At The Pass With Meghan Robbins

At The Pass is a monthly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight. 

Currently 

Chef de Cusine, Superpoint

Formerly

Terroni, The Saint, and Parts & Labour.

Favourite dish to make right now

Tacos for staff meal, or fresh pasta. 

Last cookbook purchase 

I think it was A Very Serious Cookbook: Contra Wildair by Alison Roman, Fabián von Hauske, and Jeremiah Stone.

Have you read it/tried any recipes 

Read through it, yes. Tried some techniques. 

Name one dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus

Fried food on a waffle.  

And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus

Local products. 

Your biggest influences

That’s hard because I tend to want to blend inspiration and influence together. My list is sort of a combination of people and places. I think Silo Brighton, Food for Soul, actual farmers, Mark Brand, and Alice Waters are influential and inspiring.

If could eat at any restaurant in the world

Oh my gosh, so many! Too much in my mind to choose. I want to say Osteria Francescana, because that’s true, but there are a lot of restaurants that are more “accessible” that I want to go to, or go back to.

Last thing you ate

Bread, canned sardines, cheese, and hummus. I like to graze when I am home.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Butter, Lemon, Sesame Oil.

Guilty pleasure 

Buttery popcorn, the next day. Also canned oily fish.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

This is hard because I go out to eat basically never. Not for any reason but lack of opportunity. I think there are tons of people who are killing it out there, and a million places I WANT TO eat. I had some delicious snacks at Bar Isabel and at Montgomery’s recently, and I could pretty much always eat an Extra Burger, if that kind of answers the question.  

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

I like to sit at the bar at Union, Paris Paris, or Communist Daughter. 

Your go-to drink 

Wine, tequila soda, or good old-fashioned water.

One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake

Stop drinking water out of a mug.

One habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs 

Keep your station clean and organized! Helps keep your brain clean and organized. 

Name one hidden talent

Ugh, I can’t name just one. I think so many people are talented in so many ways so I’m breaking the rules and naming a few. I think Nicholas Morra, though I don’t think he’s very hidden anymore. Josh Bagalacsa is making lovely charcuterie. Jesse Fader is killing the restaurant and boss game. Then there are people like Kim Montgomery who are balancing restaurant ownership and motherhood, which is double talented.

Best career advice you ever received  

Rob Gentile taught me that partaking in things like deep cleaning your kitchen with your staff shows good leadership qualities, and I always remember that.

Worst career advice you ever received 

I’m not sure if anyone ever gave me particularly bad career advice. I think I would have been my own worst enemy here, and talked myself out an opportunity because I was lacking confidence at the time.

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business

Lose the egos. We are a collective team and we can learn from each other.

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At The Pass is a monthly series showcasing Toronto/GTA’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight.

Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration.