photo by the Amazing Sara Adduci
Tim Bereika is currently the head chef over at Secco Wine Bar in Carytown. Instead inundating the menu with typical favorites such as fried calamari and caprese salad, he is pushing the envelope with blends of Iberian/European recipes with some local flavor. To here more from him, you can find Tim on Twitter @sanzanobi.
Give us a quick and dirty history of your cooking history
Ok, here we go!
Between 1998 and 2000 I worked at Legend Brewery and The Blue Marlin (now defunct). This was part-time work and helped pay the bills while I attended VCU Art School. After graduating I left the industry to pursue a career in line with my graphic design degree. I didn’t return to a commercial kitchen for five and a half years. In 2005, I finally made the decision to cook professionally and by ’06 I was enrolled in culinary school and working part-time for Chef Maura, a cater here in Richmond. During the summer of 2007 I lived in Florence, Italy where I worked as a Garde Manger chef at Ristorante Ricchi and studied regional and contemporary Italian cuisine at the Culinary Institute of Florence. Once I returned from Italy I was hired as a sous chef at Amici Ristorante in Carytown, where I cooked for almost year before the owner closed the restaurant to make renovations. In May of 2008 I accepted a lead line cook position at The Country Club of Virginia where I remained until November of 2009. That’s when Julia offered me the executive chef position at Secco. I didn’t hesitate to accept.
Who in the cooking world, local or global, would you say are your biggest influences?
Michel Bras (Bio, Michel Bras: A Man Inspired by His Land)
Massimo Bottura (Restaurant)
Grant Achatz (Bio, A Creative Mind In Pursuit of Excellence: Grant Achatz)
Andoni Luis Aduriz (Bio, Restaurant)
Cesare Casella (Bio)
You spent some time in Italy. Tell us a little about that experience and what it did for you……
In 2007 I spent the summer working and studying in Florence, Italy. I worked fifteen hours a day in a kitchen prepping and cooking my heart out. Sunday, my only day off was spent eating my way through town. I tried to absorb as much as I could about the cuisine and culture of Florence. I experienced the deep connection Italians have with their terrior and how it defines the cuisine of their region. Growing, cooking and eating delicious food is part of what molds their character and soothes their soul. That observation had a profound impact on me and I think it’s something we lack in most American homes.
Money is no object, but you have to stay on the East Coast, where are you going to dinner and why?
If money is no object then the nine course chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings at Per Se is a no brainer. I’ve never tried Thomas Keller’s cuisine, but the experience is something that I’ve long desired especially his signature dishes like the salmon cornet and oysters and pearls…and it’d be great to catch up with Derek Salkin (fornerly of Acacia) who is now on the pastry team there.
Anthony Bourdain talks about the importance of a strong relationship with one’s sous chef. Who is the sous chef at Secco and why is he/she so great?
Mike Braune is my sous chef and we have a productive relationship at Secco. The sous chef is certainly a linchpin of any kitchen and must be able and ready to take on any responsibility at the drop of a dime. Mike fills that requirement to a tee, but he’s more than that. He actually gives a shit about the success of this restaurant. Mike’s made a commitment to the high standards and consistency we aim for everyday and he works his ass off to make sure it happens. I can’t begin to tell you how appreciative I am to have a sous chef with as much professionalism as he does.
What excites you about food and dining in the Richmond landscape
Building relationships with local farmers is what has excited me the most. I never thought there would be a point where I could sit down with a farmer to discuss their plans for the coming season and have them ask me “What would you like me to grow for you this fall?”. Thanks Laura, John and Russell for that unexpected opportunity.
I’m looking forward to a few restaurants due to open soon…Bill Foster and Andy Howell’s noodle bar Ejay Rin and Jason Alley’s southern small plate style eatery Pasture. These three chefs have so much to offer the Richmond dining scene and it’ll be a great day when their new kitchens are up and running for us to enjoy.
My son and I love Secco, tasty inventive food in an accesible venue