Foodie Chap With Chef Adam Rosenblum of Causwells in San Francisco

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

When Adam Rosenblum was in high school, he started his first restaurant job as a dishwasher at a tiny restaurant in his hometown of Silver Spring, MD. Soon, after working his way up the ranks in the kitchen, he realized he had developed a true passion for the culinary arts and decided to seek formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, which he attended from 2000 to 2003.

After graduating, Rosenblum moved to New Orleans to work alongside Chef Donald Link at his renowned French Creole restaurant, Herbsaint. Starting in the pantry and working his way up to sous chef, it was here that Rosenblum began to develop his life-long cooking philosophy, which includes constant study of flavor profiles, whole animal butchery and working with small farms to source seasonal, quality ingredients.

Disillusioned with the city after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Rosenblum moved to Little Rock, Arkansas to start fresh and open up his own restaurant, Imagine. At this farm-to-table restaurant that served American cuisine with European influences, Rosenblum received a crash course in running his own business, constantly pushing himself to take his menu and restaurant to the next level. At Imagine, showcasing local farms was first and foremost to Rosenblum, as was coordinating food and wine dinners to help keep his knowledge fresh and help educate his local regulars.

When Imagine closed in 2008, Rosenblum moved to New Jersey to consult with various restaurants and restaurant groups, helping to train staff, manage recipe and menu development, and open restaurants. Working independently allowed Rosenblum to showcase his strong background as a leader and educator in the Jersey restaurant scene until 2009, when he headed back to his home state and took a position as both executive chef and general manager at Growlers Brew Pub, in Gaithersburg, MD.

Rosenblum became fully immersed in the brewpub culture at Growlers, running both the back and front of the house at this two tiered restaurant, bar and live music venue. Here he learned what it takes to rebrand a restaurant, handle merchandising, manage a large staff and further improve his time management skills as a chef and manager.

Looking for a change from the East Coast, Rosenblum moved to San Francisco in July 2013 and was hired as a sous chef by the acclaimed restaurant Flour + Water. This proved to be a jam- packed educational experience for Rosenblum, and he reveled in learning Italian cooking amidst the bounty of Northern California's farms and a daily-changing menu. The amount of passion and drive in everyone from the line cooks to the servers inspired Rosenblum and made his time there a very collaborative and energizing experience until he decided to open Causwells in 2014.

As the executive chef at Causwells, Rosenblum has created a comforting American menu with European influences. Items are shareable and the menu encourages an open, "try everything" dining experience. Staying true to his roots, Rosenblum focuses on dishes with robust and clean flavors made from the best ingredients and sourced by local farmers, purveyors, and butchers. Rosenblum also looks forward to having fun with his menu, elevating traditional American dishes with creative twists and translating this enthusiasm to the guests' tables. Outside of work, Rosenbum enjoys woodworking, rock-climbing, playing with his 90-pound puppy and dining around San Francisco with his wife.

We met at Causwells in San Francisco's Marina district for our Foodie Chap chat. Enjoy the conversation and check out the tasty trout recipe below.

Cheers and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

KCBS Foodie Chap Podcast:

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

Chef Adam Rosenblum's Trout with Cauliflower and Brown Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
Serves 1-2

6 ounce trout, skin on
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
1 lemon
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
½ teaspoon mint, chopped
1 teaspoon scallion, chopped
¼ teaspoon capers, chopped
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
pure olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 450F. Toss cauliflower and broccoli florets in a small amount of oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven until lightly brown and tender; roughly 10 minutes.

In a small sauté pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Season fish with salt on both sides and pepper on the flesh side only. Place fish skin side down in the hot oil and apply medium pressure to top of fish to keep the fish flat for 20 seconds. Allow to cook on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes; then place pan in the oven for 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.

Remove fish from the oven and discard any oil in the pan. Flip fish over to flesh side. Place back on the stovetop on high heat; add two tablespoons of olive oil, the juice and zest from the lemon, herbs, capers and chili flakes. Cook on medium heat until fish is cooked to your liking; approximately two minutes.

To plate, place fish over roasted cauliflower and broccoli and drizzle with leftover olive oil sauce over everything. Serve and enjoy.

Enjoy!