Yes, Chef!: A Q&A with Tupelo Music Hall’s Executive Chef
Although we’re known for being one of the few music venues in the country with a scratch kitchen, not many of our patrons know what our kitchen crew are up to before the doors open. Each week we can host anywhere from two to four shows, meaning there’s a lot of thought and effort that must go into preparing our homemade foods, including planning the dinners we serve our bands/performers prior to their performance.
This week for the Backstage Beat blog, we sat down with Ryan Pariseault, Tupelo Music Hall’s executive chef, to learn more about his job, his experiences, and more importantly, some of his favorite artists he’s cooked for!
How much work goes into prepping band meals? How far in advance do you begin thinking about the food you’ll serve the band?
It depends on the size of the band. Sometimes we are feeding 8-10 people. Other nights we are feeding 25 people (between the people on the stage and their crew). Occasionally, we have to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each show is different. We generally start thinking about the band menu a week or two before the show and it usually takes a couple of hours to prepare the band’s dinner.
Do you make the menus yourself or does the band provide you with a list of what they want?
We make the menus ourselves and present them to the band. Each artist has their own individual rider that outlines food restrictions, allergies, and preferences that we must adhere to (gluten free, vegan, pescatarian, etc). The challenge is when a band has multiple restrictions and we have to cook many different meals to make them all happy. Most of them really appreciate the food that we make for them.
What are some of your favorite dishes/meals you’ve made for bands over the years?
Spatchcock Chicken because it gives them a really “homey” feeling when they eat it. It’s comfort food. That’s what we try to do…give them really good comfort food. One of my other favorite dishes has been the Caprese Pesto Stuffed Chicken with home-made pesto. Everything from the kitchen is home-made.
What are some of your favorite vegan or gluten free dishes that you make for the bands?
Because Zucchini are in season, we are currently making a Vegan Zucchini Boat. I make a spinach sun-dried tomato and artichoke heart pesto and mix it together with vegan cheese. We then stuff the hollowed out zucchini boat and top it with more pesto and panko breadcrumbs. It is really good!
What are some of the best compliments you’ve heard from the band?
When Blue Oyster Cult asked for my vegetarian Stuffed Portobella Mushroom recipe. That was a pretty big compliment. We’ve never had any bad comments. The artists always compliment the food when we go back to clean up the dishes.
Can you give us a few bands/performers that been your favorite to serve?
Gary Hoey is definitely one. He has a certain meal that he really likes and they are a super nice family. They always send me a Christmas Card. Jim Breuer was awesome when he came into the kitchen head bangin’ saying “ I want some Buffalo Chicken!”. Feeding Bob Saget before he passed was awesome too. He was a really nice guy.
Have you ever got intimidated or nervous about making something for someone?
I usually don’t get nervous because I know our food is good and I have confidence in it. However, cooking for LeAnn Rimes, Bob Saget, and Kevin Bacon can be nerve wracking because they are big names.
And finally, what are some of the challenges of feeding a large band?
Balancing the prep for our regular menu and the band dinners is usually challenging. The timing can also be a challenge. Getting the band fed in time for us to prepare for patrons coming to the show is a bit of a balancing act but we always figure it out. Having multiple restrictions can also be a challenge.