Guilty Pleasures: Debbie Gold

BY OWEN MORRIS

Debbie Gold is originally from Chicago where she worked at Charlie Trotters. She came to Kansas City in 1994 to work at The American Restaurant and in 1999 she won a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest. In 2001 she left the American to open 40 Sardines in Leawood. When it closed last year she decided to return to The American, where I interviewed her and asked what she eats when no one is looking.

Whenever I go home, it’s pretty simple. Just cheese, crackers and a bottle of wine. You get a Camembert or a French cheese called P’tit Basque. I like the hard cheeses and a good water cracker. Open up a good bottle of Pinot and just have a little French country meal by myself. All I’m missing is the picnic basket and the French countryside…I might do it a couple times a week. Always after work. Cheese and crackers, sometimes cured meats. I get that and then I like old movies so I turn on an old movie and I sit there.

I could stay up all night watching those old movies.