I’m always trying to learn something,” says Executive Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, restaurateur, noted cookbook author, and owner of three Napa Valley restaurants, including Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and Go Fish in St. Helena, and Mustards Grill (celebrating its 25th anniversary this June). It is an altogether humble admission from someone that the world would consider a phenomenally successful woman. If humility is just one glaring hallmark of Pawlcyn’s success, the other is her fantastic culinary mind, which began to take shape at age 13 while cooking for her family and was further formed through college, training, self-study, and working alongside the likes of James Beard and Julia Child. In Chicago and San Francisco, she was instrumental in opening several acclaimed restaurants.
“I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid so that’s quite a long time,” says Pawlcyn, who adds that it was her parents (her father was Russian-Austrian and her mother German-Norwegian) who enrolled her in cooking classes. “They had very good palates – everything we ate was made fresh from scratch, and dinner was served every night at 6:30.” Pawlcyn still prides herself on using fresh, sustainable and quality ingredients. Accordingly, no dish on any of her restaurants’ three menus is overdone. The result is sophisticated comfort food a bit more complex in its coordination; macaroni and cheese with a bit of lobster, for example. “I think food should be as wholesome as possible,” Pawlcyn says. “Some of these fancy restaurants [give you] so much butter in one evening. To me, it shuts down my palate; I get numb. So I try to keep it interesting. Even if you just come in for a cheeseburger, I want it to have a great bun and a great cheese selection, and I want you to be satisfied.”
Judging by the constant stream of locals and tourists that flood each of Pawlcyn’s busy restaurants, her “keep it fresh, keep it simple” philosophy works. But the food is just one part of her success. Atmosphere figures predominantly and comes across as unpretentious as her cooking, where taste, texture, smell, aroma and sight all work in unison. “Presentation is important,” Pawlcyn says. “We try to make [the food] look good because the first thing you do is eat with your eyes and your nose.” She further explains that her frequently rotating menus try to capture seasonality, which continually motivates a chef.
Mustards Grill offers a variety of comforting foods and a sophisticated smattering of both healthy and delicious sides. Go Fish is a Mecca for seafood enthusiasts who appreciate melt-in-you mouth freshness, and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, sister to them both, serves cuisine that is, according to Pawlcyn, “A little bit experimental. We play with things. The concept for the restaurant is pretty much an extension of my home kitchen.” True to form, during our conversation held at a corner table, everyone seems right at home. Some guests stop by to chat with the legendary chef who graciously accepts their compliments; one patron even addresses her as the “woman of the hour,” which is a distinction that is hard to argue, as Pawlcyn has twice been nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in California and received the Fine Beverage and Food Federation’s Career Achievement Award, among other honors.
Is there another restaurant in Pawlcyn’s future? “Never say never,” she says. “I like to be involved in my restaurants, but [the choice] has always been, is there a good opportunity that makes sense – is it a business idea that people will like?” She is, however, planning another cookbook on wood oven cooking to complement her other acclaimed books, Fog City Diner Cookbook, Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, and Big Small Plates.
Considering the breadth of her work and accomplishments thus far, Pawlcyn shows no signs of slowing down – call it the happy byproduct of being passionate about your profession. “Most people get into a career to work, not because they love it,” she says, following up that statement of fact with one more enviable, “I love cooking; I love my job.” Pawlcyn’s industry longevity can be traced back to her enthusiasm to be sure, but also to her evolution as a world-class chef always seeking to know more. “I’ve gotten better at cooking,” she says. “I’ve gotten simpler as I’ve gotten older, less complicated, less tricked out and more focused on the flavor and on the perfection of the technique.” In fact, when asked for her specialty, she does not hesitate to say, “Unintimidating food that’s not phony; that’s very real, very straightforward. I try to do a little more than what you would do at home, but not so much that you feel you need to get dressed up and sit up straight.”
Pawlcyn’s earthy mantra works because of its universality, but the true test comes from her customers, who she defines simply as “everybody,” from famous patrons and hungry locals to tourists a curious passersby. “That’s what I love,” Pawlcyn says. “I wanted to create a local, regular hangout joint, restaurants that were individual.”
Although her one-time aspirations to become a photographer never transpired, Pawlcyn still relies on inspiration for her craft from food writers, art books, live music, dance, and of course, cookbooks, of which this self-admitted “cookbook junkie,” has plenty. “I like cookbooks that teach you something about a culture and a society…that’s more interesting to me than just a recipe.” Through her own cookbooks and restaurants, Pawlcyn hopes to encourage people to once again eat fresh food with a critical palate. “What I’m trying to do morally is to get people to eat foods made from scratch and trying to figure out a way where they can go to work in the morning but come home and still have a nice dinner.”
Until that day comes, they can just head to Mustards Grill, Go Fish, or Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, where fresh cuisine is always the daily special.
Avocado-Papaya Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing
by Cindy Pawlcyn, featured in her book, Mustard Seeds
My mom was always making avocado-grapefruit salads, so whenever we serve this salad, it reminds me of her. In fact, this recipe comes from a very old cookbook my mom gave me years ago. Our version receives raves at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. The fantastic color has a lot to do with it, with the orange red of the papaya and the soft green of the avocados. It’s a favorite among the staff as well.
For this dish, you want ripe papayas, with tender but not mushy flesh. The skin should be bright yellow with a few mottled spots, and the fruit should be sweet-smelling and aromatic. The papaya has small black seeds that look a little like capers or caviar. These seeds have a little heat in them, and they can be used for a garnish or to add a little zip to salad dressings.
Serves 6
• 1 or 2 papayas
Papaya Seed Dressing
• 2 tablespoons papaya seeds
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby mâche, or endive, lamb’s lettuce, butter lettuce, or Bibb lettuce
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 or 3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
Split the papayas in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, and set aside 2 tablespoons of seeds for the dressing, picking off any membranes attached to the seeds. Peel the papayas and cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices.
To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
To serve, dress the mâche and arugula with half the dressing, and pile this in the center of 6 salad plates. Alternate slices of avocado and papaya across the greens and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle on the nuts and some freshly ground black pepper, and place lime wedges on the side. Or if you prefer, you could compose the plate with the fruit on the bottom and the greens on top. Either way, it’s yummy.
