FOOD & DRINK
Phillips Seafood
Address: The Pier Shops at Caesars, Atlantic City Phone: 348-2273 On the Web: phillipsfoods.com
He’s No Spring Chicken
Veteran chef Paul Drew offers seafood-cooking class at Phillips in Atlantic City By Frank Gabriel little bit of a ham.” Expanding on that notion, he describes the planned programs as “educational, but you have a little fun with it.” There is a serious culinary lesson available as well. Drew demonstrates via a detailed discussion he plans regarding the varying uses of garlic in America, Italy and France. While most chefs in our country prefer to leave the fragrant bulbs
PHOTO BY NICK VALINOTE
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F YOU ENJOY PREPARING THE fruits of the ocean at home and would like to learn firsthand a few secrets from one of America’s premier seashore operators, Phillips Seafood in Atlantic City has exciting news for you. On the first Saturday of the next two months — May 1 and June 5 to be specific — the facility, located on the third floor of the Pier Shops at Caesars, will offer public classes that are equal parts culinary instruction, dining and entertainment. Titled “Cook, Crack and Eat: The Art of Cooking with Seafood”, the curriculum will be personally hosted by Paul Drew, Phillips executive chef. The welltraveled Brit, a native of Hartfordshire, just north of London, began his culinary career at age 14 on a chicken farm in the south of England. His nearly 40year career on both sides of the Pond provides a perspective that can only be gained through decades of travel and restaurant industry experience. Drew also features the famously dry, urbane, yet engaging sense of humour that is such a hallmark of his countrymen. This should make the upcoming proceedings amusing and memorable. Putting it kindly, most chefs are a bit too stiff and formal to pull off this kind of interactive performance. Not the gregarious Drew. Seriously, if this fellow wasn’t so successfully running kitchens, he would undoubtedly be equally suited to a career in stand-up comedy. Or, as the chef readily admits: “I’m a
This spring Paul Drew will host ‘Cook, Crack and Eat’ at Phillips in Atlantic City. either whole, or in large, readily identifiable slices, Italians generally chop more aggressively, into a fine dice. The French take the approach one additional step, pureeing the ingredient for an altogether different textural and flavor profile. On Saturday May 1, Drew and Phillips offer a Clam Bake for Two. Lucky attendees will be taught how to shop, select, and create a classic, beachy one-pot meal. Ingredients include whole Maine lobsters, snow crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussels, potatoes and corn on the cob. The best part: enjoying a glass of wine and a clambake in the restaurant before heading home armed with new skills and prepared
to share them with friends and family. The restaurant itself, sleek and modern, provides an open-air theater-style kitchen coupled with sweeping, endless views of the beach, Boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean below. The Phillips franchise began 53 years ago with a simple carryout business on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, which in time has morphed into a 1,400-seat colossus. Drew’s classes are conducted outside the regular kitchen with simple equipment, in an effort to simulate a home cook’s atmosphere. Drew says the overall
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goal is to have participants unintimidated working with seafood, leaving the restaurant confident in the belief that, “Things we design they physically could do at home.” A month later, on Saturday, June 5, another event, labeled “The Freshest Catch,” is scheduled. Students will have the opportunity to pick and clean fish like whole red snapper, flounder, mahi-mahi and barramundi. Techniques for grilling and stuffing with crabmeat are also on the agenda. Which only makes sense, since sister company Phillips Foods is the largest commercial producer of crabmeat in the world, registering a total of 11 million pounds in 2006. Drew gives credit to his Atlantic City management team: Assistant executive chef Sean Dunfee, general manager Brian Fountain and Phillips marketing manager Michelle Torres for helping conceive and execute this series of classes. He further indicates that he hopes to incorporate other instructional seminars as part of the restaurant’s regular roster of promotions. Interested? The cost for each class is $65 and includes chef demo, wine, lunch, and a swag bag to go. Classes begin at 11:30am, and space is limited, so register early. For more info, the Web site is phillipsfoods.com. Contact the restaurant directly to register at 348.2273. n E-mail Frank Gabriel at fgabriel@acweekly.com
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