Fergal Phillips
Owner and chef at Little Geno’s Deli Scott Holder on his life in food
Here, we catch up with Scott Holder to chat about everything from his earliest memories of food to his favourite flavours and culinary inspirations.
Scott Holder is an extremely well-travelled chef who has worked in some of the world’s best restaurants, including London’s Michelin-starred Arbutus, San Francisco’s Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions and David Chang’s Momofuku in Sydney. More recently, Scott created Los Chicanos Taqueria, Ireland’s most authentic Mexican Taqueria, and owns and operates Little Geno’s Deli on St. Stephens Green.
Little Geno’s Deli, which is located within Grafter but is open to the public, is a chef-operated sandwich deli providing delicious, fresh sandwiches and coffee in a beautiful communal lounge.
Here, Scott shares his life in food…
What are your earliest memories of food?
I grew up in Temple Bar, back then it was nothing like the tourist destination it is now. It was quite run down without many businesses there. My parents owned a restaurant called Blazes and we lived on the top floor. As a child, I could always be found running around the restaurant, hanging out with the staff and roaming through the kitchen trying to steal a bite out of anything I could get my hands on while nobody was looking.
How would you describe your relationship with food?
I love food that is fun, exciting and transports you back in time to a memory or an emotion, maybe a holiday or travelling. I love creating food that reminds people of those places they’ve been, memories they’ve had and transports them back to the feeling they had when they were eating it.
What was the first meal you learned to cook?
Carbonara.
How did food become a part of your career?
I barely made it through school, I was a bit rebellious at that age and shortly after quit two colleges in one year. My mum made me work in her café and I hit the ground running, I loved the energy and how every day was different. I decided if I wanted to one day run my own place I needed to learn to cook and so I took off, working in kitchens in London, USA and Sydney and honed my craft in some amazing restaurants.
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day. A really nice crunchy sourdough, crushed avocado, fried halloumi, crispy chorizo, topped with a soft poached egg and a good sprinkling of dukkah.
If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?
I used to cook these elaborate four-course meals for about 12 of my friends every Christmas when I started cooking, but I spent the whole time in the kitchen and never got to hang out with them. Now I usually prefer to meet friends out at a restaurant so we can all just hang out and get some proper time to catch up with each other.
Who is your culinary inspiration?
My mum Helen had two restaurants growing up, and she always cooked amazing food at home, no matter how busy she was.
Danny Myers in New York is a pretty big inspiration. He is one of the pioneers of the great restaurants in Manhattan. His ethos on hospitality and service, and the longevity of his restaurants is incredible.
What would your last meal on earth be?
It’s gotta be pizza, I love a good pizza, I usually have one once a week.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Definitely chocolate.
What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?
I like to eat quite healthily overall. I’d usually go for a tuna, brown rice and avocado bowl. Easy, fast and nutritious.
What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?
I’ll try anything and generally eat most foods but really funky cheese, it just ain’t my jam.
Hangover cure?
Hangovers are rare these days but breakfast tacos are pretty damn good, or when the day calls for it, a Bloody Mary.
Sweet or savoury?
Savoury!
Fine dining or pub grub?
Ooh, I’m gonna say neither, I love casual, small plates and great cocktails.
Favourite restaurant in Ireland?
I really like going to Hang Dai in Dublin, I love the vibe in there, the atmosphere, it’s my kind of place and the cooking and cocktails are great.
Best coffee in Ireland?
Cloud Picker, we have partnered with them to supply our coffee at Little Geno’s and the guys there do an amazing job sourcing the best beans around. Their new cafés in the airport have been a game changer when travelling.
Go-to beverage accompaniment?
Anything mezcal or tequila. I make a mezcal, pineapple and agave margarita at home which is pretty epic.
What are your thoughts on the Irish food scene?
The Irish food scene is incredible right now. When I first started cooking there were only a handful of high-level restaurants in Dublin and you had to emigrate to seek new skills and learn about different ingredients.
Now, there is so much diversity and creativity in restaurants in Ireland, it’s the best it’s ever been and the standards are really high, which is so good to see.
What’s your favourite thing about cooking?
The creativity, I love creating things, taking an idea in my head and turning it into reality. Also, the people, we have an amazing team at Little Geno’s which is really cool to be part of.
What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?
It’s all about the human connection, taking time out away from phones and distraction to come together over a meal, sharing different flavours and having a laugh.
Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?
We are very lucky to live in a country where we have such naturally great produce available to us. However, there is a bit of a conflict in how we value our food. We’ll only pay 80 cents for a bag of carrots that took months to grow and harvest by a farmer, but we’ll pay €6 for a box of processed cereal from a factory.
The restaurant industry is in a really tough place at the moment. The cost of running a business and employment is becoming unsustainably high and in turn just drives up prices further for customers. There needs to be better incentives for small independent businesses, there are too many good businesses closing down.
Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.
I was in Sydney recently, I ate in a restaurant called Cho Cho San, it’s been there for years, since I lived there. The meal was just so good from start to finish, they had these amazing miso aubergines which were so delicious and addictive.
Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.
Phil Roberts, who I have worked with for years both in my mum’s café, the Phoenix Café, which we closed earlier this year, and now at Little Geno’s. Phil is an all-around exceptional leader and chef who brings such great cooking, experience, positivity and a sense of calm to our team.
Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?
The perfect dining experience really is a symbiotic one, it’s everyone working and flowing together. The warm welcome, the attentive service, the amazing food, the drinks, the goodbye at the end — oh, and there’s got to be a good bathroom game too.
Featured image via Fergal Phillips.
Little Geno’s Deli is located in a striking new café space called Gather at Grafter at Grafter’s flexible co-working space Smyth House on St Stephen’s Green.
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