Max Brenner and Jim Burke talk chocolate, collaboration

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Max Brenner and Jim Burke talk chocolate, collaboration

POSTED: Friday, June 11, 2010, 9:20 PM

Filed Under: Chef Salad | Food News

Photo | Christopher Gabello

This coming Monday, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man will launch a menu of four dishes created exclusively for the 15th-and-Walnut shop by chef Jim Burke of Philadelphia's award-winning James (824 S. Eighth St.). I sat down with Burke and Brenner (real name Oded, but he goes by "Max" — yes, he's actually bald) earlier this week to chat about the collaboration and sample the dishes. "I've wanted for a long time to bring other chefs [to my shops] to create their own take on chocolate," Brenner told me over Burke's (oddly chocolate-less) rendition of an affogato. The Israeli chocolatier came to Philly looking for "interesting people," and "fell in love" with James during his first visit to the restaurant. Teaming up appealed to Burke, too, and after discussing the idea with his wife/co-owner Kristina, he decided to go for it.

Photo | Christopher Gabello

Both Brenner and Burke describe their partnership as "natural," though what attracted each of them to the collaboration was, interestingly, a fundamental difference in their approaches to food. Brenner's brand, he explained with a laugh, is a "Broadway show," while Burke's cooking is more of an âoff-Broadwayâ production. To demonstrate the point, Brenner had a couple specialties sent over to our table. He was right — his flamboyant waffles with bananas and chocolate couldn't have been more different from the subtly flavored chocolate/bacon budino and smoked paprika ice cream (above) that Burke had just served.

Photo | Christopher Gabello

Still, as Burke pointed out, there are "common themes" — he and Brenner share, in particular, an affinity for twists on classic recipes. Burke's chocolate terrine (Brenner's favorite of the four dishes, each priced at $10.95) is a clever riff on a traditional country pÃ¢tÃ© (top), with pralined hazelnuts standing in for pistachios and a coffee-flavored gelÃ©e playing the role of aspic. At present, both men agree that collaboration among members of the city's culinary community is rare — everyone's busy doing his or her own thing, it seems, and joint projects aren't common. "I hope that this sparks something," remarked Burke. Sounds good to me. Burke's menu items will be available at Max Brenner starting June 14 and will run for approximately two months.

Tweets that mention Max Brenner and Jim Burke talk chocolate, collaboration :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-11 16:54:50

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Max Brenner, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Collaboration and chocolate, according to @MaxBrennerUSA and Jim Burke of @jamesphilly: http://bit.ly/br0TeG [...]

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