Dan's Taste of Two Forks Countdown: 63 South Chill Street Owner Cheryl Platt

Cheryl Platt, owner of 63 South Chill Street, is brewing up some fine artisanal ice creams for patrons of Dan’s Taste of Two Forks, presented by Farrell Building Company and hosted by chef, caterer and award-winning actor David Burtka on Saturday, July 21 at Fairview Farm in Bridgehampton, located on beautiful Mecox Bay. And what could be better than cold, creamy artisanal ice cream on a July evening? As Platt says, “I love interacting with all of the people, as well as the surprise on their faces after tasting our ice cream. It’s so much fun to be with all of the other food companies as well.”

What’s the most unusual substitution you’ve been asked to make?
A bug-inspired ice cream for kitties. I have to say, I’ve never actually made any ice cream containing bugs for cats.

Where are you from?
I’m from Southampton. I have such great memories of growing up enjoying the beach, barbecues and going to get an ice cream in the summer evenings. Nothing seemed more magical than beachgoing ending with an ice cream treat. This influenced me to get back to basics, creating a pure ice cream with no additives of any kind. I wanted to bring the delight of tasting real ingredients back to the table.

What’s your earliest food memory?
Enjoying the beach all day and having lunch and a barbecue just as the sun was setting.

How does living on the East End inform your cooking and culinary creativity?
So many influences from the vineyards to fresh produce locally grown, combined with the natural aromas of summer plants—there’s never a shortage of creative ideas for pairing all sorts of foods.

What inspired your career the most?
Eating ice cream that was comprised of chemicals that did not taste good inspired me to create a hand-crafted, pure ice cream made with nothing short of real ingredients.

Which Long Island wine are you drinking these days?
Anthony Nappa’s organic merlot

What’s your favorite dish to prepare?
Cookies and Cream flavor ice cream because it brings such joy to children—the pure cookie taste sparks a huge smile on their faces.

What’s the most dangerous dining situation you’ve experienced?
Eating a breakfast sandwich on a clam boat, while going through the Moriches inlet over five- to six-foot waves in November.

What does the phrase “taste of summer” bring to mind for you?
Enjoying the smell of hamburgers on the grill, of all of the flowers filling the air and the smell of the ocean.

What piece of equipment do you covet?
A larger batch freezer to shorten the time on processing the ice cream.

What ingredient do you refuse to use?
I refuse to use any artificial ingredient. The thought of adding a toxic, manmade substance to lower costs goes against my principles and the honesty of my brand. My motto is I would not serve anything [to you that] I would not serve myself. If it isn’t good, wholesome ingredients from the earth I don’t want to use it. People were not made to ingest artificial anything.

What makes a cocktail a “craft cocktail?”
Crafting with handmade ingredients, such as handmade syrups, tailored to the liquor used. I think a handcrafted, aged liquor complements the other ingredients.

What’s your favorite beverage to take on an East End picnic?
Homemade sweet ice tea devoid of any preservatives.

What’s the most important thing to teach the next generation of chefs?
Never hold back! Follow your instincts on food combining and don’t be afraid of creative expression. Ensure the quality and taste—I’ve taste tested my ice cream flavors [and] have learned that minor structural changes can occur and are easily remedied by checking each batch of the product during manufacturing.

What else would you like our readers to know about dining, and drinking, on the East End this summer?
I would encourage visiting many of the different local farmers markets and farm stands—enjoy the local produce and artisan food products.

Dan’s Taste of Two Forks, presented by Farrell Building Company and hosted by chef, caterer and award-winning actor David Burtka, features tastings from top restaurants, chefs and purveyors from both Forks on Saturday, July 21 at Fairview Farm in Bridgehampton, located on beautiful Mecox Bay. Come celebrate our 8th annual premier East End summer event. GA tickets are available now for $195 and grant you access to all you can eat and drink from 7:30 – 10 p.m. VIP tickets are already sold out and GA tickets are almost gone too, so buy NOW at DansTaste.com. Patrons must be 21 years or older to attend.