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MARK: MY FIRST GUEST WAS
A FINALIST ON TOP CHEF
AND IRON CHEF GAUNTLET.
SHE'S ALSO THE CHEF AT A GREAT
RESTAURANT CALLED MONTEVERDE.
HERE IS SARAH GRUENEBERG.
- I WILL TELL YOU THE MOMENT. - THAT I WAS LIKE,
"GOTTA HAVE SARAH ON THE SHOW,"
AND THAT'S WHEN I WAS WATCHING
EPISODE 1 OF IRON CHEF GAUNTLET
AND YOU WERE ASKED BY THAT GUY
WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING,
- BUT IS NOT A CHEF, - I DON'T THINK.
HE JUST KNOWS EVERYTHING.
- SARAH: HE DOES. - KNOW A LOT THOUGH.
- MARK: HE KNOWS A LOT. - HE'S A KNOW-IT-ALL.
BUT I'M SURE A NICE MAN
AND HE ASKED YOU TO
MAKE SOME KIND OF...
- YOU'RE HESITATING THERE. - NOT A NICE MAN?
- SARAH: NO. - I'M TRYING TO SETTLE IN.
ALRIGHT.
HERE WE GO.
MARK: SO HE ASKED YOU
TO MAKE A WOODSY,
HE ASKED EVERYBODY.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF REALLY
GOOD CHEFS AND IT WAS LIKE,
- HERE'S A BUNCH OF MEAT. - AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF
AND MAKE SOMETHING WOODSY.
SARAH: YES. WILD.
MARK: WILD AND WOODSY.
SO YOU MADE SOMETHING
THAT HAD BACON ON IT,
INCORPORATED ONTO IT,
AND HE CALLED YOU OUT.
HE SAID, "HOLD ON A SECOND."
THERE'S NO BACON OR PIGS
IN THE WOODS LIKE THIS,
AND TO WHICH YOU REPLIED.
- SARAH: I ALWAYS. - TAKE BACON WITH ME.
MARK: THAT'S RIGHT.
REALLY.
SARAH: ANYWHERE I TRAVEL
THERE'S SOME BACON.
- MARK: YEAH AND THAT'S... - I MEAN, THAT'S HOW...
- THAT'S JUST A FIRST TAKE. - KIND OF THING, RIGHT?
- SARAH: WELL, I DON'T EVEN. - REMEMBER SAYING IT,
BUT I'M SO GLAD I DID.
- MARK: SO ONE OF THE THINGS. - THAT HAPPENS ON...
- I GUESS IT HAPPENS. - ON EVERY EPISODE
IS THAT YOU'RE ASKED TO MAKE
SOMETHING IN 30 SECONDS
- WHEN IT TAKES A MINUTE. - TO COOK THE MEAT THROUGH.
SARAH: CORRECT.
- MARK: AND SO YOU'RE SCREWED. - FROM THE BEGINNING.
SARAH: PRETTY MUCH.
- MARK: I MEAN THEY'VE KIND. - OF SET THE ODDS AGAINST YOU.
SO ARE THESE GAMES A SERIES
OF MIND GAMES?
SARAH: IT DEPENDS ON THE SHOW.
THE FIRST SHOW I DID
WAS MUCH MORE CHALLENGING.
- WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE WERE. - GOING TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
IT WAS LIKE YOU'D WAKE UP
WITH A CAMERA IN YOUR FACE
AND YOU WERE KIND OF
ON LOCK DOWN.
YOU COULDN'T GO HOME.
YOU COULDN'T CALL YOU FAMILY.
YOU DIDN'T SLEEP.
YOU DIDN'T EAT AND THEN YOU HAD
FOOD AND BOOZE.
SO YEAH, THAT WAS MUCH MORE
MENTALLY CHALLENGING.
IRON CHEF GAUNTLET WAS REALLY
ABOUT THE FOOD.
IT WASN'T ABOUT.
- MARK: CAUSE YOU'VE MADE IT. - BY THAT POINT.
- SARAH: IT WASN'T ABOUT. - THE PERSONALITY STUFF.
IT WAS LIKE COOKING
AND CAN YOU DO IT
AND CAN YOU DO IT IN
THESE TIME CONSTRAINTS
AND BE CREATIVE AND SHOW
ALTON SOMETHING DIFFERENT
- THAT HE'S NEVER SEEN BEFORE, - IS THE CHALLENGE.
MARK: TELL ME ABOUT WHEN
YOU FIRST GOT INTO COOKING
BECAUSE SOME CHEFS,
THEY'RE LIKE 32
WHEN THEY REALIZE,
- "HEY WAIT A MINUTE, - THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO
BECAUSE I FAILED
"AT EVERYTHING ELSE."
WHEREAS.
- SARAH: WHICH IS THE WRONG REASON. - TO GO INTO CHEFDOM.
- MARK: YOU GOT INTO IT. - VERY YOUNG.
YOU WANTED TO BE A CHEF.
- SARAH: I DID. I DID. - IT SAVED MY LIFE.
MARK: REALLY? HOW?
SARAH: WELL, I WAS
THAT TROUBLED TEENAGER
THAT WAS JUST WANTED TO NOT BE
AT SCHOOL AND COOK,
HANG OUT WITH SOME FRIENDS.
MARK: THAT'S NOT WHAT MOST
TROUBLED TEENAGERS WANT TO DO.
UNLESS THEY'RE COOKING METH.
- SARAH: WELL I WAS, NO, NO, - NO METH.
MARK: I LOVE COOKING.
I LOVE METH.
I LOVE PASTA.
- SARAH: THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN. - A LITTLE, YOU KNOW,
LITTLE STUFF HAPPENING.
- MARK: YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. - IT WAS HIGH SCHOOL.
- SARAH: YEAH. SO IT WAS LIKE, - "OK, GREAT, MUNCHIES,
"LET'S COOK FOR MY FRIENDS."
MARK: THAT'S AMAZING.
YOU'RE THE BEST FRIEND
IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SARAH: PRETTY MUCH.
- MARK: LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GO. - TO 7-ELEVEN.
- WAIT A MINUTE. - I GOT SOMETHING BETTER.
SARAH: SARAH'S MAKING LASAGNA.
AND BASICALLY I JUST...
WELL TO BACK UP FROM THERE,
- I JUST LIKED COOKING WITH FAMILY. - AND I LOVED...
- I WAS AN ONLY CHILD. - RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER.
MARK: IN HOUSTON?
- SARAH: IN HOUSTON AND I WENT. - TO PRIVATE SCHOOL,
- SO I WAS ALREADY LIKE THREE. - WHAMMIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SINGLE CHILD, DON'T HAVE
BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
JUST MY MOM AND I GO
TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
- SO I DIDN'T EVEN. - LIKE KNOW ANYONE REALLY
IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
- SO I WAS KIND OF A HOMEBODY. - AND I WOULD COOK
AND I WOULD WATCH FOOD GOURMET
- AND I WOULD WATCH JULIE CHILDS. - AND I WOULD WATCH THESE SHOWS
THAT WERE LIKE OLD SCHOOL
ON PBS LIKE GALLOPING GOURMET.
MARK: PBS.
SARAH: THEY WERE AWESOME.
AND THEN, WHEN I WAS 12
FOOD NETWORK CAME OUT
AND IT WAS LIKE INCREDIBLE.
MARK: BLEW YOUR MIND.
SARAH: EMERIL LAGASSE.
THERE WAS REALLY
JUST INCREDIBLE SHOWS
THAT SHOWED ME AS THIS
LITTLE GIRL IN TEXAS
THAT PEOPLE COULD BE CHEFS
AND THAT YOU COULD BE
A CHEF AS YOUR CAREER.
MARK: SO IT WASN'T RESTAURANTS?
- YOU WEREN'T GOING OUT TO NICE, - FANCY RESTAURANTS
AND FIGURING IT OUT THAT WAY.
SARAH: NO, I MEAN,
I THINK ANY CHEF,
IF THEY DON'T LOVE TO EAT,
THEN THEY SHOULDN'T BE A CHEF.
- LIKE, I THINK THAT'S. - THE FIRST THING
YOU HAVE TO HAVE
ON LIKE YOUR BELT.
BUT BEING SOMEONE
WHO'D LIKE TO COOK
- AND WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE. - SOMETHING WITH MY HANDS,
LIKE I WANTED TO CREATE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S
SO GREAT ABOUT COOKING
IS IT, IT'S LIKE EVERY SENSE.
THE TOUCH, THE FEEL, THE SENSE
OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
- WHEN YOU MAKE SOMETHING. - AND THEN WHEN YOU ENJOY IT
OR YOU SERVE IT SOMEONE
ELSE AND THEY ENJOY IT.
IT'S LIKE THIS LIKE
TRIFECTA OF AMAZING.
MARK: SO IT'S EARLY IN THE
LIFESPAN OF THE RESTAURANT,
BUT THERE COMES, THERE SEEMS
TO COME A POINT FOR CHEFS,
- ESPECIALLY CHEFS WHO ARE ON TV, - WHO HAVE A NAME,
WHO SAY, "I'VE GOT TO OPEN"
ANOTHER RESTAURANT."
SARAH: THIS IS THE BAD THING.
MARK: OK. WHY?
SARAH: WELL, SO, I DON'T KNOW.
- CAUSE I THINK AMERICANS. - IT'S IN OUR BREED,
- IT'S LIKE IN OUR BLOOD, - IT'S IN OUR CULTURE LIKE,
"WHAT'S NEXT?"
LIKE YOU NEVER SIT DOWN
AND APPRECIATE YOUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF NOW.
IT'S ALWAYS LIKE, "WHAT'S NEXT?"
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT?
- WHAT ARE YOU GOING. - "TO BUILD NEXT?"
AND FOR RESTAURANTS I THINK
IT'S HARD TO BE SUCCESSFUL
OR MAKE A LIVING FOR ALL
OF YOUR TEAM ON ONE CONCEPT.
MARK: WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
SO STUPID.
SO DUMB.
[LAUGHTER]
WE CAN MOVE ON.
- SARAH: WELL I HOPE, - I MEAN, NOW I...
WHAT REALLY CHANGED IT WAS I WON
THE JAMES BEARD AWARD THIS YEAR,
WHICH WAS AN INCREDIBLE
ACCOMPLISHMENT.
- MARK: IF YOU DON'T WIN, - YOU DON'T COME ON THE SHOW.
THAT'S THE...
THAT WAS FOR THE
GREAT LAKES, RIGHT?
- SARAH: - YEAH FOR GREAT LAKES,
SPECIAL GREAT LAKES
AND THAT WAS LIKE,
"WHOA, NOW WHAT'S NEXT,"
BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN...
- THAT'S ONE OF MY GOALS. - SINCE I WAS LITTLE.
I'VE BEEN COOKING PROFESSIONALLY
SINCE I WAS 19 AND NOW I'M 35
AND NOW I GOT THAT
JAMES BEARD AWARD,
I'M LIKE, "WHAT'S NEXT?"
- "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NEXT," - AND SO NOW IT'S LIKE,
"OK, LET'S OPEN THIS.
- "LET'S DO THAT AND I'D LOVE." - TO WRITE A COOKBOOK
AND I'D LOVE TO DO MORE,
"NOT JUST THE DAY TO DAY GRIND."
MARK: CAN WE SWITCH GEARS?
CAN WE TALK ABOUT PASTA?
- SARAH: PASTA. - MY FAVORITE THING.
- MARK: THAT IS YOUR. - FAVORITE THING.
WHAT... SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL PASTA,
THE KIND OF PASTA YOU MAKE.
AT YOUR RESTAURANT YOU CAN SEE
PEOPLE MAKING PASTA.
YOU'RE SITTING AT THE BAR
AND THERE'S KIND
OF A REARVIEW MIRROR.
SARAH: THEY'RE CALLED PASTA TV.
- REARVIEW MIRROR. - THAT'S GREAT.
I LOVE THAT.
- MARK: THAT YOU CAN SEE THE. - PEOPLE SOMEHOW MAKING THE PASTA
AND IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL
ACTUALLY WATCHING IT.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT
AND I GO TO THE STORE
AND I GET A BOX OF PASTA
THAT'S YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS.
SARAH: DRY PASTA.
- MARK: DRY PASTA AND I THROW IT. - INTO A POT.
I PUT A LITTLE SALT IN AND THEN
A FEW MINUTES LATER.
SARAH: NO OIL IN THE WATER.
- MARK: I DON'T PUT OIL. - IN THE WATER.
SARAH: GOOD.
MARK: THAT SEEMS DANGEROUS.
AND THEN I EAT IT
AND I ENJOY IT, BUT IT'S...
WHERE AM I MISSING OUT
OR WHERE'S REAL PASTA DOING
SOMETHING THAT THAT'S NOT?
SARAH: I LOVE DRY PASTA.
I LOVE BOXED PASTA.
I THINK IT SERVES ITS PURPOSE.
SO I CAN GEEK OUT A LITTLE BIT,
- SO YOU MIGHT HAVE. - TO REIGN ME IN.
MARK: GEEK AWAY.
- SARAH: BUT IF YOU LOOK. - AT THE MAP OF ITALY,
THAT'S WHERE THE ANSWERS ARE.
SO IN NORTHERN ITALY
WAS MORE INDUSTRIAL.
THEY HAD MORE MONEY TO AFFORD
TO EAT EGGS IN THEIR DOUGH
AND SO YOU HAVE
FRESH PASTAS THERE.
TAGLIATELLE, RAVIOLI,
TORTELLINI,
ALL THESE PASTAS THAT WERE
FRESH DOUGHS THAT WERE ROLLED,
PROBABLY BY SOMEONE THAT
THEY HAD WORKING FOR THEM
MAKING THE DOUGH
AND FILLING THEM
AND I'M TALKING LIKE
HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO.
AND THEN YOU THINK
OF SOUTHERN ITALY,
WHICH WAS POVERTY
AND MAKING ENDS MEET
AND THEY CALL IT CUCINA POVERA
OR THE POOR KITCHEN.
IT'S WHERE THERE'S A
WHOLE AMOUNT OF RECIPES
THAT ARE JUST BASED ON THIS IDEA
- AND THAT'S WHERE. - DRIED PASTA COMES FROM,
WHICH IS MADE JUST FROM WATER
AND SEMOLINA AND SO THAT...
DRY PASTA IS FOR SPAGHETTI,
CARBONARA, AMATRICIANA,
POMODORO, ALIOLI,
THOSE ARE THOSE PASTAS.
AND THEN FRESH PASTA
IS MORE FOR FILLED PASTAS
OR TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE
OR PASTA WITH BUTTER
AND PARMIGIANO AND PESTO
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF I
ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION,
BUT EACH PASTA...
- AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY. - OF MONTEVERDE
IS WE WANTED TO TELL
THE STORY OF PASTA.
SO ON OUR MENU YOU CAN GET
DRIED PASTA FROM TUSCANY.
- YOU CAN GET OUR. - HOUSE-EXTRUDED PASTA
THAT'S MADE WITH
SEMOLINA AND WATER
OR YOU CAN GET
OUR WHOLE EGG DOUGH
AND EGG YOLK DOUGH ROLLED AND
FILLED WITH DIFFERENT TOPPINGS.
MARK: MY GOD, THAT'S A GREAT,
THAT'S A GREAT SITUATION
YOU HAVE AT YOUR RESTAURANT.
SARAH: THAT'S WHY I WANTED
TO SHOW PASTA.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A LOT
OF PIZZERIAS IN CHICAGO
AND THE US THAT SHOW THE DOUGH
AND YOU CAN MAKE IT TO ORDER,
BUT THE IDEA OF HAND CRAFTING
PASTA I THINK IS SO INCREDIBLE
- AND SOMETHING THAT I FELL IN. - LOVE WITH WHEN I WAS IN ITALY
AND I REALLY WANTED TO
BRING THAT BACK.
- AND THE TWO WOMEN. - THAT WORK BEHIND THAT MIRROR,
BASA AND MARIA,
ARE LIKE THEY'RE LIKE A
LUCILLE AND ETHEL SITUATION.
- MARK: THEY ARE. - IT'S GREAT.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
- SARAH: BECAUSE BASA. - ONLY SPEAKS ITALIAN
AND MARIA ONLY SPEAK SPANISH.
IT'S SUPER FUN.
MARK: AND I HEARD
THEY HATE EACH OTHER.
- SARAH: THEY HATE/LOVE. - EACH OTHER.
IT'S A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.
MARK: I DIDN'T HEAR THAT AT ALL.
- I WAS JUST FISHING. - FOR SOMETHING THERE.
SARAH: NO, ITS TRUE.
MARK: REALLY.
SARAH: YEAH.
- THEY GET, THEY'RE IN COMPETITION. - FOR THAT LIGHT.
MARK: DO THEY DISAGREE
ON METHOD?
SARAH: WELL, SO BASA IS AN ANGEL
THAT CAME TO US.
SHE MADE HAS MADE PASTA
FOR 20 YEARS.
MARK: REALLY?
SARAH: YES.
MARK: AND THEN YOU'RE LIKE COME.
SARAH: SHE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR,
- LIKE DAY ONE KNOCKED. - ON THE DOOR AND WAS LIKE,
- HER WHOLE FAMILY CAME. - AND SHOWED UP.
AND I WAS LIKE, I CAME UPSTAIRS
- AND THERE'S A MOM AND A DAD. - AND TWO KIDS.
I WAS LIKE WHAT
IS GOING ON HERE?
AND SHE WANTED.
- MARK: WE'VE COME TO TAKE OVER. - YOUR RESTAURANT
BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT BETTER.
SARAH: MY MOM NEEDS A JOB.
IT'S HER FIRST JOB IN CHICAGO.
SHE NEEDS A JOB.
AND I THOUGHT GREAT.
AND MARIA WAS THERE FROM
DAY ONE, BEFORE THE FIRST DAY,
AND WORKED WITH ME.
SO SHE... MARIA MAKES
ALL THE STRUDENT PASTAS,
WHICH ARE PASTAS DOUGHS
THAT ARE PUSHED THROUGH A DYE
TO MAKE A SPECIFIC SHAPE.
- MARK: SO THEY HAVE. - SEPARATE JURISDICTIONS?
SARAH: AND THEN BASA DOES
THE SHEETS AND THE FRESH DOUGH.
BUT I THINK THEY LIKE TO,
BUT MARIA NOW SPEAKS
THIS SPANISH/ITALIAN THING.
IT'S REALLY CUTE.
MARK: THIS IS THE GREATEST...
THIS IS A SHOW.
SARAH: I THINK IT COULD BE.
LET'S CALL... SO YOU SHOULD COME
- AND WE'LL DO AN INTERVIEW. - AT MONTEVERDE.
MARK: LET'S DO IT.
ANY TIME.
- WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH. - FOR COMING ON TONIGHT.
SARAH: THANK YOU.
MARK: THE RESTAURANTS GREAT.
- MONTEVERDE AND ARE YOU. - DONE WITH TV
- OR DO YOU SEE MORE TV. - IN YOUR FUTURE?
SARAH: I DON'T KNOW.
I LOVE, I LOVE BEING ON TV
BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY FIRST...
YOU KNOW THE PASSION FIRST CAME
FOR MAYBE WANTING TO BE A CHEF,
BUT WHO KNOWS.
- THE RESTAURANTS ALWAYS. - NUMBER ONE.
MARK: SARAH GRUENEBERG.
THANK YOU.
SARAH: THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]