Testing the boundaries of a burger: Contest showcases Piacere Chef Larry Keck’s imagination

With seven months under his belt as executive chef at San Carlos’ Piacere Restaurant at 727 Laurel St., Keck is hard at work developing dishes he thinks will keep his diners guessing what’s next. Though Keck’s Reuben egg rolls and hash brown soup are just some of his creations that have caught diners’ attention, he is working on a creation with a twist unlike any other.

Keck has created a burger patty that is 25 percent mushroom, 25 percent chorizo and half Angus sirloin and brisket as his entry in the James Beard Foundation’s national blended burger competition this summer. Aimed at identifying healthier and more sustainable burger recipes, the contest offers diners the opportunity to voice support for the tastiest burger made of at least 25 percent mushroom.

Keck’s burger is topped with sauteed wood ear and crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, guacamole, chipotle aioli and porcini mushroom dust. Though he has spent weeks perfecting and spreading the word about the burger so Peninsula diners can weigh in before the open voting ends July 31, the inspiration for his recipe came much more quickly.

“It just kind of popped into my head,” he said. “This, honestly, is one of the best things I’ve ever made.”

For the 57-year-old, working in the kitchen of a restaurant is one of the best applications for his energetic personality and desire to craft dishes that please diners. Though he attended the University of California, Berkeley, and studied architecture there, Keck knew within a year of working as an architect that a kitchen was one place where he could really focus.

“My mind is going 150 miles an hour all day long, and the kitchen allows me to build something different every day,” he said.

With a background in restaurant and hotel design consulting, Keck said he can work in all different facets of the restaurant, from the kitchen to the front of the house as well as behind the bar. He said he spends much of his time speaking with customers to understand how they are reacting to his dishes and how he can improve them.

“It’s really something that is so personal to me,” he said. “I get to touch part of your life for one to two hours.”

Keck’s focus on creating an experience for diners had earned him a wider audience on television, where he has shared his passion for developing unconventional recipes through competition. With appearances on television shows like Guy’s Grocery Games and Beat Bobby Flay in the last two years, Keck has honed his ability to test the boundaries of the ingredients he uses.

“I don’t cook like I’m 57 years old,” he said. “Every single day I want to do something to better myself to be a better chef tomorrow.”

Though Keck may exude a positive spirit about his work, it wasn’t always that way. Before he was diagnosed with cancer some 25 years ago, he said he was often angry and yelling at his kitchen staff. Doctors predicted he would not survive the advanced stages of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but Keck overcame the odds and said he returned to the kitchen with fresh eyes.

“I don’t yell, I don’t scream, I don’t get mad, I don’t get upset, I am completely calm in my kitchen,” he said.

This perspective is what keeps the El Sobrante resident sane during his commute to work, which carries him over 40 miles across the Bay one way. Keck said he has thought about retirement, but has trouble imagining it when he starts thinking about all the new dishes he can create that break the mold.

“This is honestly play time when I come to work,” he said. “Even if I do 20 hours, it’s still fun.”

Visit jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/vote to vote for Piacere’s blended burger before July 31.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102