INTERVIEW WITH EXECUTIVE CHEF VIRGINIA DALBECK

Although the famous chef VIRGINIA DALBECK was born in Arizona, she was captured by the Texas atmosphere and actually she is working at her restaurant in SAN ANGELO called CORK & PIG TAVERN. After all as the notorius american writer John Steinbeck wrote "Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the world".

Virginia is also known to enter the american tv show Hell's Kitchen U.S. second season where first of all she distinguished herself by her delicate and refined taste and then she arrived at the final of the show. After this experience she had been working by several famous restaurants of United States, in particular for the notorious chef Mario Batali by his restaurants placed in New York City LUPA OSTERIA ROMANA (www.luparestaurant.com) where you can eat traditional italian food and CASA MONO (www.casamononyc.com) where you can taste food from the spanish catalunya.

From the first moment Virginia had worked there, she have felt a big admiration for this chef because he has extraordinary skills like another american chef Anthony Bourdain. After this hard experience chef Virginia has decided to set up her restaurant Cork & Pig Tavern that is considered by Urbanspoon (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/278/1514353/restaurant/Cork-and-Pig-San-Angelo) at first place among San Angelo restaurants.
Here below there are some questions we posed to Executive Cherf Virginia Dalbeck.

I: Chef Virginia, finally you have opened your own restaurant Cork & Pig Tavern in San Angelo where you are both owner and Executive Chef. Can you describe the philosophy of this place?
V: Cork & Pig Tavern is a family owned, neighborhood restaurant. Grab a sweet pie and a sexy glass of red wine!

I: Chef Virginia, there are lot of food in your menu but what can you recommend to taste mostly?

V: I would love to recommend our delicious salads, steaks and amazing COLESLOW! People love our slaw because it is a "roasted peanut slaw" that is super different!

I: Chef Virginia, looking at the name of your restaurant, could find a vegetarian something to eat? 

V: Sure! There are tons of vegetarian options. And it's not like they have to "settle". For example the veggie pizza: so awesome!

I: Chef Virginia, when you have spare time and you are not busy to cook, what do you like to do in San Angelo? Can you tell us some special place to visit in this city?

V: Even when I'm off I love to cook (while men clean) but there are some options in San Angelo like THE GRILL (www.thegrillsa.com) and ARMENTA' S CAFE' that I find so delicious. We are opening a new restaurant in ODESSA that's going to be amazing!

I: Chef Virginia, I have noticed in your menu there is also pizza. What do you think about Italy and italian food?

V: I loved italian food. My partner studied and worked in Italy for a while. However I would never claim the genre or say that's all I serve. I sell american food with an italian flair. My menu is very simple. Pies, steaks, salad: all done to perfection!

To further information about Executive Chef Virginia Dalbeck and her restaurant Cork & Pig Tavern visit the links below:

www.virginiahayesdalbeck.com
www.corkandpig.com