Nick Oltarsh, executive chef of Twelve Hotel & Residences

-- Hotels, 11/1/2007

Chef Nick Oltarsh

Inspired by his mother and grandmother, Nick Oltarsh fell in love with cooking before he went to grade school. Passion and talent led this native New Yorker to the Culinary Institute of America and stints at legends such as Lespinasse, Gramercy Tavern, Little Italty’s Il Corti and Eleven Madison Park. In 2001, he moved to Atlanta’s Murphy’s before taking the helm a Lobby in Twelve Hotel & Residences and, more recently Room at the newly opened Twelve Hotel & Residences Centennial Park. A proponent of fresh, local seasonal ingredients and an expert in reinventing time-honored dishes with bold new flavors, Twelve restaurants’ executive chef is one of the major forces behind new-concept hotel food.

When did you first know you wanted to be a chef?
Ever since I was young. I remember annotating my mother's cookbooks.

When did you know you wanted to be a hotel chef rather than an owner/proprietor?
I fell into the hotel chef thing. I enjoy running multiple outlets and operations.

What was your darkest of dark nights of the soul regarding your cooking or your career path?
There are moments when I felt like I had a hobby that I was passionate about—cooking—and then I ruined it by becoming a chef. At that point, I’d start to think I should have become a veterinarian! But the feeling has always passed and I still love to cook to this day.

What was your first job and how did you get where you are now?
My first job was at a fancy restaurant in New York City named Huberts. I worked for free all summer and worked at a video store at night to make money. My first job out of cooking school (Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York) was at Lespinasse in New York City with Chef Gray Kunz. It was brutally challenging but also an incredible learning experience. I feel fortunate to have worked for someone so talented—and demanding.

What was the first dish you mastered?
When I was 15, I was obsessed with a scallop mousseline pancake stuffed with shrimp. There are always difficult things to learn. It never ceases to amaze me how little I know after all these years.

What are your signature dishes and how will you modify them for the future?
I don't have any. I try to evolve and move my menu forward—without looking back.

What is your culinary inspiration?
Buford highway in Atlanta. It is a highway of Asian restaurants, a cuisine I never tire of.

What are the responsibilities of your current job?
I oversee menu development; staff management; financial oversight; sous chef and chef de cuisine management; public relations; staff education.

What did you do at Lobby at Twelve that led to your recent promotion as head of both hotel restaurants?
The same thing I have always done: develop the best menus I can, manage my staff and manage my budget.

Describe a typical day, assuming there is such a thing.
I seem to answer emails all day!

How many covers do you serve each month?
Seven thousand between the two restaurants, Lobby at Twelve and Room at Twelve. We have 60 cooks, 15 porters, seven sous chefs, 60 waiters and 20 bartenders.

Was it difficult transitioning from being a chef to being a “corporate manager?”
No, not at all. I have always enjoyed multitasking, systems management and running the restaurant numbers.

Where are chefs missing opportunities to improve their bottom lines?
I would say in managing the flow of product in the house.

What ingredients are hot now?
Pork belly and local products. I definitely like to design a menu that suits the local market. I like to give people what they want. Organic food does not seem to be important to my guests. Everyone talks about ‘fresh.’

What the next’s hot topic?
Sustainability.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love interacting with my cooking staff, and I love teaching my sous chefs.

What is your favorite thing to cook?
A tasty egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast.

Is there any part of the menu that’s a chore to design or cook?
We have a tandoori oven. That was quite a challenge for us. No one on my staff had ever worked with one before. We fumbled through as best we could.

What innovative dish was the biggest surprise in terms of its success?
I serve braised beef cheeks. I never thought they would sell, but they are very popular.

What was the worst working day you’ve had?
On the opening day of Lobby, we had 60-minute ticket times. That was quite embarrassing. We never let that happen again.

What were the most unusual requests?
I have had guests at Lobby request sushi—even though we don't serve sushi at Lobby and I have had guests at Room ask for pizza even though we do not serve pizza at Room. Go figure.

What's your biggest challenge?
Managing the staff, getting what I need from them and keeping them happy at the same time.

Is the customer always right?
Absolutely! (wink, wink).

How would you describe Atlanta’s dining out scene and how does that influence your menu?
It is a work in progress. It is not New York City, but Atlanta has improved since I arrived six years ago.

What do you eat off duty?
For a meal, take-out Chinese; at home, Dannon yogurt; and for my birthday, we have a family meal at the restaurant.

What are the major trends you are seeing?
Sous vide, foams and the slow-cooking movement.

What are the differences between hotel restaurants and freestanding restaurants?
At hotels, we run non-profitable meal periods; we have large menus available at all times and we have a wide variety of foods to please different clients staying in the hotel.

If you could serve anything, regardless of food cost, what would be your ideal menus?
I would serve the most fabulous breakfast, beautiful and creative and full of all sorts of whimsical items. For dinner, there would be a chef's dégustation menu. It would be 10 courses and there would be no choices.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
An architect or a veterinarian.

What are your hobbies?
Reading, travel.

Chefs have become stars. Were you prepared for that?
When I am a star I will let you know.

How do you use your Vita-Mix blender?
For everything!

What’s on your wish list?
World peace.

What would surprise people about you?
I have a degree in French literature from the University of Pennsylvania.




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