Uncommonly great food: Chris Borges, Executive Chef at The Commons Club and for Virgin Hotels New Orleans
Welcome In: Chef Chris Borges, Virgin Hotels New Orleans
talking to Paul Oswell
The Virgin Hotel is one of the CBDs liveliest hotspots, with locals and visitors alike flocking to the Commons Club restaurant, as well as their rooftop hangout spot, The Pool Club. Overseeing all things culinary is Executive Chef Chris Borges, who is regularly working wonders in his kitchen. We caught up with Chris to talk about everything from his earliest cooking memories and current inspirations to his favorite cooking shows and eating brains...
Out All Day: Hi! Could you quickly introduce yourself? Where do you work, what's your title and how long have you been there?
Chris Borges: Hi! I'm Chris Borges, and I'm the Executive Chef at the Virgin Hotel in New Orleans. I have been in this position for 6 months.
What kind of cuisine do you serve? Would you say there's a particular philosophy or concept?
I would call my cuisine contemporary New Orleans cuisine. There are influences from around the globe (hence the contemporary) with Mediterranean/Californian cuisine being the main inspiration. I spent the first 25 years of my career in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the food is inspired by the food that I grew up eating at home in New Orleans, so it is very personal. I'd say it's less 'New Orleans classics', and more of the specific dishes that I grew up eating in a house and family full of (non-professional) cooks.
Let's go back to that time...what are your earliest memories of making meals or being around food being prepared?
We had a woman named Daisy who cooked for my grandmother as a young girl, and she became and stayed a member of our family until her passing. In my youth, she was already an elderly woman, so she came over to the house once a week and cooked for our household. I used to help her in the kitchen, breading meat and eggplant, stirring tomato sauces, and peeling onions, that kind of thing. I was the only one of my siblings who helped her and she loved it.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can go professional"? How did you feel once you'd made that life choice?
I was at a farmers' market in Redwood City, California. It was the height of the spring produce season - I just fell in love with the variety and colors of all the produce and said to myself that evening, "Why not do this as a career?" Up until that point it was just a hobby. I was nervous about making this a career choice - up until then I was going to be a doctor, so to switch gears 180 degrees was very scary.
Where did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I went to the California Culinary Academy for two months but then left because I was learning exponentially more working in restaurants around San Francisco than I was at school, so why put myself in more debt? My first mentor was David Fickes, Executive Chef at Infusion in SF. He had just been named Rising Star Chef of the Year by the SF Chronicle in 1997, but he remained so grounded and humble, and he both inspired me and taught me a lot. Sadly, he died of cancer at a very young age. RIP.
Tell us about being Head/Executive Chef for the first time, how were you feeling?
I was a sous chef under David Fickes at Infusion but a front of the house manager position opened up, so I transitioned to that in order to immerse myself in all aspects of the restaurant business. When David left, his Executive Sous Chef assumed the Head Chef duties, but she also had to leave after a few months. At the time, there was no one in the kitchen capable of taking over the Executive Chef duties on an interim basis so I jumped back into the kitchen to do that until a new Exec Chef was hired. I never looked back, and they offered me a permanent position after presumably doing an excellent job!
Do you feel that the food scene in New Orleans has changed over the years you've known it?
When I was a child, there were no outside cuisine or influences on the city's cooking, at least not really outside of French and Italian. New Orleans food, while delicious, was very specific. Now you will find cuisines from all over the world making their way into the city's food scene - there is, and will continue to be, so many new and exciting influences.
It's a well-used phrase, but how do YOU define 'Southern hospitality'?
When you make eye contact with someone on the street, you tell them hello and ask them how they are doing. From there, a whole conversation may arise. That is Southern hospitality. That doesn't happen anywhere else, particularly in an urban setting.
What's the most out there dish you've ever put on a menu? What's the weirdest thing you've ever tasted?
With Pierre Gagnaire as inspiration, I once put a lamb/squid pairing on my menu. It was very, very tasty if I do say so myself! The adventurous diners who ordered it loved it, but there were others who wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. The weirdest thing I have ever tasted was medium rare pork brain. It had an awful texture, and I am not one who's ever bothered by textures.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting when you're not working? Do you try out areas of cuisine that you're not traditionally associated with or that you're less familiar with?
Yes, I am always experimenting, both cooking and eating. I would actually say that my biggest hobby is cooking cuisines with which I am not very familiar. I'm always looking to incorporate new ideas and ingredients into my style.
Time to name some names. Where do you like to go for fancy feasts, casual bites, cocktails and a post-shift beer?
I love to go to Pêche. They don't change the menu very often, which is not my personal style, but the dishes that they have on the menu are executed at a very high level, so to have them three or four times a year is perfect. Mandina's is the quintessential old school New Orleans restaurant, and close to my house in Mid-City. Barrel Proof is my spot for a post-shift drink, and I love a Martini, or any cocktail, at Cure.
What's the most memorable eating experience you've ever had? A Michelin-starred joint, hole in the wall secret, or a family celebration perhaps?
A 15-course meal at the French Laundry many years ago. I had been to the restaurant a couple of times before, but I had an opportunity to do a benefit event, cooking with Thomas Keller, so this was my first time eating there with him and the kitchen knowing me, so they took me for a ride. On one level, it was sad knowing that no matter how long or how hard I worked, I could never cook on that level; he is truly a genius of the highest order. But it was the most amazing and unique explosion of flavors ever. Every dish was on a whole other level. WOW.
You're at home. Maybe you've had a couple of cocktails, maybe you're feeling lazy, maybe you need some quick comfort food. What are you making? Give us your guiltiest, messiest pleasures and don't skip any details.
Packaged Nissin Ramen and then I add a bunch of protein (whatever I have on hand, leftovers preferably), and veggies. 'Souped up ramen' we call it in my family.
Where are your favourite food cities outside of New Orleans?
San Francisco, San Sebastian in Spain, Mexico City, and New York. In that order
Are you a big produce/farmers' market person? Do you go out and source ingredients yourself? Do you grow your own herbs, spices or produce?
Yes, having spent most of my career in the Bay Area, you can't help but be a big produce and farmers' market chef. It's the only way to exist and succeed out there. I mostly use JV Foods here, a company that deals with local farmers; it's the most practical way to use local and sustainable produce. I only grow some specialty herbs that I have trouble sourcing otherwise: lemongrass, chervil, and Thai basil.
You have an unlimited budget for a private chef-catered meal for you and your loved ones. Who's cooking, what are they serving and where are you eating?
Thomas Keller is cooking. Contemporary French cuisine with a California sensibility, my favorite style of cooking. He is serving high end ingredients: A5 wagyu, foie gras, truffles, blue fin tuna, and razor clams. I like high-end foods, especially on an unlimited budget! We're eating al fresco, on a veranda, in the shade, with a view.
I love food movies: Big Night, Eat Drink Man Woman, Pig, anything with Julia Childs...what are you favorite foodie films or TV shows?
It's hard not to like Chef, it's a great and inspiring movie and makes both restaurant chef work and food truck chef work seem very glamorous and rewarding. I loved the original Japanese version of Iron Chef: it was the perfect combination of Japanese game show mentality, with a great concept and some amazing high stakes cooking. It wasn't over-produced, like many reality cooking shows have subsequently become.
Speaking of Big Night, have you ever made a timpano and how successful were you? Any tips? I'm trying to nail it...
I have never made a timpano. Too intimidated!
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
Listen to a lot of music. Exercise almost daily. Go for long walks with my wife.
OK, leave us with one kitchen tip or secret hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
I have a large family, with four kids, so cleanup is always a chore. Always line your baking/cookie sheets with aluminum foil to make clean-up infinitely easier! You'll thank me forever when you get in that habit! As for a joke: When potatoes have babies, what are they called? Tater tots!
The Commons Club and The Pool Club are at The Virgin Hotel New Orleans
Read about their brand new Spring Brunch and Dinner Menu
See their website here and follow them on Instagram here
talking to Paul Oswell
The Virgin Hotel is one of the CBDs liveliest hotspots, with locals and visitors alike flocking to the Commons Club restaurant, as well as their rooftop hangout spot, The Pool Club. Overseeing all things culinary is Executive Chef Chris Borges, who is regularly working wonders in his kitchen. We caught up with Chris to talk about everything from his earliest cooking memories and current inspirations to his favorite cooking shows and eating brains...
Out All Day: Hi! Could you quickly introduce yourself? Where do you work, what's your title and how long have you been there?
Chris Borges: Hi! I'm Chris Borges, and I'm the Executive Chef at the Virgin Hotel in New Orleans. I have been in this position for 6 months.
What kind of cuisine do you serve? Would you say there's a particular philosophy or concept?
I would call my cuisine contemporary New Orleans cuisine. There are influences from around the globe (hence the contemporary) with Mediterranean/Californian cuisine being the main inspiration. I spent the first 25 years of my career in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the food is inspired by the food that I grew up eating at home in New Orleans, so it is very personal. I'd say it's less 'New Orleans classics', and more of the specific dishes that I grew up eating in a house and family full of (non-professional) cooks.
Let's go back to that time...what are your earliest memories of making meals or being around food being prepared?
We had a woman named Daisy who cooked for my grandmother as a young girl, and she became and stayed a member of our family until her passing. In my youth, she was already an elderly woman, so she came over to the house once a week and cooked for our household. I used to help her in the kitchen, breading meat and eggplant, stirring tomato sauces, and peeling onions, that kind of thing. I was the only one of my siblings who helped her and she loved it.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can go professional"? How did you feel once you'd made that life choice?
I was at a farmers' market in Redwood City, California. It was the height of the spring produce season - I just fell in love with the variety and colors of all the produce and said to myself that evening, "Why not do this as a career?" Up until that point it was just a hobby. I was nervous about making this a career choice - up until then I was going to be a doctor, so to switch gears 180 degrees was very scary.
Where did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I went to the California Culinary Academy for two months but then left because I was learning exponentially more working in restaurants around San Francisco than I was at school, so why put myself in more debt? My first mentor was David Fickes, Executive Chef at Infusion in SF. He had just been named Rising Star Chef of the Year by the SF Chronicle in 1997, but he remained so grounded and humble, and he both inspired me and taught me a lot. Sadly, he died of cancer at a very young age. RIP.
Tell us about being Head/Executive Chef for the first time, how were you feeling?
I was a sous chef under David Fickes at Infusion but a front of the house manager position opened up, so I transitioned to that in order to immerse myself in all aspects of the restaurant business. When David left, his Executive Sous Chef assumed the Head Chef duties, but she also had to leave after a few months. At the time, there was no one in the kitchen capable of taking over the Executive Chef duties on an interim basis so I jumped back into the kitchen to do that until a new Exec Chef was hired. I never looked back, and they offered me a permanent position after presumably doing an excellent job!
Do you feel that the food scene in New Orleans has changed over the years you've known it?
When I was a child, there were no outside cuisine or influences on the city's cooking, at least not really outside of French and Italian. New Orleans food, while delicious, was very specific. Now you will find cuisines from all over the world making their way into the city's food scene - there is, and will continue to be, so many new and exciting influences.
It's a well-used phrase, but how do YOU define 'Southern hospitality'?
When you make eye contact with someone on the street, you tell them hello and ask them how they are doing. From there, a whole conversation may arise. That is Southern hospitality. That doesn't happen anywhere else, particularly in an urban setting.
What's the most out there dish you've ever put on a menu? What's the weirdest thing you've ever tasted?
With Pierre Gagnaire as inspiration, I once put a lamb/squid pairing on my menu. It was very, very tasty if I do say so myself! The adventurous diners who ordered it loved it, but there were others who wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. The weirdest thing I have ever tasted was medium rare pork brain. It had an awful texture, and I am not one who's ever bothered by textures.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting when you're not working? Do you try out areas of cuisine that you're not traditionally associated with or that you're less familiar with?
Yes, I am always experimenting, both cooking and eating. I would actually say that my biggest hobby is cooking cuisines with which I am not very familiar. I'm always looking to incorporate new ideas and ingredients into my style.
Time to name some names. Where do you like to go for fancy feasts, casual bites, cocktails and a post-shift beer?
I love to go to Pêche. They don't change the menu very often, which is not my personal style, but the dishes that they have on the menu are executed at a very high level, so to have them three or four times a year is perfect. Mandina's is the quintessential old school New Orleans restaurant, and close to my house in Mid-City. Barrel Proof is my spot for a post-shift drink, and I love a Martini, or any cocktail, at Cure.
What's the most memorable eating experience you've ever had? A Michelin-starred joint, hole in the wall secret, or a family celebration perhaps?
A 15-course meal at the French Laundry many years ago. I had been to the restaurant a couple of times before, but I had an opportunity to do a benefit event, cooking with Thomas Keller, so this was my first time eating there with him and the kitchen knowing me, so they took me for a ride. On one level, it was sad knowing that no matter how long or how hard I worked, I could never cook on that level; he is truly a genius of the highest order. But it was the most amazing and unique explosion of flavors ever. Every dish was on a whole other level. WOW.
You're at home. Maybe you've had a couple of cocktails, maybe you're feeling lazy, maybe you need some quick comfort food. What are you making? Give us your guiltiest, messiest pleasures and don't skip any details.
Packaged Nissin Ramen and then I add a bunch of protein (whatever I have on hand, leftovers preferably), and veggies. 'Souped up ramen' we call it in my family.
Where are your favourite food cities outside of New Orleans?
San Francisco, San Sebastian in Spain, Mexico City, and New York. In that order
Are you a big produce/farmers' market person? Do you go out and source ingredients yourself? Do you grow your own herbs, spices or produce?
Yes, having spent most of my career in the Bay Area, you can't help but be a big produce and farmers' market chef. It's the only way to exist and succeed out there. I mostly use JV Foods here, a company that deals with local farmers; it's the most practical way to use local and sustainable produce. I only grow some specialty herbs that I have trouble sourcing otherwise: lemongrass, chervil, and Thai basil.
You have an unlimited budget for a private chef-catered meal for you and your loved ones. Who's cooking, what are they serving and where are you eating?
Thomas Keller is cooking. Contemporary French cuisine with a California sensibility, my favorite style of cooking. He is serving high end ingredients: A5 wagyu, foie gras, truffles, blue fin tuna, and razor clams. I like high-end foods, especially on an unlimited budget! We're eating al fresco, on a veranda, in the shade, with a view.
I love food movies: Big Night, Eat Drink Man Woman, Pig, anything with Julia Childs...what are you favorite foodie films or TV shows?
It's hard not to like Chef, it's a great and inspiring movie and makes both restaurant chef work and food truck chef work seem very glamorous and rewarding. I loved the original Japanese version of Iron Chef: it was the perfect combination of Japanese game show mentality, with a great concept and some amazing high stakes cooking. It wasn't over-produced, like many reality cooking shows have subsequently become.
Speaking of Big Night, have you ever made a timpano and how successful were you? Any tips? I'm trying to nail it...
I have never made a timpano. Too intimidated!
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
Listen to a lot of music. Exercise almost daily. Go for long walks with my wife.
OK, leave us with one kitchen tip or secret hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
I have a large family, with four kids, so cleanup is always a chore. Always line your baking/cookie sheets with aluminum foil to make clean-up infinitely easier! You'll thank me forever when you get in that habit! As for a joke: When potatoes have babies, what are they called? Tater tots!
The Commons Club and The Pool Club are at The Virgin Hotel New Orleans
Read about their brand new Spring Brunch and Dinner Menu
See their website here and follow them on Instagram here