USA Rice Foodservice - Chef Lee Richardson, Capital Hotel

Chef Lee Richardson, Capital Hotel

Good southern food "prepared with purpose" is at the core of Chef Lee Richardson's culinary philosophy. As the recent "The People's Best New Chef – Midwest" award recipient and Executive Chef at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas, Chef Lee uses his extensive training and love for food to create soulful dishes with a southern essence. With a cooking background in two rice growing states, Chef Lee talks about how U.S.-grown rice is incorporated throughout his menu and how his family and the Louisiana food culture shaped his career.

Try USA Rice's Red Beans & Rice recipe, Chef Lee's favorite dish.

Chef Lee Richardson's Bio

•	Chef d'Cuisine at Restaurant August, New Orleans, LA
•	Prep Cook/Apprenticeship at NOLA, New Orleans, LA
•	University of Colorado Graduate
•	Professional Chef Influences—Emeril Lagasse, John Besh, Kevin Graham, Anne Kearney

	What are your responsibilities as executive chef at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock?
	I oversee all food and beverage operations at the hotel, including two restaurants, Ashley's and the Capital Bar and Grill. I'm also tasked with directing foodservice operations in our private function space and for our employees.

	Arkansas and Louisiana are among the top three rice producing states. How do you incorporate local/U.S. ingredients, like rice, on your menu?
	Rice is everywhere in Louisiana, but as the number one rice producing state, Arkansas rice takes on a whole different level of prominence. I have rice milled to order for the restaurants, or even while I wait at the local farmer's market. More than a simple side dish or a vessel for gravy, rice is used in all areas of our foodservice program.

	What can diners expect when eating at the hotel's popular Ashley's Restaurant?
	Diners at Ashley's are looking for something different, fun and refined. All of our food is handcrafted, from jams and jellies to bacon, sausage and freshly made pastas and artisan breads. We source as many local ingredients as possible like our eggs and rice. Our seafood is flown in and our meat is cut by hand.

	How does rice play a role on the menu?
	Rice is all over my menu. At the Capital Bar and Grill, we use rice as a dredge for catfish and as an ingredient in bread. At Ashley'swe always have a dish of Gulf Shrimp with Arkansas rice grits, which is one of our most celebrated menu items and finds its way into many dishes. Our bartenders have also concocted a great version of Horchata, the Mexican rice drink, and at brunch we start the meal with Creole Calas, which are rice fritters we douse with powdered sugar like beignets in New Orleans. Another favorite is our red beans and rice grits with a soft cooked egg, a dish that was highlighted in Esquire Magazine and in a recently released Eat Like a Man Esquire cookbook.

	What has shaped your food philosophy?
	Louisiana has a love for hospitality and a unique food culture that is widely celebrated. When I was younger my grandmothers let me choose the menu for my birthday, bringing me closer to this greater appreciation of food. This experience defines "good living" for me, so philosophically, it is what I also share with my restaurant guests.

	How would you describe the food culture of Arkansas and how is it evolving today?
	At its heart, Arkansas is all about good, honest country cooking. It's the food that defines the south, if not America, but it has gone virtually unnoticed. Going forward, I think Arkansas' food culture still remains in a Natural State, pun fully intended. Today in Arkansas, farm pastured eggs, poultry and meat are readily available. Our children know where their food comes from and we still love our greens. Growing media engagement in the food world is steadily bringing to light Arkansas's old fashioned goodness.

	During your apprenticeship with Chef Emeril Lagasse at NOLA, what were the greatest lessons you learned?
	The most important thing I learned was how to behave in a professional kitchen; how to strive for excellence individually, while remaining 110% committed to a team effort. Emeril's brigade defined professionalism and dedication.

	You have been quoted as calling the cuisine at Ashley's "New Americana; a return to pre-tradition." What does this mean and why do you think it attracts diners?
	American food, particularly of the south, and more personally of Louisiana, is a compilation of iconic classics. All of this was created before the golden age of efficiency, before life got so busy and before dual income households sacrificed their time at the stove. In this evolution, these iconic dishes have come forth as empty, manufactured versions of their former selves. New Americana Cuisine is my effort to get back to the basics. My mission is to pour my soul into handcrafting everything we do and our diners respond to this because they experience food that is made with the primary intention of their personal pleasure. I believe that if we go out of our way to make something extra special for someone, they will be able to sense that effort.

	What ingredients will your kitchen never be without and why?
	Rice, beans, salt and vinegar. These are things that nurture not only my body, but my soul.

	What advice do you have for aspiring chefs?
	Forget about money. Forget about moving up the ladder. Focus on your craft and stay in one place long enough to learn not only the food, but the whole operation.