Chef Profile:
Eric Gephart
Mixto
Mixto’s Chef Eric Gephart
Chef Eric Gephart is no amateur to the ways of epicurean bliss in Wilmington. Having studied the culinary arts, as well as headed many a kitchen and opened his own restaurant to date, currently Gephart heralds the reins of the Latin-flavored Mixto, downtown Wilmington.
2010 has been one spectacular year for the chef, as he was awarded the top contender for the Taste of Wilmington chef competition (hosted annually by the StarNews). Though food remains his passion, we get the feeling he could be well-suited for just about anything thanks to his neverending scope of ideas and ambition. For instance, he could make one awesome city planner—just read on to find out how he would like to transform Wilmington’s downtown for improved business. It’s only one of many interesting answers to come out of our interview. Here’s how it unfolded:
Full Name: Dr. Eric Gephart
Age: 29
Education
UNCW: Literature and Professional Writing
Culinary Institute of America: Culinary arts
e: What have you learned to be the most important trait and skill to have in the kitchen?
EG: Preparation is everything!
e: What has been your most amazing day as a chef and why?
EC: They’re all really amazing days. I love the people I work with and I get swim in the ocean every morning. I imagine my last day as a professional chef will be much the same but drenched in champagne at the end of the night.
e: How long have you been at the current restaurant?
EG: We opened the doors to Mixto March 22nd but spent some time before that date exploring the cuisine and creating menus.
e: Do you have a signature dish?
EG: 2010 Taste of Wilmington award-winning pan-roasted flounder! Pan-seared local flounder over local goat cheese risotto; spiced red pepper shrimp butter sauce, asparagus and fried leeks.
e: What can diners expect of your menu during WRW, fall 2010?
EG: Expect great deals and fresh local plates!
e: What do you love most about Wilmington’s culinary scene, and if you had a magic wand to wave for improvement, what would be the first order of business?
EG: I love our diversity. With my magic wand, I would showcase the heart of downtown by putting the pedestrians (instead of vehicles) in the foreground, to create a clean, safe, beautiful, multi-dimensional space. I would redo Front Street by bringing the street level up to the sidewalk level, resurfacing the street with brick, adding canopies and shelters to local businesses, closing the street to cars on the two central blocks and implement the downtown bus loop which would enable buses to cross Front Street at two intersections. Physical modifications (such as adding trees, benches and sculptures) would be made “on the street.” Merchants would be allowed full use of the area for display and outdoor seating.
e: Your favorite meal?
EG: Usually my favorite meal is the meal to come, but last week I cooked a three-pound beef tongue for my family. That was awesome!
e: Your favorite guilty pleasure?
EG: Live lobster sashimi. Each bite twitches in your mouth as it walks off the plate. This is the freshest lobster you will ever eat. I have served this dish twice since my time back here in Wilmington. I usually pair it with sushi and lots of dipping sauces.
