SOBEWFF Dispatch: Jean-Georges Vongerichten

We caught up with Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the lobby of The Miami Beach Edition, home of Market at EDITION, Matador Room and Tropicale. The following day he would host a sold-out Saturday brunch with Jeremy Ford of Stubborn Seed, chef Colin Hylton, Pablo Lamon of 27 Restaurant and Bar,  Justin Smillie of Upland and Miami Beach EDITION colleagues Luis Vasques and Ilkay Suuctugu (more on her in a moment).

But today, the Alsace-born chef took time to chat with us about some of his favorite Florida ingredients: stone crab, Florida snapper, Everglades frog legs, which end up on his menus in New York but not Miami – he wonders if South Florida is ready to eat this local treat.

What South Floridians – and all his customers – are looking for is more vegetable-forward cuisine. “There’s no way back,” Vongerichten says. When ABCV, one of his New York City restaurants, opened, they were offering both vegetarian and plant-based dishes. “Now, it’s 95 percent vegan, by customer demand.” On the menu there are “no gimmicks” like meat substitutes, just flavorful foods that take diners on a tour of the globe: dosas with sambal, einkorn pancakes with coconut butter, green chickpea hummus, roasted cauliflower with turmeric tahini and pistachios.

Another popular choice is beet carpaccio,” he says. “We treat it like beef carpaccio with capers, tartare seasoning, pickles.” Also on the menu are lots of dips and seasonings like sumac, lemongrass, ginger and turmeric.

Newly Promoted

Vongerichten also had some news to share: Ilkay Suuctugu has been named executive chef. Originally from the south of Turkey, the 35-year-old came to the United States in 2006 to work as a prep cook and worked her way up within the ranks of Marriott. At The Miami Beach Edition, she started as sous chef at Tropicale restaurant and was promoted to executive sous chef for the entire property.

Like Vongerichten, Suuctugu also was in between a SOBEWFF event the following day – the sold-out A Siren’s Soirée, a dinner hosted by Paula DaSilva at Burlock Coast at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, which included Adrienne Grenier or 3030 Ocean and Thais Rodriguez of Pure Grey in NY (trained under pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith and Michael Schwartz). Last year, she, DaSilva and Rodriguez were among a handful of chefs selected to present an executive tasting panel for Marriott chairman Bill Marriott and CEO Arne Sorenson.

After the event, Marriott noted: “Their skills are outstanding, their dedication is inspiring, and their food… well, I’m still talking about it!” He says they are working to come up with better mentoring initiatives for women chefs, while providing more career opportunities and membership in industry associations.

For her part at the property, Suuctugu says she looks to achieve gender balance in the kitchen. “I’m trying to open doors to more women,” she says. “I try to give them encouragement.”

The Miami Beach EDITION
Matador Room, Market at Edition, Tropicale
2901 Collins Ave, Miami Beach