Growing up in Hudson Valley as part of a family that were equal parts avid gardeners and travelers, Chef Robb developed a cultured palate and appreciation for raw ingredients at an early age. When his family wasn’t busy canning and preserving they were packing up the motor home for three weeklong summer road trips to Nova Scotia, Yellow Stone National Park or Virginia. By the age of 13, Chef Robb had already hit 35 states.
But, it was not until his junior year of college that Chef Robb knew that he wanted to spend his career in the kitchen. After spending the summer cooking with a cousin at New York Yacht Club in New Port, Rhode Island and at Old Drovers Inn, one of the oldest inns in New York that Chef Robb couldn’t see himself anywhere but the kitchen.
It was at Old Drovers Inn, a restaurant committed to sourcing as seasonally and locally as possible that Chef Robb had a “light bulb” moment. The dots were connected between his childhood of gardening and traveling and the local yet diverse food he was serving on the plate.
Instead of returning to college for his senior year, Chef Robb applied and was accepted to the New England Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, Chef Robb was hired by Jean Georges as a cook at Vong and Jean Georges. There, Chef Robb studied under the tutelage of Jean-Georges, thoughtfully observing his mentor’s ability to balance on the fly spontaneous cooking with methodical preparations. A passion for balancing Japanese and Thai flavors with classic preparations was also born out of his study under Jean Georges.
Crossing into the world of catering at Sonnier & Castle taught Chef Robb about organization and the value of the team, lessons that were further reinforced during his time at Union Square Events, where he was executive chef for the past five years. Managing all aspects of food development and operations, Chef Robb also honed his managerial skills working with Michael Romano, Chief of Culinary Development and Danny Meyer.
Today Chef Robb finds inspiration everywhere. From learning from his peers, dining out around the city to his two children, Robb thinks about food visually. But, he’s also believes sometimes ingredients are so pure and ready for the eating that there is no way to improve by heating, preparing and cooking: “Take the tomato for what it is. Why mess with it? Simplicity is sometimes harder.”