What is always in your refrigerator?
Cheese, St. Benoît yogurt, fruit, almond milk, and bottled water.
What do you cook up for a late night snack?
Quesadillas with avocado and sprouts.
Where/what do you eat on your day off?
Dim Sum at Yank Sing in the Rincon Center.
Do you have a secret ‘junk food’ vice? Popcorn.
Any food you can’t stand?
Not yet.
What is your fantasy “last meal?” Tripe done seven different ways.
What ingredient is overused and needs to be retired?
Foam.
What is the next big thing?
Chowders, including farmstead and vegetarian.
Your favorite special meal to cook?
Anything that involves cooking for eight to ten people such as Poached Beef Filet in Red Wine with Forest Mushrooms.
Favorite restaurant in the world?
Chez Panisse.
Who would you like to have dinner with (alive or dead)?
Barack Obama.
A food tip/secret/to share with readers?
Cooking is 90% common sense.
Rick Hackett moved to the Bay Area in 1979 and became part of the American culinary revolution, working at Chez Panisse, Bay Wolf, Oliveto, Postrio, and Acme Bread. In 1992, Rick and his wife, Meredith Melville, reopened the fabled Enrico’s in North Beach before he joined the popular Florio on Fillmore Street as executive chef, and, later, opened MarketBar in San Francisco’s Ferry Building. The couple opened Bocanova in Oakland’s Jack London Square in 2009.
Follow Berkeleyside NOSH on Twitter at @ebnosh, and on Facebook.
