Michelin Star Chefs: Why Food Quality Matters w/ Phillip & Margarita
On the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, restaurant owners Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee discuss their mission to serve the highest quality ingredients and the impact of earning coveted Michelin stars.
The married couple shares their passion for cooking with fresh, scratch-made components, from Lee's sourdough starter to Kallas-Lee's childhood foraging on her Latvian family farm. They recount their journeys into the restaurant industry: Kallas-Lee's unconventional path through pastry baking and Lee's early start in Michelin kitchens.
The chefs also reflect on the challenges of pivoting their Scratch Restaurants concept during COVID-19. Unexpectedly earning Michelin stars for newer locations despite their established roots proved transformative, bringing exponential success and highlighting the recognition's significance.
This is a preview of the Shortform summary of the Jan 20, 2025 episode of the Pursuit of Wellness
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Covid-19's Impact on Restaurants and Scratch Restaurants' Response
When the pandemic hit, restaurant owners Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee were forced to shut down their California locations and lay off staff. Facing strict lockdowns, they relocated Scratch Restaurants to Austin, Texas, where dining could remain operational. Though initially a challenge, the local culinary community spread word of their pop-ups, leading to success.
Founders' Passion For Cooking and High-Quality Ingredients
Kallas-Lee's love of fresh ingredients stems from her childhood on her great-grandmother's Latvian farm, foraging and eating homegrown produce. Her husband, Lee, believes in using only scratch-made ingredients meticulously prepared, like his sourdough starter and whole tuna purchases.
Chefs' Paths: From Founders to the Restaurant Industry
Kallas-Lee discovered her pastry passion young through baking treats. Her unconventional savory background shapes her standout desserts. Lee began working in Michelin-starred kitchens at 18, honing precision and work ethic.
Process and Significance of Earning Michelin Stars
In 2021, Scratch Restaurants earned surprise Michelin stars for two newer establishments, shocking Lee who felt their originals deserved it more. This recognition exponentially boosted their success and demand, reflecting the transformative impact of Michelin stars.
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Clarifications
- Michelin stars are prestigious accolades awarded by the Michelin Guide to restaurants based on culinary excellence. Earning Michelin stars can significantly boost a restaurant's reputation, leading to increased visibility, demand, and often higher prices. The attainment of Michelin stars is a symbol of exceptional quality and can attract food enthusiasts and critics, impacting a restaurant's success and longevity in the competitive culinary world.
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Covid-19's Impact on Restaurants and Scratch Restaurants' Response
The Covid-19 pandemic presented an enormous challenge for the restaurant industry. Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee, owners of Scratch Restaurants, were among those who experienced deep impacts and subsequently took decisive action to adapt.
Scratch Restaurants Closed California Locations and Laid Off Employees At Pandemic's Start
At the start of the pandemic, Phillip and Margarita had to make the difficult decision to shut down operations and lay off their staff due to the California government's restrictions. The implications of the statements "you're not welcome here, you're not allowed to work here" were felt deeply as they navigated the lockdowns.
Restaurant Owners Faced Tough Staffing Decisions During the Pandemic
When indoor dining closed down yet again in California right before Christmas, Phillip and Margarita were faced with hard decisions regarding staffing. They struggled with the idea of letting workers go during a time when they knew people were most in need of income.
Scratch Restaurants Relocated To Austin, Texas, Seeking a Supportive Environment
Seeking a more supportive environment for their business, Phillip and Margarita, along with their team, looked to relocate to continue operations during the pandemic. The team took a vote, which led them to move Scratch Restaurants to Austin, Texas, where they could remain operational even when California mandated a complete shutdown of both indoor and outdoor dining.
Texas Kept Restaurants Open, California Imposed Strict Lockdowns
In Austin, they found the nature of public health restrictions to be different, with restaurants allowed to remain open amidst the pandemic. This starkly contrasted with the approach in California, which imposed strict lockdowns that prohibited restaurant operations.
Austin Media and Culinary Community Welcomed Scratch Restaurants, Spreading the Word About Pop-up Locations
Despite initial challenges, such as local media reluctance in promoting restaurants during the pandemic, Scratch Restaurants found a welcoming reception from Austin's chefs and culinary community. While the media initially did not pu ...
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Covid-19's Impact on Restaurants and Scratch Restaurants' Response
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Clarifications
- The statements "you're not welcome here, you're not allowed to work here" reflect the difficult decision made by Phillip and Margarita to close their restaurant and lay off their staff due to government restrictions during the pandemic. It signifies the impact of being forced to cease operations and let go of employees due to circumstances beyond their control. These words convey the harsh reality faced by many businesses in the hospitality industry during the challenging times brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
- In Austin, Texas, during the pandemic, public health restrictions allowed restaurants to remain open with certain capacity limits and safety measures in place. California, on the other hand, implemented strict lockdowns that prohibited indoor and outdoor dining at various points to control the spread of COVID-19. These contrasting approaches influenced the operational conditions for businesses like Scratch Restaurants in each location.
- Scratch Restaurants leveraged their mailing list from Los Angeles by using it to inform their existing customers about their relocation to Austin, Texas. This allowed them to maintain communication with their loyal customer base and attract support in their new location. By utilizing their mailing list, Scratch Restaurants could reach out to their previous patrons and keep them updated on their business developments. This strategy helped them establish a foothold in Austin and build a customer base in their new environment.
- The success of the pop-up sushi bar in Austin through word-of-mouth marketing can be attributed to the initial quiet response turning into a sold-out tenure due to community support and positive reception from the culinary community. The support from the local community, including a significant turnout after a feature by a popular figure, played a crucial role in the success of Scratch Restaurants' pop-up location. The utilization of their mailing list from Los Angeles also helped draw support ...
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Founders' Passion For Cooking and High-Quality Ingredients
Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee share a deep love for fresh, quality ingredients and scratch-made dishes, stemming from their unique experiences and culinary philosophies.
Margarita Kallas-Lee's Love of Food Began On Her Great-Grandmother's Latvian Farm, Appreciating Fresh Ingredients
Kallas-Lee’s love for food was nurtured during her childhood spent on her great-grandmother's farm in Latvia. Here, she developed an early appreciation for fresh, natural foods while running around the farm and eating sugar snap peas directly from the bushes. Phillip Frankland Lee comments on her strong palate, developed from a childhood of picking berries and eating peas in the woods as opposed to a diet filled with processed fast food.
Kallas-Lee's Foraging and Consuming Homegrown Produce Refined Her Palate Over Processed-Food Diets
This foraging habit from Kallas-Lee’s upbringing persisted in her passion for using fresh ingredients, such as those from an urban farm called House Bar Farms. She uses fresh herbs and fig leaves in her cooking, as evidenced by a dessert at the new pasta bar in Austin that features basil and mint, specifically orange mint and Thai basil, and a blackcurrant granita with passion fruit.
Phillip Frankland Lee's Philosophy: Use Only Scratch-Made Ingredients
Phillip Frankland Lee’s culinary style is improvisational and intuitive, and he is committed to scratch-made ingredients.
Lee Values Great Cuisine Through Meticulous Preparation With the Finest, Freshest Ingredients
Lee's cooking includes making sourdough from a starter received on Scratch Bar's opening day and sourcing fish from a trusted broker at Toyosu fish market in Japan. He emphasizes the importance of regional cooking by treating Los Angeles or Austin as if they were regions in Italy, using local ing ...
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Founders' Passion For Cooking and High-Quality Ingredients
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Clarifications
- Margarita Kallas-Lee's childhood spent on her great-grandmother's Latvian farm was significant as it shaped her love for fresh, natural foods through experiences like foraging and enjoying homegrown produce. This upbringing instilled in her an early appreciation for quality ingredients and a palate refined by consuming fresh, unprocessed foods directly from the farm. The Latvian farm served as the foundation for Margarita's culinary journey, influencing her passion for using fresh herbs and produce in her cooking endeavors. The connection to her great-grandmother's farm in Latvia underscores the roots of Margarita's culinary philosophy centered around fresh, high-quality ingredients.
- Foraging habit involves gathering wild food from nature. Regular foraging can expose individuals to a variety of flavors and textures not commonly found in processed foods, which can help develop a more nuanced palate over time. This exposure to diverse tastes and fresh, natural ingredients at a young age can shape one's preferences towards high-quality, fresh foods in adulthood. The act of foraging and consuming homegrown produce can refine one's palate by fostering an appreciation for the unique flavors and qualities of fresh, unprocessed ingredients.
- House Bar Farms is an urban farm known for producing fresh herbs and other high-quality produce. Margarita Kallas-Lee uses ingredients from House Bar Farms in her cooking, showcasing her commitment to using fresh, locally sourced items in her culinary creations. The farm's offerings, like basil, mint, and fig leaves, play a significant role in enhancing the flavors and quality of the dishes served at the restaurants associated with Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee. The utilization of ingredients from House Bar Farms reflects a dedication to supporting local agriculture and promoting sustainability in the culinary industry.
- Scratch Bar is a restaurant founded by Phillip Frankland Lee known for its commitment to using scratch-made ingredients. The restaurant emphasizes meticulous preparation with the finest, freshest ingredients, showcasing Lee's culinary style that values quality and authenticity in cooking. Phillip Frankland Lee's approach at Scratch Bar involves creating dishes from scratch, highlighting his dedication to using fresh, high-quality ingredients in his culinary creations. The restaurant serves as a platform for ...
Actionables
- Start a mini herb garden on your windowsill to ensure you always have fresh herbs for cooking. By growing herbs like basil, mint, or cilantro at home, you'll have access to the freshest flavors and can add a personal touch to your dishes, just like using homegrown produce can refine your palate.
- Create a local ingredient challenge for yourself by cooking a meal once a week using only ingredients sourced from within a 50-mile radius. This will encourage you to explore regional foods, support local farmers, and understand the seasonality of ingredients, similar to using oak for smoking in Austin to emphasize regional cooking.
- ...
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Chefs' Paths: From Founders to the Restaurant Industry
Margarita Kallas-Lee and Phillip Frankland Lee share their unique journeys into the culinary world with a focus on their early passions and experiences in high-end kitchens.
Margarita Kallas-Lee’s Baking Passion Discovered Early
Margarita Kallas-Lee reminisces about her childhood experiences with baking, such as reading cookbooks and making treats like Rice Krispies and biscotti for her friends. Her passion for cooking and baking was evident from an early age.
Kallas-Lee's Unconventional Pastry-Making Distinguishes Her From Traditional Chefs
Kallas-Lee shares that her approach to cooking and pastry-making comes from a background in savory cuisine rather than classical pastry training. This foundation has influenced her method of building flavors and designing dishes, allowing her to create standout desserts. Her husband, Phillip Frankland Lee, reinforces her uniqueness by noting her lack of classical training distinguishes her desserts in the culinary scene. One exquisite example of her talent is the Tonka bean custard with yuzu and passion fruit granita, Thai basil leaves, and shiso blossoms which Margarita crafted. This work eventually led her to pursue her passion professionally and to create a dessert menu that showcases her talents.
Phillip Frankland Lee Trained Under Renowned Chefs In Michelin-Starred Kitchens From a Young Age
Phillip Frankland Lee embarked on his culinary path early as well, starting at the age of 18. Starting as a dishwasher, he worked his way up through various roles in the k ...
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Chefs' Paths: From Founders to the Restaurant Industry
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Actionables
- Explore your childhood hobbies to uncover a potential career path by reflecting on activities you enjoyed as a child and considering how they could translate into a modern profession. For instance, if you loved building model airplanes, you might look into careers in aerospace engineering or drone technology.
- Adopt a cross-disciplinary approach to your work by integrating skills from different fields. If you're a graphic designer with a knack for storytelling, consider how narrative techniques can enhance your design projects, making them more engaging and unique.
- Choose mentorship over formal education to ...
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Process and Significance Of Earning Michelin Stars
The Scratch Restaurants group has experienced a remarkable boost in success and reputation following their unexpected Michelin recognition in 2021 for two of their newer establishments: Sushi Bar Montecito and Pasta Bar.
Scratch Restaurants Earned Michelin Stars For two New Establishments In 2021
In an unforeseen turn of events in 2021, Scratch Restaurants received Michelin stars for Sushi Bar Montecito and Pasta Bar, two of their newer dining offerings. This accolade typically signifies exceptional quality, and earning a star can be a pinnacle moment for restaurants around the world.
Scratch Restaurants' Michelin Recognition Shocked Owners, Who Felt Older Establishments Deserved It More
Phillip Frankland Lee, owner and proprietor, was caught off guard by the accolade – an emotional moment where he broke down crying upon hearing the news. Confusion arose as to why these two new establishments were honored with Michelin stars while older ones, such as Scratch Bar and the original Sushi, which had previously been recognized with Michelin plates and longstanding success, did not receive the honor. Speaking to the accolades, Lee shared his feelings of surprise and a hint of dismay, as he had not anticipated the newer entities outshining their established siblings in terms of Michelin's recognition.
Michelin Stars Boosted Scratch Restaurants' Success and Demand Exponentially
The windfall of earning the coveted Michelin stars significantly amplified the demand and success for the Scratch Restaurants group. Such re ...
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Process and Significance Of Earning Michelin Stars
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Actionables
- You can explore the impact of prestigious awards by dining at both Michelin-starred and non-starred restaurants to compare experiences and understand the value of such recognition. Take notes on the ambiance, service, and food quality to see if you can discern what might set Michelin-recognized places apart. This personal experiment will give you a firsthand look at the standards of excellence that such awards signify.
- Create a themed dinner event inspired by Michelin-starred restaurants to share the experience with friends or family. Research dishes from awarded establishments, attempt to recreate them at home, and host a dinner where you discuss the elements of what makes food exceptional. This can be a fun way to appreciate the culinary arts and the level of detail that goes into Michelin-worthy meals.
- Start a blog or social media ...
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