Men's Journal

The award-winning chef on his tractor, his kitchen tools, and his love of stinky cheeses

By David Ramsey

Since opening his first restaurant when he was 28, Palmer — a James Beard award winner with Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and Vegas — has been spreading the gospel of progressive American cuisine. “I was brought up in French kitchens, but I’m an American guy,” he says.

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Toy

From the time I was a kid in upstate New York, I drove tractors. That changed when I moved to New York City, but once I moved out to Sonoma in ’04 I bought a John Deere 110 TLB. I mow with it, work on the house — I built my road with it.

Coffee

When I’m in New York, I seek out Oren’s.

Wine

I’m a huge lover of Burgundy — some would say fanatical. My all-time favorite is Etienne Sauzet. You have to go to Burgundy to understand the complexity of the process, and I’ve spent a lot of time there. You might have five different people each making their own wine from a one-acre vineyard, and you’re not allowed to irrigate, so it’s amazing that some people can produce excellence year after year.

Kiddie Food

A lot of kids eat iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing; my four boys like a salad frisée with a chicory-bacon vinaigrette and poached egg.

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Vehicle

I’m a Chevy-truck guy, something I got from my dad. I just got a new Silverado. It’s all geared out, so I have everything I need for business, plus a big cab for my sons.

Team

I’ve been a New York Giants fan all my life. I took one of my sons to a game when he was six. He was asleep by the third quarter.

Invention

In 2006, I produced the first-ever water-proof cookbook, Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen. I had wanted to do this for years, because taking a book into the kitchen is like taking it into battle. You don’t want to worry about splattering all over your cookbook.

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Knife

I have a 12-inch chef’s knife with a big rosewood handle and a bronze clasp, made by Bob Kramer, a bladesmith from Olympia, Washington. He makes about 300 a year, and the waiting list is forever. It feels like an extension of me.

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Sport

Basically, I like to hit people, which is why I wrestled all four years in high school. I played defensive tackle, too.

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Collection

I have a collection of 12 or 13 beautiful shotguns. I like the precision of a well-functioning piece of equipment. For Christmas 23 years ago, restaurateur Buzzy O’Keeffe gave me a Browning, which is still my favorite.

Luggage

None. I fly from California to New York weekly, and security always looks at me a little funny. I fly with my iPhone, my wallet, and an apple.

Cheese

With the Cowgirl Creamery in Sonoma, I think we can finally say that American cheeses are as good as — or better than — the great cheeses of the world. Their best is Red Hawk; it’s a very soft cheese from organic cow milk. It stinks so good.

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Pet Peeve

Stupid food. I once saw white anchovy and sea scallop with bitter cocoa and lemon-lime on a menu.

Ski Destination

I’m not a great skier, but Deer Valley is one of my favorite places in the world — such great terrain, and one of the only places left with no snowboarders. My favorite hill is Empire.

Watch

I have a Tag Heuer 2000 Classic Series I’ve worn for years that Tiger Woods gave me.

Last Meal

A very simple roast squab with whole caramelized garlic. Ounce for ounce, squab has more flavor than anything else you could put in your mouth.

Work in Progress

After drinking massive amounts of pinot noir, me and a photographer friend, Bill Milne, talked about self-publishing a book with the working title The Blood and the Beauty. We want to combine beautiful pictures of food with the goriness of what happens in the slaughterhouse. It won’t be for the fainthearted.

Place to Shop

Sonoma. There aren’t many places in the world with great artisanal cheesemakers; incredible produce brought to your door; fresh lamb, pigeon, and suckling pig, with a 25-minute drive to the coast for wild salmon.

Kitchen Tool

Instead of regular kitchen tongs, I use surgical tongs. Food companies make them just for chefs now, but I started using them years ago. They’re a lot more precise and allow you to do intricate plating.

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Business Strategy

You work hard, and there is no discussion. That was the example set by my father, who was paramount in creating my work ethic. He was a plumber, electrician, jack-of-all-trades. He was the guy you called in the middle of the night if a barn was on fire.

Writer

M.F.K. Fisher. She looked at food in a different way — at the history and where it comes from.

Getaway

For my 50th birthday, we went scuba diving in Fiji. It’s amazing how free you feel 60 feet underwater, fish and rays swimming around you. When you’re underwater, all your problems are secondary.

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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.