Brushstrokes Before Burners: Chef Bob’s Creative Process on Display

Did you know that every Pinch dish starts not in the kitchen, but on paper?

Chef Bob, our fearless founder and culinary mastermind, paints every menu idea before he ever picks up a knife. It’s his way of imagining flavor through form, designing dishes with brushstrokes before burners. The result? Over 100 original food paintings that bring his culinary concepts to life visually. And yes, you’ve probably eaten more than a few of them.

So, we figured it was time to put Bob’s creative process on full display. Literally.

Since our prep kitchen sits right in the heart of Chelsea’s gallery district, it only made sense to host an exhibition worthy of the work. Last Thursday night, we turned our tasting room into a one-night-only gallery where Bob’s artwork became the menu. Guests walked through his painted visions while hors d'oeuvres and Pop-Ups were passed around. Yes, we ate the exhibition.

The menu included:

Pigs in a Quilt
Braised pork belly in sherry vinegar wrapped in a puff pastry lattice with smoked and sweet paprika, tomato powder, orange-mustard gel, and chili oil gel.

Vacuumed Peeled Celery
Anchovy lemon-garlic oil with parmesan fondue and twice-cooked garlic chips.

Loaded Potato Skin
Pressed layers of Yukon Gold potato skins, seasoned and double-fried, topped with sour cream, chives, sharp cheddar espuma, and roasted slab bacon.

Tortilla Española
Classic potato egg tart seared on both sides, cooked in six-inch molds, and topped with shaved Brussels sprouts in a sherry vinaigrette.

Vegetarian Lasagna
Basil crepe layered with spiced grain bolognese and béchamel.

Now you know. Every Pinch bite begins as a one-of-a-kind Chef Bob original. Who says you can’t frame a “Pig in a Quilt”?

Check out the full video here.