Hours: Bistro menu served from 4 p.m. to at least 9 p.m. and as late as 11 p.m. nightly; dinner menu served from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Brunch menu served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Bar may be open later.
Information: 341-3547 or www.frenchcafe.com
The new executive chef at Tony Abbott's French Café & Bistro is no stranger.
Travis Brink is an Omaha native who's worked stints at the French Café twice before: in late 1999 and early 2000, before he left for the California Culinary Academy and work at Michael Mina's Aqua restaurant in San Francisco, and again in late 2001 and 2002, before he took a series of jobs with widely known chefs in Las Vegas.
We caught up last week with the 34-year-old, who says he's happy to be home for Thanksgiving and at the helm of the oldest French kitchen in his hometown.
Q: Did you want to be chef as a kid?
A: I never considered it until after I became serious about this business.
Q: How'd you get serious?
A: Doing it, I guess. I had a group of friends who were cooking. I thought: “Might as well.” I enjoyed it. I was at UNO, an undeclared major. And I found myself sacrificing more time to be in the kitchen.
Q: Most of your time away was in Vegas. Where'd you work?
A: I spent a very brief time at Tre, a short-lived, off-strip venture by the Maccioni family (of New York's famous Le Cirque). After that I went to Andre's French Restaurant. Then I heard about Michael Mina's plans for Seablue. I got on board with his opening crew. I was there close to four years, the first as a master cook and the final three as a sous chef.
Q: How'd you end up at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon ?
A: One of my co-workers at Sea- blue had been a sous at L'Atelier. And, if you're in Vegas and you have the opportunity to work for Joël Robuchon, you better take it.
Q: Was he even there?
A: Robuchon is a workaholic. He is constantly traveling, but he shows up every two months and stays for a week. He has an entourage of chefs who work for him, with the French colors and M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France, a title bestowed to the country's best craftsmen) on their coats. They're there 10 hours a day for a week straight making sure the food is executed exactly the way they want. It's very stressful, but it's rewarding. I was there for a little over eight months as a master cook.
Q: Any Robuchon tales suitable for print?
A: There was a progressive dinner at the MGM Grand. L'Atelier was serving the hors d'oeuvres. One of them was a custard inside of a quail egg. It turned out fine. But Monsieur Robuchon . . . was asking (in French) what temperature the quail eggs were cooked. The chef de cuisine said 67 degrees (Celsius). And Robuchon goes: “Soixante-neuf! Soixante-neuf!” Sixty-nine.
Q: What brought you back to Omaha?
A: Family, the economy. Vegas was definitely hit by the economy early on.
Q: Are you excited to be back at the French Café?
A: I am. I believe in the French Café. It had fallen off, I know. We're not there yet. But, at the same time, I think there's a marked improvement in the food we're serving. It feels good to be back in this kitchen.
Q: What's your food philosophy?
A: I like to not overcomplicate food. There's genius in knowing when to stop. And I'm trying to be objective about what we serve. I'm trying to get our staff to the point where it isn't about their involvement; it's about the end product.
Q: Are you single?
A: I am.
Q: Any pets?
A: A cat named Clyde. (And a cactus named Fiona.)
Q: Do you get Thanksgiving off?
A: The restaurant is closed. But I'm almost 100 percent sure I'll be cooking for my family. And I might have to sneak back here and start work for some parties we have Friday.
Q: What will you cook for your family?
A: Just the traditional things. I like sage and thyme with my turkey, and I'll make a cranberry-orange relish. I'm still debating which pie to make.
Contact the writer:
444-1069, nichole.aksamit@owh.com
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