One of several factors that makes our own Philebrity Salon such an enjoyable night is resident barkeep at 700 Club, Anders Larson. He’s the mastermind behind the bar, pouring specialty beverages he’s designed just for us (peep some of Larson’s wildly ambitious cocktail menus here). As Salon kicks off another season, we sat down with Anders for a little Q&A to learn more about our mad scientist.

How long have you been involved in the art of drink mixing?
I’ve been bartending for a while now in the full bestiary of The Industry, but I first became interested in ‘mixology’ through the influence of two people: Kurt Wunder (co-owner of The 700 Club) and Bruce Reckahn (part of the culinary team at The Abbaye, and bassist of the bands The Delta 72 and now Black Landlord). Bruce and I have been friends for a while, both enjoying similar interests and a love of evening refreshments. He also enjoys a wide palate when it comes to his cocktails. He was the first to really make me care about what went into the drinks I made, starting with the Manhattans he enjoyed in the winter. I would take this over to Kurt at 700, my favorite bar, and basically steal his technique. If Bruce is Obi Wan, then Kurt is Yoda when it comes to mixology. To me, he still has the nicest touch when it comes to cocktails in Philadelphia, especially his Martini. I’m not writing this because I work for him, although if by some cruel twist of fate he ever worked for me, I’d expect him to sing my praises.

What is your drink of choice for your own personal consumption?
My favorite drink is a Bombay Martini, up with olives. Sounds simple, but I would say there are about 5 people in the city who can make one. There are some seriously misguided Martinis out there, often outrageously priced. In terms of liquors, who doesn’t love Rittenhouse Bonded Rye? Cheap and awesome, even if the dearth of new cocktail joints buying it by the ton has made it a rare find in the city.

What is your favorite concoction you’ve made so far?
“The Elven Princess (AKA The Barry Gibb)”: Sauvignon Blanc-based, It tastes delightfully light and floral. I also am really proud of “The Prince Barin Cocktail”, which is a spiced Saki and Vodka cocktail I made for Philebrity Salon.

What often inspires your creations?
Usually I make things for my girlfriend at home and then tweak them at the bar. Sometimes weird gelato combos can inspire. Sometimes it’s just the weather or… obviously there’s no real answer to this question. I think a main drive is that I am very, very competitive, so I always want my drinks to be the best. A good example is when Cantina opened up down the street it pushed me to make sure my Margarita was light-years ahead of theirs. That wasn’t as hard as I thought.

What is your favorite bar to go to when you’re not stuck behind one?
Even though I work there now, I still love 700. I used to live opposite Les ‘n’ Doreen’s Happy Tap for a long time, and I still have a deep affection for that place. Southwark is still a standard by which to be judged. The P.O.P.E has an awesome beer selection, although sometimes it feels like being on tour in there. Bonnie’s Capistrano Bar to grab a quick cold one and shoot shit. The Dolphin for all its dirty, campy fun. The Tap and JBs for the friends that work and hang there.

Do you have any liquors that you would recommend people stock up on at home?
That’s a personal preference. Buy a juicer and a couple of cocktail books, be experimental, try new things, and you should be set.

Anything else you think we should know about you?
I love bars, which is why I became a bartender, and while I love this new ‘mixology’ craze (who doesn’t like a good drink?), I think that the more bartenders are treated like keepers of an alchemic secret, the more it takes away from the fact that bars are a place to hang out, relax and enjoy yourself. Most of the time, I just like a beer and conversation. And while a good bartender can make a bar, a good bar is as much about the people who hang there as the people who work it. That’s why I love 700, and why I’m happy to work there.

Philebrity Salon — often with Mr. Larson behind the bar — takes place every Tuesday at 700, at Second St. & Fairmount Ave. in Northern Liberties.

[Photo credit: Emily K. Eichelberger]

After the jump, the best highlights from the online interview.

Nicholas: What is your current relationship with Jose Garces now that he has become a star in the Philadelphia restaurant world. Did you speak with him after his Iron Chef victory?

Stephen: I haven’t seen Jose in quite awhile but I’m very proud of all of his success. It’s like watch your son graduate from college and becoming very successful.

Son? Call a grown man your “son” in our ‘hood, and you’d get slapped.

Craig: Stephen – aside from setting trends, your restaurants have also set sonic records for some of the noisiest spaces in town. Jones remains the only place to ever break the 100-reading on my decibel meter. When I walk by Parc, I’m thinking we have a contender to break that mark. So, what’s with the noise in your restaurants? Is it a deliberate design to create that signature “vibe”, or just a function of, well, a busy restaurant?

Stephen: I believe that the noise at many of my restaurants is the sound of success. People talking, laughing, music playing. However, I am now becoming more sensitive to the fact that many people want a quieter enviornment. When I first started, the baby boomers where in their 30′s. As they approach their 50 and 60′s, the restaurant experience they wanted is different. So will be more sensitive going forward to accousical considerations. [...] In terms of Parc, the overwhelming success in terms of the numbers plus the hard surfaces that are common in the french bistro in Paris (ex. Tile floors, mirrors, plaster ceiling) contribute to the noise issue. We have hired an accousical engineer to make recommendations to cut some of the noise. This should be done in the next 4-5 weeks. I also believe Craig LeBan is one of the more sensitive critics to the decibal level.

Was it just me, or did he just kind of call Craig a pussy?

Craig: You’ve often described yourself as a sort of anti-foodie – a tuna sandwich kind of guy. How does that work, given all the taste-driven decisions you have to make in the course of creating a restaurant? And which of your restaurants serve the best tuna sandwich?

Stephen: I am not an anti-foodie. I taste more food than a thousand food critics. My taste buds are bombarded by flavors and sauces on a daily basis. So it is a vacation for my mouth and my health to be able to eat a simple tuna fish sandwich or some hummus or a bowl of spagehetti with lemon juice and salt.

Craig: Stephen – If you eat 1,000 times my weekly intake, I don’t know how you even fit through the door at Buddakan.

Oh, just get a room already, you two.

Craig: How many restaurants can one guy own, Stephen? What kind of limits have you set for yourself and the company in the future? Also, what other fields do you see yourself entering outside restaurants?
[...] Stephen humming a Dylan tune in the background over the phone….”How many restaurants can one guy own…how many…”

Stephen: I do restaurants that I get excited over. I don’t say to myself, “How many restaurant can one guy own?” If i get moved by an idea, I wanna do it. I think this has been a key component to my success. I cannot do the amount of restaurants I’ve done in Philadelphia in other markets so I want to concentrate in Philadelphia and New York. I would like to pursue the opening of an hotel here in Philadelphia in the future.”

You don’t say.

Craig: We’re going to wrap this conversation up pretty soon. But first, one more question….Who do you admire most outside your company on the local scene? Who do you think might be the “next Stephen Starr”? And which Starr kitchen alums cooking on their own out there are you most proud of?

Stephen: I do not see a person or company in Philadelphia crazy enough to do what we’ve been doing over the last two years. However, I’m extremely proud of Jose Garces who I think is a tremendous chef who took a lot of what he learned with Douglas and myself and created a formula that has given him great success. Also, Aimee Olexy has just been amazing ever since she left us at Blue Angel many years ago.”

And so they were anointed.

After the jump, new Phoodie.info contributor Dawn E. Warden grills Ripert about all things 10Arts, monkfish, other Philly flavors, and where he likes to go clubbing.

PHOODIE: Why Philadelphia?

ER: I really love the relationship I have with the Ritz — they’re committed to excellence — so when they were looking for something new, I came to take a look. I was very ignorant and had never been before — the buildings are so beautiful, and I loved seeing the murals all over the city. I was also surprised by all the action in the neighborhoods around the Ritz; there’s a good energy here. I spent a lot of time exploring the restaurants to gain an understanding of the city and what you can find. I checked out Le Bec Fin, Vetri, Amada and Rouge, but also lots of small places. There are a lot of ethnicities throughout the different neighborhoods… I had lunch at a great Lebanese place by the Italian Market and at the butcher there — the one that does all the game — too… I was really inspired by the diversity and quality of the food. And of course, the question on everyone’s minds…the cheese steak: From Pat’s — with cheese whiz AND provolone.

PHOODIE: Has our local gastronomic scene influenced the menu at 10 Arts?

ER: In some way, yes. We’ve got pork belly, rabbit — that came from [Chef de Cuisine] Jennifer [Carroll]; she told me a lot of people here were enjoying rabbit. We’re definitely looking to create a sense of uniqueness, and to take advantage of local and regional ingredients. We’re using a lot of local vegetables and trying to involve farmers. We get corn for the corn chowder from an Amish farm about three hours from Philly — and for the popcorn — and we have Philly-style pretzels on the bar menu. The city loves burgers, but burgers are everywhere. Good burgers are not. We do use a lot of mushrooms, but they don’t really scream Philly. We’re trying to have a strong identity with the décor and the location, but we don’t want to be gimmicky — no cheese steaks — this isn’t Disney World.

PHOODIE: Where do you get the bulk of your fish? What are your thoughts on over-fishing and sustainable seafood?

ER: Right now we are using a Philly company, Samuel and Sons, here and in Washington, and occasionally in New York. All our seafood is organically farmed or wild and sustainable.

PHOODIE: We need more monkfish in this town, are you going to make it happen?

ER: If I knew this, it would already be on the menu. 


PHOODIE: How involved were you with the restaurant’s look?

ER: A little bit, but not too much, because I’m not a designer. Of course we were involved with the kitchen — the space is a little challenging, not as open as we would have liked — but we’re happy with it now. The architecture so beautiful on its own, but I give a lot of credit to the design team [EDG-Engstrom Design Group], there’s a great balance of modern and classic, sophistication and fun.

PHOODIE: What was your reaction when you saw how it all came together?

ER: I think I said, ‘WOW!’ The rotunda is grand and beautiful with the massive columns and gorgeous marble. But the space needed some intimacy and some contemporary touches. There’s a lot of texture and color and the lighting and wine storage are unusual. I’ve been all over the world, and I don’t know any other restaurant like this. It’s very unique; cozy and comfortable, but then you look around you and realize you’re eating in this marble dome with a huge oculus over your head. It’s stunning.

PHOODIE: What is your philosophy on the relationship between looks, menu concept and actual presentation of dishes?

ER: Presentation doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be exciting. It’s the first thing you look at when you go into a restaurant. When you have a beautiful product, it showcases itself. Like the wild boar proscuitto—it’s so beautiful; it doesn’t need much. It’s perfection.

PHOODIE: What exactly about Jennifer made you feel she was “ready to run her own kitchen?”

ER: You know, this is her first job running a kitchen, but I knew she could manage and I knew she could cook. She was an extremely well respected sous chef here [Le Bernardin] and a very good cook. And I knew she missed her family, so I was very happy to send her back to Philly. I’m going to tell her about the monkfish, by the way.

PHOODIE: How many test runs did the kitchen go through prior to the opening?

ER: 10 days before the preview party, we started hosting family and friends nights. But you know, it takes much longer; it’s not a matter of days or weeks. It’s months. One day, everyone shows up at the same time, another they’re all eating from the same side of the kitchen. Each day, we’re discovering something new and we have a lot of situations we’re resolving.

PHOODIE: Were you unhappy with anything at the preview party? Is there something you wish you/your staff had done better?

ER: Overall, I am very pleased. Everyone showed up as a team and was really excited and proud to be delivering something great. Everyday, they know that we’re here to please and to make guests feel good that they didn’t waste their night. It sounds corny, but it’s as simple as ensuring our guests have a smile on their faces when they leave.

PHOODIE: Okay, but what we really want to know, is who your favorite deejay is, and your favorite club spot…

ER: In Philly? None yet. My favorite deejay is Tiësto. He’s Dutch, but he’s known internationally, and he tours the best dance clubs all over the world. He’s coming to New York this summer; I’ll be there.

— Dawn E. Warden

Previously: First Look: Eric Ripert’s 10Arts