We were curious about Corbett's plans for Coi, so we went ahead and asked him what he had swirling around his immersion circulator. "I don't really have any set dishes planned," he said. "I usually start with an idea that sets me on a path. It may be a technique, an ingredient, or a twist on the familiar. Once I start down that path I never really know where I'll end up. It's kind of one of the more exciting aspects of cooking, the discovery. Sometimes I run into a dead end and have to start over and others times I'll start with a specific idea and make discoveries along the way ending up somewhere completely different from where I began. I think that's a theme that kind of runs throughout the menu at Coi, a sense of discovery. You won't be seeing any of my old dishes at Coi because this restaurant is more about moving forward and challenging ourselves as a team to be better than we were last year or even last week. To continue with that journey of discovery."
So, we wondered, what will change? "The desserts will hopefully improve because there will be a new set of ideas and techniques being brought to the table," said Corbett. Hmm. We wanted specifics. We asked Corbett to give us a hint as to what's been inspiring him, and he obliged: He's working on a little idea right now with McEvoy Ranch olio nuovo and quince.
Meanwhile, speaking of quince, former Quince chef de cuisine Evan Rich was named to the same position at Coi.
