Dan's GrillHampton Countdown: Cafe Clover's Garrison Price

Cafe Clover and Clover Grocery Executive Chef and Culinary Director Garrison Price comes from humble beginnings. “My culinary education came from working for a French chef at minimum wage for four years,” he says. Price has since been honored with the 2018 Dan’s GrillHampton Judges Award, as well as the Primo di New York Best Pasta Dish in New York City at the James Beard House last year. Price will bring his grilling expertise to Dan’s GrillHampton once again this year.

First word (or words) that comes to mind when you hear “Taste of Summer.”
Tomatoes!

What is going to be the “next big thing” on the East End food scene?
No waste! Using all of the seafood parts. Like scallop intestines!

What’s the ultimate cocktail?
Mezcal Negroni.

What talent would you most like to have?
To sing!

What’s your comfort food and why?
My comfort food is warm toast with raspberry jam. I used to pick loads of raspberries with my Grandma Penny in Michigan every summer growing up. We would make enough of Grandma Penny’s raspberry jam to give to all of our friends and family to last until the next year.

What recent travels have you taken that have inspired you?
I try to travel back to Kauai, Hawaii every year to visit my friends and family. On a recent trip in January it was fresh water shrimp season. We baited traps in my friend’s backyard stream and harvested the largest freshwater shrimp I have ever seen. We simply grilled them on the beach. Simplicity is bliss!

What is the most memorable thing you’ve ever tasted?
Silken tofu made from artisan well water at a Buddhist monastery in Macau, China.

If you were not in the food or wine business, what would you be doing?
I would be a cultural anthropologist.

What has surprised you the most about working in the East End culinary scene?
It’s a small community and everyone is very supportive and really pays attention to what others are up to. There is a great support system from purveyors to other chefs to guests!

What is your go-to karaoke song?
“Let’s Fall in Love” by Frank Sinatra.

It’s your last weekend on earth—what’s the menu?
Lobster rolls, steamers, French fries and corn on the cob.

We just handed you a glass of bubbly. Now please make a toast to summer on the East End:
Thank you, East End, for your beautiful summer people, beaches and bounty!

For more on Cafe Clover, visit cafeclovernyc.com. For tickets and more information on all Dan’s Taste of Summer events, visit DansTaste.com.

Read more about Dan’s Taste of Summer 2019.