STOCKTON’S ‘TOP CHEF’ ALUM DISHES
Chef Michael Midgley is a big dude with a big personality, a trait earning him celebrity-chef status on everything from “Top Chef” to “Cutthroat Kitchen.” And this love of living large extends to big food at Midgley’s Public House in his hometown of Stockton. He opened the place in 2014, with a menu that features American fusion dishes and mega meats, boasting offerings like a 48-ounce tomahawk ribeye ($75) and blueberry pork with shaved fennel and blueberry sauce ($26).
Public House has become extremely popular, drawing locals and out-of-towners alike. Now settling into life post-TV stardom, Midgley is focused on the restaurant and raising his three kids with his wife, Laci. We caught up with Midgley for a short chat about the eatery, life and his Kindle cookbook, “20 Easy Recipes: Awesome Food Anyone Can Make (with a little help from me!).”
MICHAEL MIDGLEY earned celeb-chef status on television. Now he runs his own Stockton restaurant.
Q
What’s the Public House vibe?
A
I dunno, kinda like Cheers, you know? We have tons of regulars. It’s a great local spot, the neighborhood’s super friendly, the staff knows what people like. We really try to focus on service.
Q
What are some of your newest dishes right now?
A
We’ve got a cold artichoke dip for summer. A seafood cocktail. Watermelon salad with feta, olives and mint. Some big steaks, of course. Oh, and the Scooby Snacks. Those are baconwrapped (crackers with cheese).
Q
Why did you settle in Stockton? A
I was born and raised here. Every time I left here to go out on a journey in my life, I always ended up back home. Plus, I wanted to raise my family here, have the kids know Grandma and stuff.
Q
What’s life like as a celebrity chef?
A
It’s still kinda, well, just crazy, you know? I don’t really feel that way. I’m from here and I live here. Everyone just treats me like every other chef.
Q
How’d you score your “Top Chef” gig?
A
I was watching the show with my wife and I was talking a bunch of trash about it. She was, like, you could totally do that. So we looked it up. There was a casting call in San Francisco that weekend. So, yeah, I went to the casting call and got on the show. It was quite a ride. Everybody was kind of sizing each other up from day one. I decided I’d play it like the surfer/ laid-back dude and that worked pretty well for me.
Q
Any more TV stuff lined up?
A
Not that I know of. Food Network is, like, you’ve been on a lot of shows, we’re looking for new faces. Besides, I never started cooking to try to be on TV. I’ve been cooking since I was 14. Right now, I’m focused on making the restaurant the best it can be, raising the family. All good stuff.
Q
What’s the cookbook like?
A
It’s recipes anybody can do — that’s the point. There are tons of cookbooks out there that are stupid-complicated and hardto-find ingredients. My thing is to make it simple and taste great. Pretty basic, ya know?