Dan's Chefs of the Hamptons Countdown: Topping Rose House's Drew Hiatt
A single feeling seems to emerge more than any other when Chef Drew Hiatt of Bridgehampton’s Topping Rose House talks about cooking and food. Love. His love for the craft, for the ingredients, for family and guests, for the East End.
Hiatt will be sharing that love, and some of his incredible dishes, of course, when Topping Rose House hosts the first-ever Dan’s Chefs of the Hamptons event on June 29—a never-before-seen gathering of the premier chefs in the Hampton creating a once-in-a-lifetime dinner—and again at the ninth annual Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on July 20. First, though, he shares his thoughts on local inspiration, hot dog dreams and, well, love.
You can invite three people, living or dead, to your dinner party. Who are they, and what would that meal be?
My Uncle Billy, my mother and my sister. We would eat fried clams and tartar sauce, corn, ravioli, lobster and beef.
What’s your favorite dish to prepare, and do you enjoy eating it as much as preparing it?
I like making charcuterie. And yes, I love it in my mouth.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Show no love, love will get you killed.
Who do you most admire in the food/wine world and why?
Me, because I am only a legend in my own mind.
What are your hobbies, passions, interests outside the world of food, wine and work?
Spending time with my family, eating at different places and sightseeing, and working on projects at home.
What’s the oddest request you’ve ever received from a diner?
An omelette with half egg whites and half egg yolks.
What’s the ultimate cocktail?
Hamptons 75.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would like to be able to eat 56 hot dogs in one sitting.
What’s your comfort food and why?
Adobo, because of my wife.
The most memorable thing you’ve ever tasted is…
Corn mousse, caviar and flatbread—simple yet delicious.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My daughter.
What’s a unique kitchen ritual you practice?
Chanting and whispering sweet nothings.
If you were not in the food or wine business, what would you be doing?
Architecture or some kind of design.
What has surprised you the most about working in the East End culinary scene?
The level of love shown by the guest and patrons out here seasonally and year round.
What is your karaoke song?
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg—“Nuthin’ but a G Thang.”
It’s your last weekend on earth. What’s on the menu?
Poached oysters, caviar, wagyu ribeye, clams, lamb chops, lobster, burrata and Jameson.
We just handed you a glass of bubbly. Now please make a toast to summer on the East End.
Thank you all for the love and support from the guests and food purveyors of the East End, which make it possible to do what I do. Much love.
Join Chef Drew Hiatt and an unforgettable gathering of culinary stars at Dan’s Chefs of the Hamptons on June 29. Tickets are $500, and a portion of ticket proceeds goes to support Guild Hall. Get tickets to all of summer’s greatest food-and-wine events now at DansTaste.com.
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