Chef Nick Leahy believes in beef and beautiful food. Lucky for us, he and his team at Vice Kitchen source the most ideal cuts of meat and sustainable seafood and create sauces and sides, desserts and all things barbeque to make our life easier. We caught up with Chef Nick to find out more.
Your menu of prepared food is impressive. What items would you recommend for the perfect Father's Day dinner, if Dad doesn't want to get behind the grill? You can grab Dad some of our braised short ribs, Moroccan lamb stew, or maybe our fig and red wine glazed meatloaf. Then, for sides, maybe wagyu tallow roasted potatoes (a top seller) or potato and cheddar gratin. Try our mac and cheese (or even better our lobster mac and cheese). For vegetables, our citrus and herb cauliflower, Brussels sprouts with chili crisp, or asparagus with lemon, parmesan, and thyme are all winners.
And, if dad is married to his Big Green Egg or grill, what would be the ultimate cut and how would you prepare it? Again, I could talk about a reverse seared ribeye on the Egg, which is always fantastic, but I'm going to go with the less obvious tri-tip. It's a cut that's not focused on in the South as much, but it's known as the CA BBQ cut. It comes from the bottom sirloin, and has a great deep beef flavor. I like to start mine by rubbing with SPG (salt, pepper, garlic), and searing in my cast iron. Then I'll go to the Egg, and cook it indirect at 250-275 F until 125 F internal temperature is reached. Then, let it rest for 10 minutes and be sure to slice AGAINST the grain. Another great option, our American Wagyu Picanha (coulotte), a cut made famous by all those Brazilian steakhouses, is amazing, and very reasonably priced.
Your own BBQ sauce, ketchup, demi-glace are on your shelves for sale. Where did these special recipes come from and what is the recipe development process you use? These are recipes that I have developed over years, running kitchens around town. We've always wanted to offer natural, preservative-free options in my restaurants and wanted to make a ketchup without corn syrup. Folks can grab a great BBQ sauce to go with pork, or a cognac and peppercorn demi-glace to finish off steaks with, and can feel good about doing so.
We love your wine and beer selection. What's new for summer sipping? We've got local gold, a blond ale from Wild Leap that also raises money for Bosleys Place, an animal rescue that I support. We've also got a great sour from Southern Brewing, a tropical IPA from Wild Leap, a citrus wheat from Wicked Weed, and even a spiked coconut water that is delicious. On the wine side, it's rosé season, and we've got a great Provençal still and sparkling option, and a delicious vinho verde, a light, low ABV Portuguese white wine that is perfect for this time of year. For reds, we've got a great new Beaujoulias that is a great light red option.
Tell us about your team.
Daniel Barbalho - Marketing/Technology/Sales
Jian Geng - Strategy/Finances
Bart Sasso - Design/Branding/SM
Daniel and I attended Marist High School together while Daniel and Bart were college roommates at Georgia Tech and Jian and Daniel have been working together in the international meat trading world for 15 years, so we have all known each other for a long time and are great friends working together to create a new butcher experience.
we have all known each other for a long time and are great friends working together to create a new butcher experience