Inside the Kitchen with Scott McGehee
Scott McGehee
Executive Chef/Partner, Yellow Rocket Concepts
Local Lime | ZAZA | Lost 40 Brewing | Big Orange | Heights Taco & Tamale
Cuisine you're known for:
Exceptional quality, many affordable and healthy and/or indulgent options. Amazing cocktails and craft beer.
What is your top tip for healthy eating?
Low-fat foods are pretty easy to find on menus, but sugar is the bigger problem. A fat-free dressing that is made with corn syrup is significantly worse for us than a low-sugar, higher-fat alternative. So DON'T order the fat-free raspberry vinaigrette! Try lemon and EVOO, or a splash of balsamic, or yogurt-based dressings.
Simple suggestion for cooking healthier at home:
Use good quality olive oil for everything. Cut your sugar intake in half (at least). Switch from sodas or sweet drinks to flavored sparkling water.
What item on your menu do you most recommend to those looking for something healthy?
We have healthy options at every location, and it’s hard to choose just one, but my recent favorite has been be grilled shrimp-mango salad at Heights Taco and Tamale. I get it with the lime and olive oil vinaigrette or the smoked tomato vinaigrette. It’s low-calories, zero sugar and low fat.
The food trend you're loving right now?
I really appreciate healthy cooking, but work huge emphasis on not compromising on the flavor and satisfaction of an amazing meal. If you use the global palate of spices, vegetable, herbs, etc., it's really easier and more fun to accomplish than you'd think.
Superfoods — what are your favorites and how do you use them?
Combinations of fruits and nuts in salads. I'm currently on a Bosc pear, fuyu persimmon and walnut kick.
Ingredient you can’t live without and why?
Great quality extra virgin olive oil because it’s much better for you than almost all other fats, it’s amazing with everything, and the best oils are like the finest wines, with complexities and character that can be intoxicating.
I'm partial to my great-grandfather’s 60-year-old Ernst Rottgen Chef’s knife
Common misconception people have about eating healthy?
Balance is the key to life. Too much or too little is usually not healthy. Sometimes a little happiness (chocolate cake) is better than sadness (no chocolate cake).
Other food myth you want to debunk?
Salt does not dry out meat. Only improper or over cooking can dry out meat. Use science. Buy a probe thermometer and learn how to use it.
Outside of the kitchen, what is your fitness routine of choice?
I work out at 6 a.m. for 30-45 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That leaves time to get home and make a big breakfast for the kids. Afternoon workouts are impossible in the restaurant business. I'm either working or too exhausted to move.
| Favorite meal of the day | Dinner |
| Coffee or tea | Coffee |
| Favorite vegetable | Could never choose just one. |
| Secret recipe you’ll never reveal | Truly, there are no secrets. The farmers make the food special. |
| Go-to meal when you're short on time | Ramen noodles, quick broth, clean out veggie drawer. |
| Celebrity chef | Jaques Pepin, Alice Waters, Richard Olney, Anthony Bourdain |
| Guilty-pleasure food | Whipping up a little Bananas Foster at 10 p.m. |
In the Pantry
How do you feel these trendy culinary ingredients—love it or leave it, Chef?
Sriracha ↓
Kale ↓
Chia ↓
Quinoa/similar grains ↓
Matcha ↓
Fancy salt ↓
Bone broth ↓
Coconut sugar ↓
Cold-pressed juice ↓
They all have a place. I'm not anti anything, as long as it's prepared with integrity and love.