There’s a reason QSRs (quick service restaurants) keep experiencing year-over-year growth and have a projected market size of $454 billion by 2030* - well, at least one reason we can get behind… menus filled with super fresh ingredients that gain an almost cult-like following - like the menus created by Chef Nate Weir.
As Vice President of Culinary at Modern Market Eatery, Chef Nate brings an energetic and healthy obsession around ingredients and scratch-made dishes. On a mission to serve whole, clean and sustainable food by using every inch of an ingredient and minimizing as much waste as possible, Chef Nate is converting the masses to ditch the drive thru and try something new.
We sat down with Nate for Spiceology’s Periodically Inspired interview series that dives deep into a chef’s psyche to talk about inspiration, process, menu planning, and a lot more. Read the full interview and get to know him below:
People around you, music, books, travel, research - where do you find inspiration when you create new dishes?
“I went to culinary school specifically for farm-to-table, so I always start with the season. What’s going on outside? Certain times a year, I start to have a hankering for what’s coming into season so I go from there.
But I try to cast a wide net, and I naturally have broad interests. My Spotify playlists tend to rabbit hole, and I kind of cook the same way. I cook at home for my family, which is amazing because I’m able to decompress.
Every week we do a “Spontaneous Saturday” where I cook something new and different just to challenge myself and keep things interesting. My routine on Saturday morning is that I write a menu for the entire week, and my 4-year-old and I go grocery shopping.
It’s what’s beautiful about food - there is always something new and exciting to try. You never stop learning.”
When did you first find a love of cooking?
“I grew up around the activity of cooking. My mom and grandma were wonderful cooks, but started on the wrong side of the line (laughs). I actually started at an ice cream shack; I was taking notes and sending orders, but it did inspire a love of restaurants and the cadence and comradery you find there.
I went to college, became a GM at Applebee’s, and that’s where I found a love of cooking. When the kitchen was slammed, I would jump on the line. I discovered that I really loved that side of it. Even from a personality standpoint, cooking allows me to have a dual brain where I can be creative and technical, and you have to combine both to be a good chef.
Then I chased the dream. Went to culinary school. The more you do it, the more you love it.”
What’s your favorite dish at Modern Market Eatery right now and why?
“The Blackened Chicken Banh Mi, we’re actually using Spiceology’s Black Magic Cajun blend - it’s just a great example of the type of food we do. Sure, it’s a chicken sandwich, but we put our stamp on it. We do everything from scratch - the lemongrass aioli, the pickled carrots. You get really fresh, clean, bold flavors.
I also love the Lemongrass Tuna Bowl with a seared tuna that’s just beautiful - we offer a lot of grain bowls on the menu. We also share ingredients across the menu - that same lemongrass aioli is used on the banh mi and in bowls.”
Where are places you visit or what are things you do if you’re ever in a creative block?
“So much of my creativity is at home. If I’m stuck, I’ll pull a cookbook off the shelf and try a new recipe; I chase flavors and sometimes refer back to my planned weekly menus I do for home.
Creativity is fickle even for chefs. I go back to basics and start with the way flavors or ingredients interconnect and play with each other - then I build off of that.”
How does growing up in Haiti impact how you currently cook and plan menus?
“It was a lifetime ago, but when I think back to it I have gratitude for how fortunate we are now. It can be easy to take for granted what we have access to in the States, and I don't want to waste that. I want to honor the ingredients; we’re so fortunate we get to have so many choices, variety and access to food here.
That helped inform how I wanted to cook: to minimize waste and use every part of the ingredient. I want to be open to global flavor, but still source local ingredients and do REAL food that is not overworked. Food you could make at home if you wanted to.”
What advice would you give a chef just starting out?
“There's always more to learn in this business. Chase that knowledge and don't be afraid to dive in. There's always new experiences to be had, and the more perspective you have the better.
I think culinary school isn't necessary. Go for it. Just go for it. And you have to mess up pretty bad for something not to be edible.
If you’re stagnant - move on and find something different. I wouldn't be here at Modern Market after 12 years if I wasn't always learning. Chase that ethos of experience and learning.”
Do you feel competitive with other chefs?
“No, I feel like we’re a club. I super respect other chefs; we can all look at the same set of ingredients and draw totally different ideas. The path is different for every chef.
I want to deliver something I'm proud of and that our team can execute. I’m not driven by the ego side of it. The competition is internal: I strive for consistency and try to take fine dining and make it approachable.”
What’s a spice you consider under-valued?
“I sneak coriander into all kinds of stuff, and I am a sucker for it in all forms: whole, ground, dried, cilantro. And you can eat every single part of it including the roots. This fruity-pebble-kind-of seed, I use it in lots of global cuisine. It adds a delicate, floral and fruity profile to almost anything - it’s my secret weapon.”
What flavor trends are you seeing in QSR menus?
“A macro trend is the pursuit of authenticity. Especially around ethnic flavors - we want to be true to the real flavors, cultures and ingredients.
Then big bold flavors - experimenting with BBQ flavors, wood and smoke. And unique chiles - I’m using urfa biber and Mexican and Asian chiles - they add a different dynamic to the dish.”
What’s one of your favorite ingredients to cook with and why?
“Miso - I love cooking with it and it’s another one of my secret weapons. It’s more versatile than people realize, and you can add it to all kinds of cooking with dynamic results. We use it in a chile vinaigrette and with grilled chicken - it adds a beautiful fermented umami.”
What’s a technique or trick you learned along the way that even home cooks could use?
“Get a good thermo pen; I use a digital thermometer for everything - meats, breads, I use it all the time.
Also, when you’re meal planning - start by picking a protein. Take a pork butt - how can I use it all week long? Tacos, stuffed poblanos, sandwiches. It doesn't have to be complicated - make a big batch of a protein and reuse it in different ways.”
What do you consider a chef’s role to be within the community?
“To be keepers of culture. In the walls of our restaurant we’re teaching alongside our peers, but within our local community, a chef has a big role to inform people. I'm inspired by our mission of scratch made, and I want to make it available to the masses.
At Modern Market Eatery, I’m trying to offer a gateway to better eating, and I feel like people need that. Fast food is easy, but people need a better alternative. Food can be both affordable and approachable, but it’s a challenge. This is a safe space to try a flavor they've never had before.”
Favorite dish to cook for yourself?
“Simple, I just want a nice simple beautiful piece of salmon with whatever veggie is in season.”
Favorite dish to cook for friends and family?
“I always go back to fresh pasta because you really get your bang for your buck. You can create different combos of flavors that match the seasons. Lighter pastas or rich - there’s so much you can do.”
What are your breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant recs when in and around the Denver area?
“For breakfast go to the Stowaway Kitchen - they do a wide mix of really amazing Japanese-inspired items and they have an awesome pastry program.
For lunch you’ll find something for everyone at Maria Empanada; I love an empanada and these guys could not be more authentic. They’re just really wonderful people and their team is impressive. It’s a perfect empanada and it blows my mind.
Then head to Mister Oso’s Tacos for dinner - it’s an upscale taco spot with beautiful food that is really interesting. You’d expect built tacos, but they bring you a tray with ingredients so you’re meant to share and build your own. They have really interesting flavors, and you’re grabbing and mixing and matching - plus, the cocktails are awesome.”