Celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman dishes on tourist traps, roast chicken and his newest San Francisco venture.
This year has been a homecoming for celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman, who grew up in Berkeley. You may know him as a frequent guest judge on “Top Chef,” a competitor on “Top Chef Masters” or from his years at the helm of Chez Panisse — or from the 2016 James Beard awards. This spring, the award-winning chef came home and opened Waxman’s Restaurant & Cafe at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square.
Naturally, we had questions — and he was happy to dish on tourist traps, his new food emporium and his iconic recipe for roast chicken. Q Why open a restaurant at Ghirardelli Square? A I’ve been looking at Ghirardelli square for 35 years. When you were a kid, going to Ghirardelli in the early ‘60s, it was magical there. I said, someday I want to open a restaurant here. Three years ago (Atlanta-based developer) Jamestown buys Ghirardelli and asked, would I be interested? I said absolutely.
Listen, I know everybody thinks Ghirardelli Square is a big tourist trap, but I don’t believe it. My building, the Mustard Building, was built in 1890, so all the bones are there. That’s very special for San Francisco. Not too many buildings are left that hearken to that era. Q
How has the opening gone? A I’m there every day. The only time I see my wife is over the phone. I’ve been flying home for weekends, on Sunday and back Tuesday, but sometimes I miss Sunday night. Restaurants are just like babies, they cry, they puke, they misbehave and they need constant attention. But it’s been fun for me. I’m an old goat. I’ve been cooking more in this restaurant than I have in any restaurant in 25 years. Q What’s been your biggest challenge opening Waxman’s? A Personnel. It is just so difficult. A one-bedroom apartment is $3,000, $4,000. These employees can’t afford that. I hate to say it, but we’re either going have to charge more money or figure it out. The rents aren’t going to go down. Q You’re known for your roast chicken. What’s the secret? A We don’t do anything. Honestly, we lightly salt it with Sonoma sea salt and fresh pepper and roast it in the oven. At about 500 degrees or a little less — the subcutaneous fat begins to boil. It bastes the skin and the skin gets all crispy from beneath. We also baste it every five minutes, so the chicken skin bastes from the top and underneath.
Here is the deal for the home cook: It is all about buying the best chicken and cutting it in half. Put the chicken on a platter in a 450-degree oven. Baste it every five minutes, and you will make almost an identical chicken to mine — with a few times practice. Q Tell us about your fast-casual and retail food emporium, Waxman’s Cafe. We hear you’re doing the famous roast chicken, sandwiches, pizza, yes? A I’m more excited about this than I have been about anything in a long time. It’s for the home cook, someone who lives in the neighborhood and wants to pick up a meal, (or) the tourist walking in for a casual meal or take-away picnic.