Chef 101: Kyle Schroeder, Hudson Restaurant

Chef 101 interviews Kyle Schroeder, Executive chef, Hudson Restaurant, 2030 M St. NW. The restaurant is set to open the week of Sept. 17.

Previous cooking experiences:
I worked at British Airways, and before that Timothy Dean Bistro in Baltimore. I also worked at Timothy Dean Restaurant and Bar inside the St. Regis Hotel in Washington.

When I’m not eating my own food:
I love to eat at The Diner in Adams Morgan. It’s that comfort food, simple food. I mostly go there for breakfast. They have the Diner Royale: the combo breakfast of two pancakes, scrambled eggs, chicken sausage and hash browns.

Born and raised:
I was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and raised in Middletown Township, N.J. I moved when I was 4.

Food I cannot stand:
Probably food that is not seasoned, no salt or pepper.

Greatest cooking influences:
My influences are chef Timothy Dean and my two certified master chefs I apprenticed with at the Houston Country Club.

Training:
I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Views on cooking TV shows:
They are educational, but it’s more just for the show. It depends which TV show. There are some cooking shows I don’t even want to watch. I find “Iron Chef” more interesting. My TV is not constantly tuned to the Food Network. I’m more of a cable news guy. My wife gets mad.

Must-have cooking utensil:
The fish spatula. It’s a thin spatula. I tend to use it for picking up everything.

Thoughts on the Washington food scene:
It’s getting very trendy. It’s getting up there with New York City and Chicago and Los Angeles. Being in the Chesapeake area, it makes good use of the local farms for vegetables.

Age:
33

Marital status:
Wife, Yasmin Russell, the pastry chef at Hudson.