Chef Spotlight: Sean McPaul of HIGH STREET ON HUDSON in NYC

Chef Sean McPaul is a nearly 15-year veteran of the restaurant industry, having worked in acclaimed kitchens in San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in the city's New Jersey suburbs, McPaul began working in restaurants as a teenager, tackling every task and position from runner to offsite catering. He took a break from his after school job to earn his college degree full time, but quickly realized he missed the energy of the kitchen and decided to pursue a career as a chef. McPaul then enrolled in the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and hasn't looked back.

Since graduating from culinary school in 2004, Sean has developed and honed his thoughtful, ingredient driven approach to contemporary American cuisine. His first big break came straight out of the CIA when he joined the team at Stephen Starr's Mediterranean inspired Tangerine in Philadelphia. Chef Todd Fuller took McPaul under his wing, engaging him in the creative process of menu writing. In 2006, McPaul moved to San Francisco and became chef de cuisine at Bacar, the high profile restaurant with a stellar wine program. McPaul worked closely with chefs Robbie Lewis and Morgan Mueller, from whom he learned the complexities of seasonal cooking. McPaul moved on from Bacar in 2008 to join the celebrated San Francisco restaurants Quince followed by Jardiniere.

By 2010, having grown tremendously as a chef, McPaul was ready to return to Philadelphia and be near his family. His career came full circle in 2011 when he rejoined Starr restaurants as Executive Chef of Talula's Garden, which was named one of Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants of the year. In 2014, he ventured with Starr to New York to open Upland as chef de cuisine, serving contemporary California inspired fare in an East Coast setting. McPaul continued to build his New York City resume, moving on to Ludlow House as executive chef, overseeing the versatile culinary programs at this multi-venue property.

September 2017 marks yet another milestone in McPaul's career, as he was named Chef of the award winning High Street on Hudson, reconnecting with co-owners Ellen Yin and Eli Kulp, whom he first met when they dined at Talula's Garden. McPaul is continuing High Street on Hudson's stellar reputation for creative yet neighborhood friendly seasonal American fare, from dinner to lunch to breakfast and brunch.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Sean McPaul for our "Chef Spotlight."

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

I used to watch Julia Child's cooking shows when I was a kid so that may have been the first time I became interested in cooking, but there was also something else I experienced growing up that really drew me to food: my parents both worked when I was growing up, so they sent me to my grandparents' house and I didn't like at all what they cooked. It was nourishing, but everything was just boiled and bland. It was food for fuel. And when my parents were around for dinner, they often didn't have time to cook, so we would just go out to restaurants for dinner and I liked that food a whole lot better. So, I was really drawn to restaurants and dining out. I eventually ended up working at a restaurant in high school, starting as a bus boy and eventually found my way to the kitchen.

Who were some of your career mentors?

I met my first mentor when I was a high school student working part time as a food runner, server and busboy, at Restaurante Bruschetta in Washington Township, NJ. There was a guy about 10 years older than me who worked in the kitchen, Todd Fuller, and he became a big brother figure. Outside of the restaurant, he also ran these campgrounds and barbecued for large groups, so sometimes I would cook with him there. After my first year of college, I got a call from Todd that he had moved on to Buddakan in Philadelphia and became the sous chef - he offered me a gig as a food runner for a summer job. I gladly accepted and that led me to deciding that I wanted to cook for a living, so while I was still working as a food runner at night, I staged as a cook in the morning and went on to attend culinary school. Then Todd became the chef at Tangerine in Philadelphia, so I worked with him there after culinary school. A little later in my career after I worked as a chef at restaurants in California, I returned to work with Todd again at a Hershey, PA restaurant. Todd, who now runs the wildly successful Farm and Fisherman Tavern, was the first restaurant industry insider to really embrace me and show me the ropes.

I also want to mention that Chef Robbie Lewis of Bacar in San Francisco was a major influence on me when I worked there. His personality and the way he ran the restaurant really drew me in.

What culinary styles have influenced your career?

I'm not well traveled but I'm very well read, so I read about delicious and amazing food from all over the world, which has really informed my culinary style. But, because I haven't always been to the places and tasted the global dishes I'm reading about, I try to understand the role that each ingredient plays and then apply my own touch to it and personal understanding of how to balance different textures. For instance, we serve a Moroccan sauce called chermoula with our grilled octopus. I've never been to Morocco, but I understand how Moroccan cuisine values and uses chermoula. And I also apply my own feel to the sauce so it pairs really well with the octopus. I added in a few ingredients from my repertoire that I enjoy working with like capers, anchovies and olives.

What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?

We have a few signature dishes now at High Street on Hudson that my staff and I are very much locked in on: the grilled octopus dish I mentioned previously, Squid Ink Malfadine [housemade ribbon pasta] with Espelette pepper, smoked mussels and pickled jalapenos, and Beef & Broccoli, which is a play on my mom's broccoli-cheddar gratin along with skirt steak.

What is your favorite meal?

Pizza for sure, especially Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. My brother and I go there every Thursday night. My favorite pie is the Sake Mountain Way with this tomato-sake-cream sauce because it's like their take on a Margarita Pizza and the Margarita is the benchmark for which all pizza should be judged. I don't have much time away from the restaurant but when I do have a day off, eating pizza always makes me happy. It's just simple and honest.

Tell me a little bit about High Street on Hudson for our readers.

High Street on Hudson is a New American restaurant in Manhattan's West Village that continues to evolve. We focus on finer points of eating at each meal period, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. We try to give our diners the best possible experience at each meal.

High Street on Hudson is located at 637 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10014. Call them at 917.388.3944 and visit their web site at https://highstreetonhudson.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chef Sean McPaul