Bar Dough, Balance, and Brunch: Chef Carrie Baird
An Interview with Chef Carrie Baird
Chef Carrie Baird’s calming smile is the glow you will first notice. The next? The undeniable kitchen skill of this Top Chef finalist and Bobby Flay slayer. A proud Idaho native turned Denver transplant, the Bar Dough chef/owner was planning to be in Wilmington as the honorary chair for the 23rd Annual Meals on Wheels Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch on Sunday, April 26, before the event was reenvisioned due to the pandemic to become an auction.
The Dossier
With a résumé of big wins grounded in formidable training, Chef Baird brings her classic French and Mediterranean preparations to life at her Denver spot, Bar Dough. Those wins? Formal training from Le Cordon Bleu, a turn with Chef Jen Jasinski, and a mega-dose of real-world experience at the likes of Jasinski’s Rioja and Euclid Hall. All that ambition harkens back to Baird’s early years and big eating dished by her family.
Inspired by the backyard dining and grandma’s influence, Baird’s cooking is immersed in “Denver Italian:” pappardelle with short rib, gremolata, and Stracciatella, as well as butternut squash filled mezzaluna pasta with oyster mushrooms, pine nut agrodolce and sage – all on Bar Dough’s current menu. Broccolini with gouda fondue and confit Colorado potatoes with truffle aioli bring side dishes to the forefront.
For brunch, while the Top Chef celeb grabbed viewers’ attention for that fancy toast, Bar Dough digs deep into the bread box for cured steelhead trout, cream cheese, capers, pickled red onions, everything spice, and herbs on toasty sourdough. For the sweeter side of toast, chamomile French toast sourdough is done up with chamomile cream and bruléed sugar.
Baird also took on another television foray. Getting the challenge and then actually winning Beat Bobby Flay comes with some bragging rights. Baird’s Bar Dough menu touts “Beat Bobby Flay-vos Rancheros” with corn and flour tortillas, Colorado pork green chile, refried beans, a sunnyside egg, ricotta salata, crema, and micro cilantro. Not a dig at Flay as much as it is full-on classic dish demonstrating Baird’s approach.
Talking with Baird about her connection to the Meals on Wheels Delaware charity benefit, there is a lot more to this kitchen grace than her Bravo-famous fancy toast. As the annual fundraiser rolls around, Chef Baird shares some insight from behind the kitchen door.
Brunch is a thing
You have been part of the Meals on Wheels event for a few years, now. And your Denver restaurant is a serious draw pulling fans from far reaches. So how does Delaware land a Top Chef finalist to be the face of their signature fundraising event?
CB: My first year, I had just been on Top Chef. Chef John Tesar was on board; Alex Seidel, Paul Riley, and Brandon Foster had all been going [to Delaware] for several years. They always told me this is the one event they look forward to every year. This is my third time and it’s so fun! At the end of last year’s event, I was having a glass of wine with [2019 Honorary Chair] Alex Seidel and he asked me to chair the 2020 event.
Industry trends point towards brunch as a huge draw for guests, especially with unique menus and local specialties. Bar Dough’s brunch menu is a colorful confabulation of hash, those fancy toasts, buttermilk fried chicken, and pizza. Any glimpse at what to expect for the 2020 Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch menu?
CB: I just have to say, brunch is my favorite and this is a really fun event for me. Everybody else likes dinner; I love breakfast and breakfast foods. I’m already bouncing around a lot of ideas. Been on a health kick lately but the other half of my brain wants French toast and eggs. Maybe a mash-up of the two.
What’s ahead?
Bar Dough is outrageously popular in a town that is well known for setting a pretty high kitchen bar, and has landed in the Denver Top 25 three years’ running. What do you see for diners looking for ‘what’s next’?
CB: People are moving away from overly fancy dining experiences. Due to the dip in our economy that seems to be coming, the first thing that will go away is fine dining. Look for “fine casual” or “fancy casual.” Great, comfortable service, at more reasonable prices.
Any ingredients or techniques that are stirring interest?
CB: Messing around a lot with pickle brine. It started with braising pork shoulder in liquid from sweet peppers, thinking ‘what do I do with that liquid after the last pickle instead of just throw it away?’ Also, I definitely try to push vegetables, partly because I like to cook them. We strive to source responsibly. We know our ranchers and farmers, and always say, ‘Animals should only have one bad day.’ Because it costs more, we tend to be more scarce with meat. Healthy is in.
Adventures in eating
One of the very best adventures in traveling is getting to eat at offbeat restaurants. What dishes are must-haves as you travel?
CB: When we travel, the first thing is to connect with chef friends in the area. We will also fall back to social media, hit the pavement, ask the concierge. Last time we were there [for the Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch] we went to Zahav. Israeli street food is a trend well on its way.
Any favorites in the region?
CB: One of my cooks in Denver is from Philly, and he gave us a full day’s tour of the city. We had the requisite cheesesteak and went to [Ray’s] Happy Birthday. What a great place. Cheap beer and you can still smoke. Of course, we had cannoli.
Competition as a learning experience
Not every cook gets to flex their kitchen acumen on the national level and under the eye of judges and so many forces in the industry, let alone twice. Beyond your mad kitchen skills, what was your biggest asset during the competition?
CB: No way to know if you are going to be good at competition cooking until you just do it. You can practice, but it’s not in front of the cameras. I am lucky to have been given the gift of clarity in high-stress situations. All of those years of high-volume line cooking prepared me.
What would you tell cooks getting into the biz?
CB: Make sure you want this. You can’t just want to be on TV. Find yourself a chef in a kitchen who will teach you. Be quiet. Try to be the best in the room. Learn.
The Zen of Carrie
Uncharacteristic of some of the over-revved chefs we see on television, you have a calming air about you. What’s under the cloak?
CB: I do a lot of yoga. Yoga is ALL about breathing. Plus, this is my natural character. I just naturally have that calm. When you turn the heat up, I get even cooler. I don’t freak out too easily. Lots of deep breathing. When everybody else is freaking out, I tend to be the one sane person.
So much stirring about the mental stability and the characters in our industry. How do you keep yourself in check?
CB: Mental health is so important; you have to find balance. It’s really hard, but there can be only so many hours that you are productive. If you are hitting 16 hours of work, it’s time to call it a day.
What keeps your attention outside of the kitchen?
CB: If you have time to go to the mountains, you have to go. I’m just coming off a five-day ski trip. You only have one body and I live for the mountains; I regroup in there.
Bar Dough
2227 West 32nd Avenue, Denver, CO
bardoughdenver.com
facebook.com/bardough/
Instagram and Twitter: @bardoughden
Follow Chef Carrie Baird
instagram.com/chefcarrieb/
twitter.com/Chefcarriebaird
Meals on Wheels Delaware
https://mealsonwheelsde.org/events/
facebook.com/MealsOnWheelsDelaware/
instagram.com/mealsonwheelsde/
