Discovering Studio Gourmet and Its Creator

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Just like practically every other chef, we also have our own Facebook account. It has also become my practice to befriend chefs, cooks and foodies all over the globe. Not surprisingly, I have met a lot of interesting people in Facebook. During the last couple of weeks, I have exchanged correspondences with Brad Lev, the founder of Studio Gourmet.

Studio Gourmet has certainly aroused my interest. It is definitely one of the most interesting culinary projects I have come across, so I decided to feature it – and of course it’s creator – in my blog. Below is the Q&A session I had with Brad.

What is Studio Gourmet?

Studio Gourmet was created to give audience the opportunity to hear the stories, trials and tribulations and the experiences of these new rockstars. Each individual has reached this status through paying their dues, working in the trenches and unique life experiences. They create their signature dishes because of who they are!

Studio Gourmet is your opportunity to hear these stories up close and personally, and ask questions to find out what drives them to do be best at what they do. At each Studio Gourmet event, meet and talk to your favorite local chefs in an intimate setting, and get to know them on a personal level, and enjoy unique noshes themed around each chef.

Next time you walk into their restaurant or place of business, you will know the inside story of how and why they got there and why they create the food that they do

How did it start?

Studio Gourmet was first created in Atlanta Ga! I had a business called LITKitchen which was an event/ catering business! I realized that corporate events and private events mostly occur on the weekends and towards the end of the week leaving Monday – wed free to do other things! I created Studio gourmet and a variety of other events such as swinging sushi, Tango & tappas, etc. to bring in additional revenue into the business as well as increase awareness for the business.

Studio Gourmet became a hit because it was a unique event that gave customers a chance to meet the chefs of the restaurants that they frequent on a regular basis. I heard many stories of how after a show, a guest walked into the restaurant and was able to walk up and shake hands with the Chef which made the evening even more special!

Who started it?

The concept was created and founded by me, a local Californian who decided to take a trip across country in 1996 and ended up in Atlanta for almost 15 years! During my time in Atlanta, I started a business called LITKitchen which included the build out of a 5,000 sq foot event space. Studio Gourmet was one of the unique events that I started

What inspired the idea or how did you come up with the idea?

I have been a fan on the culinary scene all of my life! I have always been a foodie at heart and in 1996 started a business called LITKitchen which stood for “Learning Innovative Techniques in the Kitchen” the idea was to host interactive culinary events, cooking classes and private dining events where the guests were able to engage with the Chef!

This whole concept was created before the Food Channel became popular and before all of the other shows such as Top Chef, etc… Over the years, the food revolution has brought new heights to the Chefs and has made them legends in their own time! The food that is created by Chefs today is not just food but works of Art with great depth of thought that goes into each menu item! Due to these new levels of Rock Star – Chefs today have followings; people know where Chefs are and where they came from.

Studio Gourmet is the perfect avenue for customers or individuals to meet up close and personal all the different Chefs, to hear their stories and experiences, to hear where they came from and to hear the inspirations for what and how they do the things they do!

How many shows does it cover?

Studio Gourmet will be once months at first, featuring one Chef per show, but later down the road, we will expand this to more shows a month as well as expand the guests to all things food!

Who are your partners?

Our main Partner is Cellar360 which is located in Ghirardelli Square. They are hosting our show in their tasting room as well as providing a lot of other great things such as food, wine and staff! They have been a big help and we are looking forward to many shows in the future! Our other partners include: Cooking for the Clueless, Fetch Personal assistance, Americas Best Coffee, Coco-Luxe, Union Street Papery, HiddenMenu.com,

What can people get out of watching these shows?

The show is very similar to the TV Show “Inside the Actors Studio” but a lot more! The show is going to be a full event starting with a cocktail reception hosted at Celler360. There will be food and wine provided by Cellar360 as well as food that will be provided by the participating restaurant! This will give the guests time to check out Cellar 360 as well as meet the chef and shake their hand!

After the cocktail reception we are going to bring them into another room where we will start the show. The interview between the Host and the Chef will be approximately 45 minutes where the Chef will be asked a variety of questions in order for the guests to really get to know the Chef and their stories! The guests will also be able to participate by asking questions themselves! At the end of the show they guests will know the inside story of who these people are and why they decided to go down the path that they did!

At the end of the show they will all receive a nice gift bag that will include a 2 DVD set from Cooking for the Clueless, gift certificates to Fetch Personal assistance, Coco-luxe, Union Street Papery, Americas Best Coffee, Whynatte and a few other surprises! So it’s a lot more then just a show, its going to be a full well rounded afternoon of fun, food, wine and the chance to meet your favourite Chefs!

How can people watch the show?

At first the Show will be a live show – however we will be video taping the entire show from the beginning to the end. Once out Team of Videographers have edited and made it look pretty we we’ll stream it on the web!

How can they avail of tickets – are there any?

We are only selling 45 tickets per show – so the good thing is that this will be a small intimate crowed – where you will be able to get the personal experience that you are looking for! You can purchase the tickets on line at studiogourmetsf.com

What is your role?

My role (Brad Lev) is Host, Founder and Creator!

What do you hope to achieve with Studio Gourmet?

The first objective of the show is to provide a unique experience for our guests that will give them an insight into the minds of the Culinary Masters and other food minded individuals!

What is your vision for Studio Gourmet?

The long term vision is to be able to create a live reality TV Show based on Studio Gourmet!

Image Credit: sundaypaper.com

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