A Few Good Eggs

Eric Klein Executive Chef, Maple Drive

Describes himself as: “A farm boy” from Alsace, France (Hattstatt, specifically), where he grew up in the shadow of a nunnery. “The nuns there used to baby-sit me,” he says, gesturing with enormous, rugged hands. “I’d help the nuns pluck chickens, I made bread, cooked soup, picked vegetables, milked cows . . . whatever needed to be done. I was so thankful for all they taught me, I almost became a priest.”

Cooking style: “Earthy Cal-French.”

Mentors/role models: “Everyone I worked with had an influence on me — from the dishwashers to the potato peelers. But I also have an old-school mentality and greatly respect those who paved the way for me: Andre Soltner, Emil Jung, Bernard Loiseau, Paul Bocuse.”

Favorite vegetable: “Bacon. I think of bacon as a vegetable.”

Secret ingredient (not surprisingly): “Bacon fat.”

Favorite stand at the Santa Monica Farmers Market: “The berry and stone-fruit stands. I just love to eat the berries. I’m a farmer, originally.”

Robert GadsbyExecutive Chef/Owner, NoƩ

Cooking style: “Progressive American or Franco-Japanese.”

Signature dish: “Ginger-butternut squash with almond cloud and hazelnut veil.”

Weirdest kitchen prop: “A shower. I was working in Hong Kong, and in the middle of the kitchen there was this shower. Because you livedthere.”

Thoughts on NBC’s The Restaurant: “Rocco’s a friend. I don’t know why he would do that! Whatever he was smoking, he shouldn’t give it to anyone else. That was not cool.”

Mentors/role models: “Thomas Keller [French Laundry, Per Se] and Gray Kunz [CafĆ© Gray]. Just understanding their philosophy of food and how it affects people.”

Pivotal moment: “1998. I’d been working for 30 years already and had Gadsby’s in L.A. Then I had lunch at Gray’s place in New York [which was Lespinasse] for a tasting, and it changed everything — changed how I perceived food.”

What’s next:“Houston, NoĆ©. It opens fall 2004.”

Started cooking: “In 1989 at City Restaurant in L.A. I just walked in through the back door and asked for a job. I had a ‰ degree in art and thought I was going to be a graphic designer. But after working for a few months, I didn’t love it. Cooking became my commercial art — it’s my creative outlet.”

Most important kitchen she worked in before opening her own: “Soul Kitchen in Chicago.”

Signature dishes: “Portuguese chicken; pan-fried, pecan-coated catfish; and Tijuana toast.”

Essential, can’t-live-without condiments in fridge at home: “Mustard, Tabasco sauce.”

Favorite kitchen gadget: “Japanese rotary slicer. Great for turning vegetables into no-carb noodles.”

Martha Stewart: “. . . is innocent. But who cares about her?”

Davidand Michelle Myers Co-Chefs/Co-Owners, Sona

Cooking style: “Modern French with global influences,” says David. Then Michelle adds, “Rethinking the conventional and always showcasing our farmers’ amazing produce.”

Favorite farmers-market stands: Michelle: “The Chino Ranch stand in Rancho Santa Fe.” David: “Coleman Farms at the Santa Monica market. They have a great array of greens like rocket, which is heirloom arugula, and purslane, which is essentially a weed.”

When Michelle started cooking: “As a young girl [in New York], with my mother and grandmother.”

David’s defining moment: “I was studying international business at Ohio State, but found that I enjoyed cooking more than exams. I’d cook every night in my apartment for friends; I was spending all my time in the kitchen. I dropped out and went to work at Spagio in the city.”

Sona’s signature dish: “Our signature dish is that we don’t do signature dishes,” says David. “We have 18 new dishes every week — we don’t repeat.”

What’s next? “We’re opening a modern version of a traditional Paris pastry shop, called Boule, across the street from Sona,” says Michelle. “It’s set to open the end of September.”

If you could be a personal chef for anyone, who would it be?David: “My wife.” Michelle: “Viggo Mortensen — my husband’s going to kill me for saying that!”

Juan Carlos Leon Executive Chef, SeƱor Fred

From: “Puerto Vallarta and [from the age of 13] Sherman Oaks.”

Style of cooking: “Authentic Mexican food with a fancy presentation.”

Mentor/role model: “JoĆ«l Robuchon. I learned through his books. I wish I could meet him.”

When did you start cooking? “1988, when I was 14 years old. I’d go to restaurants and just watch. Then a Japanese noodle house in Sherman Oaks let me cook in the kitchen. After a while, I spoke better Japanese than English!”

Favorite vegetable: Potato.

Essential, can’t-live-without condiment in fridge at home: “A special habanerosalsa. I made it for myself, and now everyone asks for it.”

Secret ingredient: “Hard-to-find Mexican herbs, like epazote and hoja santa, which I get from Rita Lopez at the Santa Monica Farmers Market (the only place I can find it). Not many chefs use them.”

Favorite kitchen tool: “My knives. Especially my German 12-inch chef’s knife.”

If you could be a personal chef for anyone, who would it be? “Julia Roberts — I think everyone wants to cook for her!”

What’s next? “Surprise people every time with my food — show them something they’ve never seen before.”