Gala Chef Q & A: Todd English

JBF Award Winner Todd English, Todd English Enterprises, Charlestown, MA

What’s your go-to guilty-pleasure food?

I’m a Southern boy and I have to admit I do love fried chicken.

What’s your favorite movie, and why?

Midnight in Paris is a great movie—I love the nostalgia of it, and Paris is such a beautiful city.

Describe the last great meal you ate.

I just had the most delicious steak at Wolfgang’s CUT in L.A. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked.

What’s the dish you’re most proud of?

Anything that came off the wood-fire rotisserie I had in my original Olives restaurant in Boston. I used to do this amazing wood-fired whole stuffed rabbit on the rotisserie that was so delicious, there were lines out the door of people wanting to try it.

What’s your favorite movie snack?

Peanut M&Ms.

What movie are you ashamed to admit you love?

The Hangover and The Hangover Part II. I get a kick out of them— hilarious!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I was a baseball player. When I got into a batting slump, my coach pulled me aside before I went up to the plate. He gave me his technical advice, and then he ended by saying, “But when you get up to the plate, forget about all the other stuff and just swing away!” In other words, he was telling me to stay true to myself, to believe in myself, and to go for it!