Chefs picky about garb

Chefs are readily identifiable around the world by their uniform. From the top, the chef’s toque – nowadays replaced by a baseball cap. The high chef’s hat is still worn at formal dinner settings at which the chef appears in the dining room, often at the request of a banquet or catering client. Then there are the loose-fitting cook pants in a houndstooth checked pattern. The most recognizable part of chef-wear is the chef’s jacket.

Although referred to in the kitchen as his or her “whites,” the proper term for the jacket is chef’s coat. It is most always white, double breasted with 10 or 12 buttons, and a military, Nehru, or mandarin collar. And unlike the toque – the 100 pleats on the chef’s hat, according to original custom, mean the number of ways to cook an egg – there is no significance to the number of buttons.

The chef’s uniform is designed by necessity. The houndstooth pattern on the pants camouflages minor spills and stains. They are loose-fitting for comfort in the heat of the kitchen and to provide some protection from burns caused by hot spills and spatters. The chef’s coat is double-breasted, so it can be reversed to hide stains that develop during the shift. It is made of a double layer of fabric – some chefs prefer synthetic, others choose organic cotton twill or Egyptian cotton – to provide some insulation from the intense heat given off by the stove or a splatter of hot liquid.

Local chefs, like their colleagues worldwide, choose their coats carefully.

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Chef Lou Rossi of Castle Hill Inn said, “I’ve been wearing [coats made by] Bragard [of France] for about six years now. In my opinion, they are by far the best manufacturer for chef coats. The coats have sharper lines and a better fit than most of their competition, which tend to be super baggy. They’re made [of] 100 percent cotton, as opposed to a cotton-polyester blend, so the fabric is much more breathable and helps me stay cooler.”

In Jamestown, executive chef Matthew MacCartney of Jamestown Fish is a Bragard man as well, echoing his Newport colleague. “I have not found the quality or style anywhere like it thus far.”

MacCartney was interested to hear what others wear. On the celebrity-chef side, he is in with the select crowd. Bragard has a line of uniforms named for New York chef/author/celebrity Eric Ripert.

In an interesting turnabout, celebrity chef Floyd Cardoz – a radio show guest – recently returned to New York from a stint opening a restaurant in Mumbai, India. Cardoz’s choice: designer-manufacturer Crooked Brook, which specializes in garments tailored to order in the U.S.A., as well as various color choices.

Cardoz says he has been wearing the brand for the last 20 years, with a signature accent of buttons made from abalone shells.

Chefs hold their uniforms in high regard. It is an interesting relationship they have with their attire, making it clear that what they wear is as important as the knives they use and the ingredients they so carefully source to create the tastes we enjoy. •

Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out radio show is heard on 1540 WADK-AM, wadk.com and the TuneIn mobile application. He can be reached by email at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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