For the eighth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Locavore, the newest restaurant at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2014."
Since March, there’s a new executive chef in the kitchen at The Iron Horse Hotel. Bradford Shovlin arrives from Chicago, where he spent time at Crofton on Wells which earned a Michelin star during his tenure.
A Detroit native, like his Iron Horse predecessor Grant Slauterbeck, Shovlin started out cooking alongside his dad, who had a passion for the culinary arts. From there, he went on to Western Michigan University and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.
Since his arrival, Shovlin has re-written all the hotel’s menus and is fostering a partnership with his former boss Suzy Crofton.
We caught up with Shovlin -- who will also take part in Kohler's Food and Wine Experience, Oct. 23-26 -- to learn more about him, his food and what makes him tick.
OnMilwaukee.com: You've done a lot of work in Chicago, right? Where are some of the places you've worked before coming here?
Bradford Shovlin: I spent time at North Pond under Bruce Sherman and with Suzy Crofton at Crofton on Wells while in Chicago. I’ve also recently worked in Detroit and Seattle.
OMC: Were you familiar with Milwaukee at all? Was it difficult for you to decide if you wanted to come here after working in a much bigger town?
BS: I had never been to Milwaukee before arriving at the Iron Horse. I always wanted to, but never made the trip up north. I remember watching "Laverne & Shirley" when I was really young, that was my knowledge of Milwaukee! Coming here wasn’t a difficult decision, I like to discover new cities. Milwaukee has been great.
OMC: I'm interested to hear about the ways you’re collaborating with Suzy Crofton at the Iron Horse.
BS: Suzy and I have worked together for over 8 years now; at her restaurant in Chicago, consulting, and now at the Iron Horse. She and I work together to further enhance the dining experience here. We have a coursed-dinner coming up in September collaborating with Bittercube, pairing cocktails with food. We also have a harvest dinner in Smyth in early October, where guests will be able to try several offerings off of our yet-to-be-released fall menu in station format while enjoying wine and cocktails.
OMC: What does a Bradford Shovlin menu typically look like?
BS: It really depends on where I am working to which style of food I will do. I like to cook using ingredients and products from the area and keep dishes technically sound but interesting. I have a tendency to elevate old favorites while making plenty of room for new creations.
OMC: Do you have a signature dish?
Nope. I just have my favorite dish that I am cooking at the time.
OMC: Now that you're here are you planning to overhaul the menu or will you take more of a wait and see approach?
BS: All of the menus have been changed since my arrival in March. The current Smyth menu is my third.
OMC: Do you have any favorite places yet to eat out in Milwaukee?
BS: Haven’t been out to eat much yet, but had a great meal at Wolf Peach. The late night ramen at Ardent is fun.
OMC: Do you have a favorite cookbook?
BS: I reference "The Complete Robuchon" (by Joel Robuchon) a lot. Also, there’s a guy who has a famous restaurant in Napa Valley that I’ve followed for the past 15 plus years. Bet you can guess.
OMC: Do you have a favorite TV or celebrity chef?
BS: Not particularly. I enjoy watching "America’s Test Kitchen" and "The Mind of a Chef" when I find the time to.
OMC: What's been the biggest development in the culinary arts over the past 10 years?
BS: The growing fascination, awareness and involvement among people in the food industry. Growing up, I watched ‘Wok with Yan’ and ‘The Frugal Gourmet’ when I got home from school. There weren’t many cooking shows. Going out to eat was a special occasion. As you know, the industry has come a long way since then. The attention keeps chefs on their feet.
OMC: What kitchen utensil can't you live without?
BS: A sharp knife.
OMC: What's the next big trend in food?
BS: The fall of molecular gastronomy and the rebirth of classical cooking. (Laughs) I don’t know, man, but I’d be OK with that.
OMC: What's the toughest day / night to work in the restaurant biz?
BS: No particular day stands out. Some days are tough, some are smooth and easy. That’s just the way it goes.
OMC: What is your favorite guilty dining pleasure?
BS: Coca-Cola. I always have it around. I prefer it over coffee for caffeine. I know it’s bad for me, I don’t care.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
