Dan's Taste of Two Forks Countdown: Gretchen Menser of Fresno
With Dan’s Taste of Two Forks and GrillHampton less than a week away, top chefs and winemakers are looking forward to showcasing their skills and sharing their creations with guests during a weekend of food-and-wine celebrations. For Chef Gretchen Menser of Fresno in East Hampton, this gathering of culinary talent is also something of a family reunion. “Most of us have know and/or worked together for 20 years,” Menser says of being part of the cuisine culture on the East End, “so it’s like a big extended family.” As we await everyone’s arrival, we talk with Menser about great summertime drinks, guilty pleasures and her passion for pink.
What are you most looking forward to at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks?
Being with the other chefs and meeting all the people that attend.
One food or dish that everyone should try at least once in life…
Foie Gras
Describe your relationship with food in three words…
Passionate, Demanding, Sexy
The quality do you most admire in a chef…
Creativity
Long Island Wine Country is celebrating 40 years this summer—what would you say in a toast to LI Wine?
To Pink, My Favorite Color.
If we looked inside your refrigerator right now, what would we find?
Wine, water and Greek yogurt.
The perfect drink for a summer night…
Rosé
Food that defines summer on Long Island…
Corn and tomatoes
If you had two forks in your hands right now, what would you like to stick them in?
An oyster and heirloom tomato
The world ends tomorrow. Your last meal would be…
I would have oysters, seared foie gras and a grilled veal chop.
What are your favorite local ingredients?
Clams, oysters, black sea bass, corn and tomatoes
Your guilty food pleasure these days…
Ice cream and pomegranate margaritas
What do you consider a chef’s most underrated virtue?
Tenacity
Finish This Sentence: The Perfect Meal Is…
…spent outside on a beautiful day with a few friends, good simple food and lots of cold wine.
Dan’s Taste of Two Forks 2013 has sold out, but a limited number of tickets are still available for GrillHampton on Friday, July 12. Please visit danstasteoftwoforks.com for more information and to purchase GrillHampton tickets now.