Austin Kaye of Back Porch (Photo by Chip Scheuer)
Hard to miss at local farmers markets, Back Porch's Austin Kaye took some time to talk to us about his innovative approach to guerilla grilling.
You have lots of restaurant experience, from sushi to vegan, all over the West Coast. What brought you to Santa Cruz? After a lifetime of living in Portland and San Diego, I wanted the best of what they both had to offer. Santa Cruz is the perfect combination of ideal weather, pristine forests and a laid-back atmosphere. Plus, when you are looking for a location where most produce can be farmed and the community is passionate about local and organic foods, you can’t beat Santa Cruz and the Bay Area.
How did you “cook up” your farmers’ market street food menu? I liked the idea of reinterpreting famous dishes from around the world, while using organic products that are locally sourced. Tacos, English-style pies and croques (the French-style grilled cheese) are all classic examples of global street food. Collaborating with local farms and other local businesses provides a lot of inspiration. Working with Rib King at farmers’ markets prior to starting my own business helped me to get a good idea of what menu items customers want to see.
What are the unique challenges of custom cooking in an outdoor grill situation? The hardest part is the limited space. You have to be very efficient, and also design your menu around a few key ingredients that can be used for multiple dishes. The weather also has a lot of influence over how popular any given farmers’ market will be, but our cooking set-up is pretty much weatherproof! One unique benefit of cooking outdoors is that the smell of the frying bacon wafting through the fresh air attracts customers far and wide!
Your outrageous breakfasts at the Saturday farmers’ market have long waiting lines. What is the most popular combination? The bacon breakfast taco is our most popular Saturday market item. With regards to our English-style pies, which we sell at the downtown and Scotts Valley farmers’ markets, the most popular item is the pulled pork pie with apple barbecue sauce.
This style of quick and creative cooking looks like fun. Is it? It is exhausting, but fun! The interaction and the personal connection you form with customers is something that you can’t get working in a kitchen, and getting to hear positive feedback from our repeat customers is hands down the most rewarding aspect of the job.
