Do you know your chef?
Joey Ward, executive chef of Gunshow, shares his thoughts about dishes to avoid on Sundays; inspiration for his upcoming participation in Fish to Fork, a weekend-long, outdoor chef competition despite the fact that he sunburns easily; and more in this edition of "3 questions with."
What is the weirdest or most unconventional thing you’ve been asked to prepare?
At Gunshow, we try to do things that are unique to keep our menu exciting and expose guests to things they may be unaccustomed to. It’s not uncommon for us to give ourselves that challenge. One of the odder things I have personally prepared is geoducks, which are mollusks that sort of look like a rat-tail coming out of the shell. They’re quite delicious and weird-looking, but they may pop up on the menu.
I just read “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain and he shares a bunch of kitchen dos and don’ts. In your opinion, what should people avoid ordering on Sundays?
(laughs). If there’s a seafood omelet for Sunday brunch, you’ll want to stay away from that. Generally, that restaurant would be trying to push their seafood; it’s a sell-the-fish-it’s-about-to-turn kind of thing. Luckily, Gunshow is never open on Sundays, so diners don’t have to worry about that.
What was the incentive to participate in Fish to Fork this year?
I was honored that I was asked to participate. I know some of the other chefs, which made me excited to go and be the only chef from Atlanta. I’ll be representing our great home city and bringing awareness to southeastern seafood.
BONUS: When you’re not at Gunshow, where do you dine in Atlanta?
I really love Home Grown for breakfast. I love Umi Sushi in Buckhead. I love BoccaLupo, which has some of the best food around. I’ve always been a fan of Bone Garden over on the West Side. I’ve been going there since it opened because of the really great Mexican food. The whole vibe is great.
Gunshow is located at 924 Garrett St., Atlanta. 404-380-1886. www.gunshowatl.com.
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