JBF Award Winner Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
What’s your go-to guilty-pleasure food?
In-N-Out cheeseburgers.
What’s your favorite movie, and why?
The Last of the Mohicans—the beautiful cinematography and the history.
Describe the last great meal you ate.
Lunch at our favorite spot: Clark Lewis. Great fresh salads and handmade pastas with the most amazing ragù. I always treat my son with the respect of an adult diner even though he is only one.
What’s the dish you’re most proud of?
Right now, scallops with fresh heart of palm.
What’s your favorite movie snack?
Sour Patch Kids.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Eating sweetbreads at the CIA in Napa. [I had] no idea what they were, but I loved them.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Juiced greens, apple, and kiwi.
What was your first job in the culinary world?
Making bagels at New York Bagels in Napa.
What movie are you ashamed to admit you love?
The new Footloose.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Keep your head down but your eyes looking forward.
