What technique means to
us is the ability to
express exactly what
we want to express.
[MUSIC]
We try and create dishes
that capture a very
specific moment in time,
very specific feeling,
a very specific place.
We try and find great
ingredients that
really excite us and
have a lot of energy.
Serving a dish that
revolves around new
olive oil is like
capturing that moment.
Like, new olive oil
is not shelf stable.
It'll basically go
bad because there's
solids suspended in it,
but it is so vibrant.
It's like artichoke,
fresh cut grass.
It's also very
traditional,
like in Italy they have
festivals around it.
I mean people have been
eating for 6,000 years,
you know,
we didn't invent this.
You're eating something.
You want that first bite
to be like a shock, like
wow, it's, it's something
familiar and at the same
time it's something
I've never had before.
[MUSIC]
My names Daniel Patterson
and I'm a cook.
I have a restaurant
called Coi,
where I'm the chef.
[MUSIC]
I think it's really
about connecting to
the place where we
live and, and the area.
San Francisco's
a port town.
You know, it, it's a
place where there's a lot
of different
kinds of people.
I opened my first
restaurant at 25.
I entered a sous
chef job at
22 that I wasn't
really qualified for.
And then I opened
a restaurant and
I definitely wasn't
qualified for that.
But then it was
my restaurant, so
I just had to work
my ass of, and
so that's what I did.
I opened a couple
more restaurants and
then Claude's
opened in 2006.
So we're almost
eight years old.
Okay, so
this dish is kind of fun,
this is kind of a,
a dumpling.
I didn't know what else
to call it, but it's it
has a mousseline and
it goes into the steamer.
So I throw it in
the general category.
Sunchoke, black
trumpet mushrooms, so
this is mousseline
of black
trumpet mushrooms and
tofu.
We basically put this
stuff on the outside.
And then we've got some
sauteed mushrooms, and
we put them all
over the outside.
While we're waiting for
our, our dumpling
to steam,
just lettuce,
a little bit of butter.
Not too much water.
So you get something
that actually,
has good flavor,
which seems funny,
talking about
the flavor of lettuce.
But actually, there's,
like a big difference.
You put too much water
and it's just like gone.
What does it mean
to be seasonal?
Every ingredient has kind
of a bell curve that kind
of surges to this moment
where there's more of it,
and also, it's like,
right at its kind
of peak flavor.
And then it diminishes.
And this is
a mixture of brown
butter and
mushroom dashi.
We try and
use everything at its,
at its peak flavor,
which is,
I think, what gives the,
the food a lot of energy.
[MUSIC]
You know the thing about
cooking, like it's magic,
is all in the eating,
it's experiential.
And even language fails.
I can't tell you about
that exact transfer of
energy that happens
when you take a bite of
something and it's just
kind of like electric.
[MUSIC]
So last night we went
out to a couple of
different places.
First I went with my
wife Alexandra to Banu.
It's our favorite
restaurant.
[MUSIC]
>> Yeah, we have two
young children, and
sometimes we take
them out with us,
which means we'll have
a really quick meal.
They do really well.
One day soon they'll
get to eat at,
at Papa's restaurant Coi.
We describe it in
mythical proportions like
it's something to
really work for.
Thank you for
bringing me here.
[MUSIC]
>> Chef, how are you?
>> Great to see you.
>> Glad to see you,
as always.
Welcome.
>> Corey Lee, the chef
there is someone who I
have a tremendous
amount of respect for.
He could have gone and
cooked in any city in the
world, and you know he,
he came and he opened
a restaurant here.
>> What do you
guys wanna do?
How much, how much
time do you have?
>> He's always
changing his menu.
He's always doing
different things.
>> Whatever it is.
>> Yeah,
I think it's like.
>> We gotta go to what,
three other places?
>> Yeah it's like,
30 minutes.
>> Did you see some
of the episodes?
You guys should be like
totally fucked-up by now.
[LAUGH].
>> One of the reasons
that we go
there is because it's so
seamless, top to bottom.
I mean,
it's not just the food.
It's, like the whole
experience.
>> Caramelized anchovy
with the peanut butter.
>> If you're a writer,
it's important to read
what other people write.
If you're a cook,
it's important to go and,
I think,
see what other people
do who you respect and
admire, just so you can
meet it on its own terms.
>> This next course
is a homemade tofu,
charred scallion and
pickled burdock.
>> Just so
you can say, wow,
this is something with
a lot of personality, and
vibrancy and
life that I love.
>> This next
course is the xo
sausage with basil curd.
>> You walk in, you
appreciate it there and
what you're left with is
the, the inspiration that
comes from kind of seeing
someone's imagination.
>> This is the beggar's
purse with
treasures of the oak.
[INAUDIBLE].
>> How gorgeous.
[MUSIC]
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> Thank you.
[MUSIC]
Being on camera with your
wife is very strange.
I'm trying so
hard to think about
something that doesn't
involve our kids.
Because you realize there
could be nothing more
boring than two married
people talking.
So, you know,
we did our best.
>> So I have this fantasy
of approaching someone
who does food events,
to do a chef event but
to do it in
truffle' vignette.
>> This is
the jellyfish wrapped
shrimp with caviar.
>> Thank you.
>> Well is there actually
a Dracula's castle in
Transylvania, and
it turns out
the answer is yes.
Sort of, and then I
thought well, wouldn't it
be interesting if you
did a chef's event or
something there.
In Dracula's Castle.
>> We'd all be fighting
over who gets to
use the blood or?
>> What?
>> The blood.
>> Well you wouldn't
necessarily need to
have blood.
The whole idea would be.
>> What's the point of
being in Dracula's Castle
if you're not gonna
drink their blood?
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> Yeah.
I mean, not every course.
But I mean
someone's gotta.
>> This next course
is a terrine of pig
head with lentil
horzon and bonji.
>> Thank you.
>> Mm.
>> I feel so lucky to
have been able to have so
many experiences of food
at, at a very high level.
So for me like Cory
is that level.
And he's the one that I
go to here in my hometown
at, at a very, very
high level to learn but
also just, just to enjoy,
just to appreciate.
This is the steamed
sablefish, mountain yam
blanquette sauce,
white cloud mushroom,
lily bulb, and
aged tangerine peel.
>> Thank you.
>> Typically Marsant for
you to enjoy.
So this is from
eve queeron 2012.
And it's unique in that
it's a Marseilles that's
made to be enjoyed
in the tooth.
>> Smells great.
[SOUND] The pairing
program is
really amazing.
>> Wow!
>> Very diverse
selections,
always thoughtful, really
nice for the food, so
I mean, definitely
the service and
the wine are two of
the highlights there.
Oh my god there's
a wedding here,
did you tell him?
I just wanna cake
like that on
my dining room
table all the time.
>> A little plastic
disc that they kept
turning over and
over, I loved that.
>> Yeah,
that's really clever.
>> It's kinda fun,
it started with like,
you know, we have
this small staff, one
person can only run like
six canapes at a time.
>> It's win-win, right?
So it meets your
kind of functional.
>> Yeah.
>> Like aspect, but then
from a guest stand point
it's like mesmerizing.
>> [FOREIGN] Let's
get on the court.
>> Yeah. For sure.
>> 'Kay. >> [FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN].
>> Take care.
>> Shall we?
>> Okay.
>> So thank you
everyone for us.
It's really nice of you.
[MUSIC]
But we're going to pick
up Ryan and Jeff and.
>> Where are they?
>> They're at Alta.
>> Oh, so we're just
gonna go there.
>> Yeah.
>> And have a drink?
>> We'll go there.
I guess.
>> Why wouldn't you,
it's Alta?
[MUSIC]
Hello, how are you.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> So we got to Alta.
We met two of my
partners there.
One is named Ryan Sarver
and the other is Jeff Ma.
>> How are you man?
>> He looks
kind of behind.
>> Who him?
>> Yeah.
>> This is his first
drink of the night.
[MUSIC]
>> Alta is a neighborhood
restaurant that I
opened few months ago,
it's brand new.
And it's very casual and
very fun.
[MUSIC]
Our chef Yoni Levy,
his father's a Rabbi,
and so you know, he kinda
grew up with a lot of
Eastern European foods.
So he has this great
pastrami recipe,
which is one of
the signatures of the,
the restaurant.
So the restaurant itself
is like European with
like some Eastern
European slam to it.
Great chef.
And he's just cooking,
like,
really straight forward
but interesting food,
and very approachable,
but really,
really interesting.
>> It's got all these
meat pop rocks.
[LAUGH]
>> Pop rocks?
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> They are amazing.
So good.
>> Do you check
in every time you
come here on Four Square?
>> Not every time.
If I checked
in every time,
it'd be really
discouraging.
I don't like to tip
my hand that much,
as how often I'm
actually here.
[LAUGH]
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> Hey, so you guys
wanna come out with us?
All right?
Right now.
>> Yeah.
>> All right.
>> Where you going?
>> Pink cow.
[MUSIC]
>> Ryan, Ryan,
Ryan, Ryan.
Come on, come on.
>> Stop schmoozing.
A rioter's job's
never done.
>> Not for me.
>> Did,
did you not say hello to
everyone in
the entire restaurant?
>> [LAUGH].
>> That's
actually why you
brought him along.
>> [LAUGH]
>> For the record.
>> Actually, that's,
that's true.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> So when they do this.
Are they gonna do
pop-up videos to this?
Because I can help them
with the pop-up videos.
[INAUDIBLE] The blurbs.
>> The pop-up?
>> You've never heard
of Pop-up Videos?
>> It was like old
VH1 music videos.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And as they were
playing the music video,
little bubbles
would pop up
with like, random facts.
>> [LAUGH].
>> Do you guys remember,
Danielle,
you remember
this comedian.
You remember
Stephen Wright?
He talks about the,
the place where they
make fire hydrants,
the factory.
He's like the problem,
is he can't park
anywhere near it.
>> [LAUGH].
>> It was,
he was ahead of his time.
Is he still alive?
>> Yeah you talk about
him like he's dead.
>> Yeah, I mean,
I think he's alive.
>> He's amazing.
>> We could start
the rumor on Twitter.
>> I think it's up
here on the left.
[MUSIC]
>> You look so familiar.
[NOISE] running
to each other.
I think it's,
it's right up here.
[LAUGH].
>> We went to see another
friend Kin, at Kin Khao.
[MUSIC]
Kin is from Bangkok.
obviously, you know,
actually been living
here a long time.
But she is a great cook.
And so I've had dinners
many times at her house.
And it's one of those
things where like,
you know,
you have food and
you're like, Jesus,
this food is so good.
Like you should
open a restaurant.
>> What are we drinking?
>> We'll get two three.
>> Three.
[MUSIC]
Like no one was
on Twitter.
No one knew anything.
No one had any idea
it was going to
turn into what it was.
Oh, wow.
I know someone
in Texas and
someone in New York and
some-
>> Was it all chefs or
was it-
>> No,
it was mostly writers.
>> There's gin
in this drink?
>> [LAUGH].
>> I can't even
tell what's in it.
>> [LAUGH].
>> It's amazing.
>> Is it, is it the gin
that makes your.
>> No I hate gin,
I like hate gin.
It's amazing though.
I don't hate gin,
but like I,
I hate most
gin cocktails.
>> I don't hate gin I
just hate most gin.
[MUSIC]
>> So after that we piled
in the car to go to Flam.
>> All right.
>> Family minivan.
[MUSIC]
>> We left the big city
of San Francisco and
we're going to Oakland.
[MUSIC]
We drove over our brand
new $20 billion bridge
that took 20
years to build.
And, we went to Plum.
>> I don't know
how I'm going to
get back from this place.
>> I don't think Ubers
even come over here.
>> I've been dropping
breadcrumbs this whole
time, but
I'm running out of bread.
>> Uber just like
deny your request.
>> You know,
you know this isn't
like the wilderness.
It's, it's,
it's an actual city.
>> It's urban buildings.
>> Yeah it's no,
no there's actual
taxis and businesses.
Someones gonna come and
bring you back to
San Francisco.
>> Mm-hm.
>> We opened Plum
restaurant because
I live in Oakland,
I'm really excited about
the area and, it's a cool
space and we wanted to
do something fun there.
[MUSIC]
And we had let's see
the cooks from Plum,
my cooks from here,
actually the whole staff
from Coi was there.
Bill Corbett who is the,
executive pastry chef for
the Absinthe Group.
He used to work at Coi.
Yeah, and just a kind of
whoever else got dragged
in along the way.
And then I had
to cook food for
26 people which is thank
God we had enough.
Cheers.
>> Cheers.
>> What's the,
what's on the menu?
>> eggs,
grilled vegetable,
dandelion salsa
verde and...
Something else.
Cracked bulgur.
Toast it all up stirred
the salsa verde into
the bulgur,
put that on the bottom.
Vegetable and
egg on top and then,
of course, hot sauce.
Cuz otherwise, like
everyone has to wait for
the sriracha to
go around and.
This is 26 dishes
in 15 minutes.
It's a whole lot better
than we usually do.
Look at how
delicious that is.
All right.
[MUSIC]
>> That seems
right to me.
>> You don't get
that weird, kind of.
[MUSIC]
Chef.
[MUSIC]
