Matt Harbison – One Plate at a Time
One of my favorite books is actually a cookbook, One Plate at a Time, by Rick Bayless. I have been in the restaurant business for more than 25 years, and the majority of my reading usually consists of cookbooks and entrepreneurial magazines.
Rick Bayless is an American Chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. His cookbooks are my “goto” guides for authentic Mexican recipes and techniques. Bayless’ One Plate at a Time, written in 2000, delights us with more than 120 recipes and 32 pages of color photographs of modern translations of classic Mexican dishes. His approach is honest, relaxed and friendly – saying “Come in and taste this.” Bayless is attentive to the details of not only how a dish is prepared but also how it is presented. His book is a true “fiesta” for the palate. Bayless also has a companion television show on PBS, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, that is in its tenth year.
When we first bought Los Antojitos Mexican Restaurant, we were asked to participate in the Children’s Home Society’s Compassionate Chefs for Kids. This was a competition with Art Smith (Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef) as the judge. We set up our booth and thought we were out of our league being sandwiched between two of Bay County’s best restaurants at the time, Canopies and 30 Degree Blue. We decided to serve our version of Rick Bayless’ Shrimp Ceviche as the competing item and everyone loved it! At the end of the night as we were cleaning up, we heard our name being called as the winner. Art Smith said that he has had Rick Bayless’ Shrimp Ceviche twice but ours with the fresh gulf shrimp took it to the next level.
When our restaurant building had to be demolished to make room for the new Highway 98 overpass in 2014, and before construction on our new building began, we had the opportunity to take a 3 ½ month vacation out West, a trip of a lifetime. As soon as we reached Los Angeles, eating at Red O Restaurant, owned by Rick Bayless, was on top of our todo list. The prices were shocking, but the meal and ambiance were worth every penny.
ABOUT MATT HARBISON
Matt Harbison grew up in Panama City and fell in love with cooking when he was 14. His mother made him responsible for dinner for the family one night a week. He researched recipes, grocery shopped, and then prepared dinner. He later graduated from Gulf Coast State College with a degree in Culinary Arts and then FSU with a degree in Hospitality Administration. Matt and his wife Mynta have owned and operated Los Antojitos for more than 14 years and are looking forward to opening their new location on Beck Avenue in Historic St. Andrews in 2016.