Ever wonder what gets Maverick Southern Kitchens chefs cooking? What motivates them to provide delicious dishes to our guests everyday? Or what they have in their kitchen at home and what advice they have for other chefs? Wonder no more! We have asked all our chefs to answer our “Too Hot for the Kitchen” questions and will feature a Maverick Southern Kitchens chef each week.

We kick-off our exploration with the man, the myth and the legend… Frank Lee our Vice President of Culinary Development and Executive Chef for Slightly North of Broad and Old Village Post House. He is considered a guiding force in the Lowcountry’s culinary renaissance. Lee, who still spends hours a day at the stove, spreads the gospel of sustainability. Maverick chefs are encouraged to source as much produce and meat from regional growers as possible. And all practice the fine art of conservation, using every possible ingredient to its fullest potential. Let’s find out more.

1. Did you go to culinary school? If so, where?

No, I took the hands on approach and traveled to numerous top kitchens throughout North America (Le Perroquet and Les Nomades in Chicago, Le Pavillion in Washington, DC, Restaurant Million in Charleston, SC and Wild Dunes at the Isle of Palms, SC) to gain experience and life lessons.

 2. What was your worst kitchen disaster?

It was my first day in the first restaurant I owned, a vegetarian restaurant in Columbia called 221 Pickens Street, and my very first day ever in a kitchen an oven exploded in my face. I got burned on my face and put me in the hospital for five hours.  It was a rough start to say the least.

 3. What would you chose as your last meal?

My last meal would be a super sweet, cold watermelon. I love the natural, fresh and innocent flavors of watermelons.

 4. What is the most essential item in your kitchen? In your kitchen at home?

In Maverick Kitchens and in my kitchen at home the dish sink, salt and cooking oil are essential items.

 5. Who inspires you in the cooking industry?

My chefs and sous chefs at our Maverick Southern Kitchens restaurants inspire me. One of my favorite things is seeing our chefs take an idea, and flesh it out, and make it so much better than I could have by myself.

 6. Where do you go when you want to eat at a restaurant?

I like going to restaurants where I mentored the chef or where I know who is cooking.

 7. When you are designing a complete meal, what factors do you take into account? How do you achieve harmony /balance?

I always take into account who I’m cooking for, what they enjoy eating, and what’s the budget. Harmony and balance in dishes is all about experience and knowing what ingredients achieve the best results.

 8. If you were not a chef, or in the food business, what would you be?

I would be a teacher at the university level because it’s a giving profession, and to receive one must give. Or maybe a dog trainer.

 9. Have the tastes of customers changed during your career?

No, but choices have changed. There is so much more out there to choose from and diners are more educated in their options.

 10. What ingredients/items do you have in your cupboard/refrigerator right now?

The basics including eggs, butter, olive oil, orange juice, lettuce and tomatoes.

11. What’s the best advice you could give someone who is interested in cooking?

Go to an affordable cooking school  and work in the best restaurants to gain experience.

12. What’s your favorite cookbook?

The Joy of Cooking by Irma von Starkloff Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

13. If you could cook with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would cook with my adopted Grandmother, Phyllis Mobly. She cooked Sunday dinner for her two grandsons, me and several other friends and family for 12 years as I was growing up. A finer Southern lady is not to be found. I learned so much about Southern cooking traditions from her.