Michael Gettier is an American chef of French descent, who helms a trés, trés romantic restaurant in Taneytown, and who studied cooking in Paris. Who better to Grill on all matters of food, the French, and, of course, amour.
Where did you go to school?
St. Paul's high school in Baltimore, Roanoke College in Virginia, and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne in Paris.
Who is your favorite Baltimorean, living or dead?
My mom and dad, who attended Eastern High and Poly, respectively, both raised near 33rd Street, who taught me to pick crabs by eight years old . . . and we all still go out for crabs!
What is the best advice you ever got?
In the restaurant: "When cooking behind the line, no matter how upset you get, all the tickets will still be hanging."
Who would play you in the movie of your life?
I would like to think Robert De Niro, but it would probably turn out to be Tony Shalhoub.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Eating dinner at 2:30 a.m.
What's your favorite food trend of the last five years?
Smaller, more interesting portions.
Your least favorite?
Foam.
There must be a lot of marriage proposals at Antrim 1844. Any stand out?
We get a lot of requests to put the engagement ring in food, but had to draw the line at baking a ring in a soufflé!
What's the most romantic food, in your opinion?
Grand Marnier soufflé with just a drizzle of chocolate, served on a snowy Valentine's Day in front of a fireplace!
What's more romantic: Cooking with someone or cooking for someone?
Definitely cooking with someone. . . . It's how my wife Claudia and I met.
The French are considered very romantic. Why is that?
The French live life with feeling! They're willing to suspend logic and dive in on an emotional level that many of us protect ourselves against. One of the reasons the French cuisine is so marvelous is that the culture in which it evolved appreciated the sensuous nature of food and dining.
So how will you be spending your Valentine's Day?
Endeavoring to delight customers of Antrim 1844, cooking their romantic dinner; then coming home late to a wonderful, understanding wife.
