Chef Talk: Zak Pelaccio of Fatty Crab, Chop Suey
Posted at 12:16:36 PM in Behind the scenes, Chef talk, Times Square restaurants, Upper West Side restaurants, West Village restaurantsby Kathleen Squires
Zak Pelaccio has been an unstoppable force ever since he emerged on NY's dining radar in 2003. After initial praise at Williamsburg's Chickenbone Cafe, he has since wielded his whisk at 5 Ninth and Fatty Crab, and has scored consulting gigs at 230 Fifth, Borough Food & Drink and most recently Chop Suey. The city's busiest chef was kind enough to chat with us about his ubiquitousness, what he's up to next and who else in the culinary field has cool hair.
KS: How does consulting for a restaurant differ from being the in-house chef?
Chef Zak Pelaccio: Another word for "consulting" is "advising." Perhaps that adds a bit more clarity to the role. I offer advice to an operator as to dishes they may want to serve, recipes, etc. However, it is at the operator's discretion to accept that advice or not.
KS: What are some of the rewards of being a consultant instead of the in-house chef?
ZP: For me, the opportunity to consult came about during a point in my life where my personal life required greater immediate attention than anything else. Consulting/advising afforded me the ability to maintain a steady income while not being responsible for day-to-day operations and therefore spend some necessary time with my son through what was a difficult couple of years.
KS: What is your response to critics (i.e., Eater) who feel that you collaborate too much?
ZP: I think Eater is a fun site. Those guys are witty and they generate buzz. It's their job to exploit any and all angles they can to accumulate hits. As for my personal situation, I know why I had to take on a few consulting jobs. It does strike me as odd how much interest that has generated. I am happy now that my time consulting is over and I'm excited to focus exclusively on my Fatty projects: The current Fatty Crab, the new one uptown and the Fatty 'Cue Robbie Richter and I are operating in Williamsburg. I have also been toying with a fun idea--the Windsor--with Will Goldfarb, Bob Truitt and Josh DeChellis.
KS: If the James Beard Awards had a "coolest hair" category, you'd win. Who do you think some of the other chef nominees should be?
ZP: I still remember Colin Alevras' pink mohawk back from the early days of the Tasting Room. To date, no one has come close to that.
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