Groundbreakers Q&A: Chefs Rick Mahan and Patrick Mulvaney

California Groundbreakers

**This event was recorded on April 30, 2019** This "Groundbreakers Q&A" is with two guys who know their way around a kitchen. Rick Mahan and Patrick Mulvaney are Sacramento's Top Chefs. Their restaurants, The Waterboy (opened in 1996) and Mulvaney B&L (in 2006), set the bar for fine dining in Sacramento, and they're still atop the list of places worth opening up your wallet for a memorable meal. When they're not cooking, they're still doing plenty to promote good food, boost Farm to Fork efforts, and improve Sacramento's dining scene. Mahan is a big supporter of the Food Literacy Center, and Mulvaney is getting national attention for his efforts to tackle the mental health crisis in the restaurant industry. Join us for a great conversation with these two seasoned veterans of the city's ever-changing, often-challenging restaurant scene as we talk with them about Michelin stars, minimum wage hikes, the mental health movement, farmers markets, and other things that are shaping their menus today. PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY * O min to 5 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers * 5 min - The chefs introduce themselves and talk about what food they're loving right now (like fava beans and wild boar) * 7:30 min - First memories of food, and first experiences in the kitchen * 11:50 min - What brought Mulvaney, an Irishman from Long Island, out West, what kept him in Sacramento, and how his restaurant got his name * 14:05 min - Mahan's journey from washing dishes at Buffet Excellence at age 16, to having a life-changing experience in France * 20:45 min - What happened in those first few days, weeks and months of opening the new restaurant * 26:35 min - The pros and cons of serving Sacramentans as restaurant diners * 31:15 min - How to address changing tastes, trends and younger customers * 37 min - What the chefs are working on now outside the kitchen * 44:50 min - The Food Network effect: What do these TV shows overhype and downplay in the restaurant industry that we customers should know about as reality? * 53:40 min - The dish from Americo's (where the Waterboy stands today) that Mahan promises to make if you request it * 56 min - Thoughts on tasting menus, "tweezer plating," and the upcoming Michelin guide on Sacramento restaurants * 1 hr, 1:50 min - The pros and cons of running a restaurant -- especially in California * 1 hr, 7:05 min - The biggest challenge -- and fear -- the chefs are facing * 1 hr, 11:50 min - Thoughts on California's agriculture industry, and the future for farmers * 1 hr, 14:10 min - How the Waterboy got its name (it wasn't the Adam Sandler movie) * 1 hr, 20:15 min - Workforce development: How do we train the people who will run Sacramento's restaurants in the future? * 1 hr, 30:15 min - Best piece of advice for someone just starting out in this business * 1 hr, 32:10 min - Best piece of advice for amateur chefs in the kitchen