Interview Roger Herring, Socca

Lakeview bistro Socca offers a taste of true European cuisine: Head chef and owner Roger Herring has a light style that breaks from the typical butter-and-cream dishes. After graduating from the Culinary Institute Of America, Herring worked all over the world, even taking a stint as touring chef for the band Phish. The A.V. Club spoke with Herring about the oddities of the restaurant industry and the perfect food for the munchies.

The A.V. Club: As a kid, did you hate broccoli?

Roger Herring: Yes. [Laughs.] When I was a kid, my parents used to make me stay at the table, and the plant would definitely get a few things buried in it.

AVC: You started your career in New York. Why did you leave for Chicago?

RH: I’m from Chicago, and it seemed much easier to start your own restaurant here than in someone else’s hometown. Plus the clientele here is different. When big chains move into Chicago, the people continue to support smaller restaurants.

AVC: Are New York kitchens different than Midwest kitchens?

RH: It really depends on the place, but I felt that East Coast kitchens were more serious. But then, some places in Chicago are pretty serious.

AVC: Socca is a member of the Green City Market. What is that?

RH: My involvement was started by Abby Mandel. She made crepes at the local farmers’ market, and I helped out, and we decided to carry food from local farmers in our store. Our crepes and chopped salad all come from the local farmers’ market.

AVC: Do you charge to split entrées at Socca?

RH: No. There are situations sometimes where you need to be charged for splitting. But normally, they’re trying to charge you because they have to wash two plates.

AVC: What’s the difference between French country food and just French?

RH: French cuisine uses a lot of creams and butter. “Country French” is much fresher. I try to tell people to imagine an old lady or man in the country picking tomatoes, adding a little bit of high-quality oil, and serving it. We don’t peel the tomato; we chop it up and serve it whole.

AVC: What ingredient do you think other restaurants in your field overuse?

RH: Truffle oil. For one thing, it’s easy to charge more if you add a lot of truffle oil. You could pour it on something that’s burnt, and it would taste good. The two most overused ingredients in Chicago are wasabi and truffle oil.

AVC: So you were the touring chef for Phish. What was that like?

RH: Yeah, I toured with them for a bunch of weeks. We went from Phoenix, Arizona to Limestone, Maine. I got to travel, but everything I did was backstage, but I got to go to a lot of shows. It was a great experience, meeting so many people. A few of the truck drivers I met on the road from U2 are actually coming over tonight.

AVC: What’s the best food for munchies?

RH: I made Krispy Kreme bread pudding for them once. I also tried churro bread pudding—basically, anything fried with butter and cream is great munchie food.

AVC: What’s the worst food concept you’ve ever heard of?

RH: Those restaurants where you pile everything into a bowl and then give it to someone to cook for you. Everything is just lying out there. It can’t be really fresh unless the place is busy, and it’s just kind of unappetizing.