Chef's creative juices flow at steakhouse

Another man's name is over the door and 80 percent of his customers order a steak, but that doesn't faze Rick Gresh, recently appointed executive chef at David Burke's Primehouse.

Named for its New York-based founding chef, the steakhouse in River North's James Hotel is known for beef produced from the offspring of its own Kentucky steer and dry-aged on the premises in a room tiled in Himalayan salt bricks.

Gresh's contemporary American cuisine began attracting attention when he served as executive chef at Green Dolphin Street on Chicago's North Side. He was named a "Rising Star of American Cuisine" by the James Beard Foundation in 2001.

A Round Lake resident, Gresh, 32, grew up in the Cleveland area. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America with an externship at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and then came to Chicago to cook at the erstwhile Trio in Evanston. His resume includes stints at the Hotel Nikko's Celebrity Cafe, Tsunami on the Gold Coast and the Wyndham Chicago's Caliterra. Before Primehouse, he oversaw culinary operations at the private Saddle & Cycle Club.

In 2004 and 2006, Gresh was a U.S.A. finalist in the Bocuse d'Or international culinary competition.

What inspired you to become a chef? I always wanted to, even when I was a kid. My family was into food. We had a big, big garden and put up the produce. I used to steal jars of canned beets. Food's always been a big part of my life.

Why did you come to Chicago? After culinary school, I went back to Cleveland. There was no way for me to do what I wanted to do there -- the town wasn't into it. They would have ridden me out of town.

At a steakhouse like this, what are your creative challenges? It's interesting. I thought it was a huge challenge. The steaks are already done -- it is what it is. So I'm concentrating on specials, seafood, other cuts of meat. It's fun figuring out what the rest of the people want to eat. We're in the back thinking, "How can I steer you away from a steak?"

I really love cooking seafood and vegetables, so to me it's great that I get to be inventive with that.

How many people eat here without ordering steak? A lot. On any given night, probably 20 percent.

How much of the menu is yours and how much is David Burke's? It's more of a collaboration. All of the specials are definitely mine.

Does it bother you to cook at a restaurant with somebody else's name? No, not at all. Everybody knows I'm here, that he trusts me to make it run. I'm also doing banquets and room service for The James. Everything you eat in the hotel is me.

You've got an appetizer customers cook on a hot rock. What was the process there? I went to the quarry in Volo myself and picked out the stones. They looked at me like I'm nuts. I'm buying 20 stones. Everybody else is out there with truckloads. They're like, "You're buying 100 pounds. We sell them by the ton." I'm like, "Get a calculator."

What's coming up next? We're buying our own breeding pig. And we're going to put in a garden above the third floor.

You have a long commute. Why live in Round Lake? I do a lot of woodworking. I love my big back yard and the wood shop. It's a brand new house that we built. Now, I'm doing all the cosmetic work, putting in wainscoting. This spring, it'll be a two-tiered deck and pergola. I did all the furniture for the inside. It's a journey.

The basement's the shop -- that's my toy room.

I have a big garden. I grow heirloom tomatoes, radishes, watermelon, two different types of beans, red and green romaine, corn, strawberries. I run the gamut with herbs. Trees … I grew everything from a pretty young stage. I moved 24 yards of mulch last year. I brought in 11 yards just for the vegetable garden.

Do you have any other hobbies? I'm a big wine collector. Another thing I'm building at the house is a wine cellar. I'm trying to collect my birth year, which is '75.

What kind of wine do you like to drink most? I drink a lot of white at the house: Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling wines. I work at a steakhouse, so I don't eat a lot of red meat at home. It's easy to drink a bottle of white wine while I'm cooking.

If you could cook for anybody, who would it be? I would like to have Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, just a goofy fantastic couple. I think that would be one wild dinner. I would just be laughing the whole time.

Who would you like to have cook for you? I'd love to have (French chef) Regis Marcon. I love that kind of traditionalism.

Tell us about this recipe. Pan-Roasted Rib Steak and Porcini Mac & Cheese. It's kind of a new-age take on the old classic, kind of a grown-up version. We were thinking, "What could we add that would be something different from potatoes but still kind fit the steakhouse theme?" We serve this with bone-in beef ribeye dry-aged 28 days.

Try this at home or at David Burke's Primehouse, 616 N. Rush St., Chicago, (312) 660-6000, www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/primehouse.

Pan-Roasted Rib Steak and Porcini Mac & Cheese

¾ pound elbow macaroni

3 cups whipping cream

1 cup porcini mushroom pieces, fresh or frozen

½ cup mascarpone cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons finely chives or parsley

3 bone-in beef ribeye steaks (20 ounces each)

Olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook until a little chewier than al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

While pasta cooks, heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a small, shallow casserole.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil, add the porcini mushrooms and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add the mascarpone cheese; stir until melted. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to coat completely. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the pasta in the prepared dish and top with the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and herbs. Bake about 7 minutes, until browned on top.

Put large saute pans over high heat and place a small amount of oil in the pans. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear to achieve a good deep brown crust, flip over and do the same to the other side. Cook the steaks to your desired temperature; if necessary, place in oven to finish cooking.

Serves three.

Chef Richard Gresh, David Burke's Primehouse, Chicago