesting culinary dilemma … and conversation.
With beef donuts made from an ages-old dough recipe to fried chicken that uses sugar and an eclectic mix of "just perfect" seasoning, these two gentlemen seem to have struck that magical balance between old and new.
Tune to hear more about the things they value most and the ways they use innovation to keep propelling themselves and their brands forward, while staying very true to their past.
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