Best Chefs in Pittsburgh: Evolutionary Cooking at Emerson With Chad Rapp
By Olivia Miller
When speaking to Chef Chad Rapp, his passion for cooking is evident in his eagerness to share the lessons he has learned in the kitchen and the great detail he describes his culinary masterpieces with. His affection for cheffing is on display at Market Street Grocery and the adjoining Emerson’s, where he has served as the executive chef for the last eight years combined.
He got his start in the culinary world 20-some years ago when he was working as a delivery driver for a pizza shop. He had to fill in as a cook one night and was enamored with the “controlled chaos” of the kitchen.This led him to work as a line cook for many years before working as a sous chef at Pittsburgh’s Chelsea Grille then finally settling in at Market Street Grocery and Emerson’s.
Rapp’s transition from delivery driver to decorated chef is owed to the “constant evolution” of cooking. He enjoys the opportunity to mix “newer techniques and older techniques” and says it is a “constant learning process.”
The fusion of new and old is something that is evident in Chef’s crafted menu at Emerson’s. While they offer a steak dish that is classically done in a “100% American steakhouse style”, they also offer a Baja-California style tuna dish as well as a Caribbean inspired salmon dish with grilled salmon, jerk couscous and sauteed haricot verts. These dishes are the product of brainstorming sessions and a testing process to see “what contributes to each dish to see how they amplify each other.” He says, “Let’s put it on paper, let’s make it, let’s see how it goes.”
Chef Rapp finds inspiration for his dishes everywhere. He says inspiration is “extremely sporadic from me” and describes spontaneously being inspired by something his wife says and immediately running to grab a piece of paper to write it down. He says, “that’s what keeps it interesting for me.”
His ultimate goal as a chef is simply “longevity.” In a world that is moving so fast, Chef Rapp acknowledges that the whole aspect of dining might change in as little as four years. He does not want his food or Emerson’s to be thought of by patrons as “that was awesome for a year or two.” Instead, he wants to keep up with it and “make sure people are happy.”
To taste his food for yourself, you can visit Emerson’s Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm- 11pm or Market Street Grocery Monday through Friday from 8am - 3pm.
