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CommentsJeremy Fox
Inspiring diners to eat (and love) their veggies
Photo: Gary Goldsmith
JEREMY FOX, executive chef at UBUNTU in Napa, has quickly become known for the magic he works on vegetables in the mere year that Ubuntu has been open. He’s come a long way from when he first started out as a 17-year-old working at a local Chick-fil-A in Atlanta. Although he left the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University two classes shy of his degree, Fox believes that a cook’s attitude is what will make or break him in the kitchen.
What is one of your fondest childhood food memories?
My grandmother making veal tongue. I think the fact that no one else would eat it but my grandfather kind of made me want to try it and like it. She was up at 7 a.m. every day cooking—most of what she made was really good Jewish food. Food has always been important to me. I’ve always been pretty adventurous—the weirder the better.
What brought you to Ubuntu?
At my last job at Manresa [in Los Gatos] I was into charcuterie and pork. That’s all I thought about. We started a garden at Manresa about two years ago and quickly the focus of the restaurant turned to elegantly utilizing everything that came from the garden. It was my job to make sure the vegetables got used—it was a huge influx—while they were still fresh. It was kind of a boot camp in learning how to use all of it and thinking in a way that made vegetables the main thing on the plate with everything else highlighting them. I think it is every chef’s dream to have a garden at their disposal, to have things grown for them. That was really what made me interested in Ubuntu. Ubuntu’s garden is about six miles away and Rose Robertson, our gardener, brings produce on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Everyone here is very lucky.
Your menu at Ubuntu is truly vegetable-centric. Why do you not use the traditional vegetarian ingredients such as rice and tofu?
Part of why I didn’t have tofu and seitan [wheat gluten] initially on the menu is because ... I think those things, the meat replacements, are like telling vegetarians, “This is what you’re missing, so here’s the closest thing.” That is a bad message to send. I wanted big plates of vegetables. I’ve been to vegetarian restaurants where there really weren’t many vegetables; the menu is filled up with tofu and grains so you’re really not eating that much variety.
How does it feel to be named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs for 2008?
It feels really good. I’ve been buying that issue since I was 20 years old. I’ve always said, “I’d love to be on that list one day.” I kind of worshiped all those chefs so it was pretty surreal to get the call.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Fast food, I like fast food. In-N-Out Burger is my favorite.
Which three people would you want to have dinner with?
Albert Einstein. I was always fascinated with him, the fact that someone can be known, of all things, for [his] brain. Jim Carrey, for entertainment purposes and John Smoltz, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves.
What is your food philosophy?
Keeping flavors simple. I want whatever ingredient I’m showcasing to not get mucked up by having too many other flavors in the mix.
What legacy do you want to leave?
I just want my cooks to have respect for the ingredients. I kind of see it as my responsibility to train them for the next thing. While they’re here, I want them to grow as much as possible and bring whatever I’ve taught them to wherever they go.
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