Four Inane Questions with Scratch Gourmet Kitchen’s Executive Chef Taylor Hindman
Photo Courtesy of Taylor Hindman
Growing up, Taylor Hindman was all about how things were built—engineering and architecture were his jam. “I loved the creativity,” he says. “However, when I joined Broadmoor Technical Center’s culinary program, I almost instantly fell in love with cooking and the restaurant industry’s unique ways.”
Fifteen years (and a slew of fine dining spots) later, he now runs the show at Scratch Gourmet Kitchen in Prairie Village, where his construction background comes in handy—only now he’s building flavor, not floor plans. As the name suggests, it’s all gourmet comfort food, all from scratch, all the time.
His favorite special dish is one you’ll only find on the rarest of occasions. It’s his OxTail Tortellini Brodo, which he calls “a labor of love.” He says, “It requires you to braise ox tails low and slow until they are fall-apart tender. I fold ricotta and basil into the beef and stuff it inside of a hand-made tortellini shell. Nothing is better on a cold KC winter day.”
And speaking of specials, just last month Scratch Gourmet Kitchen was honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2025 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine.
When he’s not elbow-deep in creating his next dish or leading Scratch’s posh catering events, Hindman is likely still in the kitchen, uh, just for fun. “I have such a passion for restaurants and food,” he says. “I can’t imagine another career that would bring me both the unique joy and heartache that this industry can bring.”
We caught up with the culinary pro as he was perfecting a new summer scallop entrée to zing him with our sketchy-at-best questionnaire. His dish looked almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Bless.
Photo Courtesy of Taylor Hindman
The Pitch: What’s the one overlooked, but mandatory utensil folks absolutely must have in their kitchen?
Chef Taylor Hindman: The most overlooked kitchen utensil in my opinion is the bench scraper—AKA the dough knife. They’re not only incredibly helpful for any baking needs, but they also have a ton of niche kitchen uses. Every kitchen I’ve worked in has multiple ones on hand. Yet I haven’t run into many people outside of the restaurant industry who have one at their house.
If you were a wild cat of prey, what wild cat of prey would you be?
Chefs and large cats aren’t entirely dissimilar. Both are nocturnal, prone to anxiety, and decidedly picky eaters. If I had to group myself into any specific cat, I would probably pick the snow leopard due to their reclusive and elusive nature.
What’s the longest you’ve ever slept… uninterrupted?
Much like large cats I do enjoy a good long nap. I am unsure what my record for longest sleep uninterrupted is. However, I know I have slept over 16 hours a few times in my life following 30+ hour shifts. This is what I refer to as a ‘chef’s coma’.
How many times in your life have you run out of gas? In your car. Not in life.
Photo Courtesy of Taylor Hindman
When I was 16 years old, I have a distinct memory of running out of gas. I attempted to chance it to the next gas station down the road and ran out of gas less than 50 feet from the pump. It was a truly embarrassing moment in my young life, and I’ve made it a point to not let it happen again.
Bonus 5th Question: What ice cream flavor doesn’t exist—but, you know, should?
Ben and Jerry’s used to make a peach cobbler ice cream that they discontinued years ago. I don’t know what I would give to have that flavor back in the marketplace. I’ve managed to make a few close replicas, but I have been unsuccessful recreating it.
